In the world of business, all companies tend to have creators of content and products but they are very few in number. These people have artistic freedom and have the creative mindset to pull things off but in order to do that you do have to catch your investor’s eye. While a lot of people would tell you that you need to go all out in making the prototype, we would like to tell you that making a product is not an easy task and defending it is even more difficult so.
So if you are someone who has been in the product designing field very recently, you would need all the help you can get to be prepared for the critique and rejections that come in the way. You will also have to idiot proof your design so that investors are sure about it and take interest in your project. Here are a few tips that would help you in doing so, check them out below.
Before Presenting Your Work:
#1 Mock Presentation
Before you get into the presentation process with the investors, we would highly recommend that you hold a mock presentation with your colleagues. Make sure that the audience is critical and can evaluate things while also staying impartial. With this kind of audience you would have a better chance at getting honest feedback which will critique your product and help you in making a better brief.
#2 Take Notes And Record Your Briefings
Always have a person take notes during this mock presentation so that you have something to refer back to. If you want to take notes on your own then we would recommend that you keep a pen and paper with you and also record your briefing for a later self-review. This way you will be able to have an input on your own presentation skills.
#3 Engage Your Audience
Make sure to engage the audience and always be confident while talking about the product. If your audience is critiquing or asking questions, give clear and concise answers about it. Try not to get too defensive if your product is being negatively evaluated because defensiveness is never appreciated.
While Presenting Your Work:
#1 Tweak Your Presentation According to The Briefing
Once the briefing or mock session has been done, you should refer back to your notes and tweak your presentation and skills accordingly. Have a framework ready to be put in place regardless of how detailed it is. Go through the pilot study and researches you have done and the ones put out by your competitors.
#2 Be Transparent
Another thing you need to do is make sure to keep things real with the investors while also trying to sell your product to them. So make sure to be upfront and honest about things as best as you can, this honesty will reflect nicely on the investors and might even help in gaining a better footing in this industry.
#3 Always Question Other’s Input
A lot of the times, designers take on reviews and input about their products from the investors. Investor are people with the money but you are the one who knows your product better than anyone else. So do not be afraid to ask all the right questions. Make sure that you work on these products with a clearer mindset and ask questions where necessary. There is nothing wrong with asking questions, even though a lot of designers hold back from doing it because they feel like the investors would be put off by it. In reality everyone has a right to defend their product and clear out any misunderstandings if they have any.