Reading Time: 8-1/2 minutes 

This is part 9 of a 16-part blog series designed to help you win government oral presentations. To read the previous blogs, click here to find the index with individual blogs. There are three areas (homework) that I assign to the presentation team prior to our first rehearsals. In blog 7, I covered all the background study needed to prepare for orals. In blog 8, I gave a proven structure for doing individual introductions relevant to your role in the delivery of the contract. In this blog, I’ll cover how to develop speaker points and transitions for a static presentation before you begin rehearsals for the broader team. 

For context, this approach is great for all static presentations where the team is briefing from a “deck” developed beforehand, and the briefing is in person, so the team can’t hide behind the screen and read a detailed script.  

Developing Speaker Points 

The next pre-work assignment is to identify the main points for each slide you will propose during the first walk-through with the team or coach. A set of speaker points is made for each assigned slide. The process is simple. Looking at each slide individually, answer the following questions:  

• How will you introduce the topic? This is nearly always the heading of the slide. If you are responding to a specific question or part of the RFP, start with the RFP requirement as the heading to make it easy for the evaluator to grade you.  
• Does the structure require explanation?  In some cases, the slide is complex enough that you need to explain what they are looking at before getting into the specifics.   
• Working left to right and top to bottom, what are the main points you want to make?  
• If there is a graphic, process chart, methodology, etc., what are the parts of the graphic that you want to brief?  
• What example or win theme do you want to end with? This is often in a text box across the bottom “bumper” of the slide.  
• What is the next topic, and how will you transition from this slide to the next?  

Here is an example of speaker points for a notional slide on the program management approach  

1. Answering question (a) – our Task Order management approach.  
2. This slide shows our overall approach to managing task orders in the graphic 
3. Step 1 – Anticipate TOs 
4. Step 2 – Staffing includes our surge staff with badged access 
5. Step 3 – Reporting via ServiceNow in real time 
6. Step 4 – Lessons learned taught to all staff 
7. Top Right side – Brief strength one, incumbent management team 
8. Bottom right – Proof point – DHS experience 
9. Strength – Incumbency and low risk
10. Transition to Staffing Plan  

Once you have completed your speaker points for all your assigned slides, another best practice is to pair up with someone who knows the work or the client to discuss your points and further develop them. Once you have the most impactful points determined for each slide, put them all in one document or directly in the presentation’s speaker notes.  

The speaker point design emphasizes what will be said, using as few words as necessary to guide the speaker through practice sessions. This design keeps the presenter speaking naturally and avoids memorizing long, detailed scripts. As a general guideline, when you look at a slide’s speaker’s notes, you should know the key points they will present but not the details they will use to elaborate on each point.  

Identify Anchor Points That Trigger the Speaker Points 

Once speaking points are established, each point needs to be attached or “anchored” to a part of the slide that it applies to. Anchor Points are specific places on the slide that trigger the speaker to say something. These associations between the slide and the speaker’s points help in several ways. First, it provides a guide for the speaker to remember everything they want to say and a map for their presentation, right there with them when they present. Second, if the speaker gets stuck on something and can’t remember what to say, they can simply look at the slide, go back one anchor point, and start again. Anchor points make this possible.

To learn the anchor points, I recommend that the speaker print the presentation, place large numbers with circles on the anchor points, and use the printed version for the first couple of practices. Alternatively, you can put an electronic mark on the digital version of the slide. As you practice your presentation, let your eye move from anchor point to anchor point while stating each speaker point in order. Before long, you'll notice that even without the printout or the visual marks on the slide, just looking at the projected slide will remind you what to say.  

Transitions

Transitions happen during the presentation when you move from answering one question to the next or from covering one requirement to the next. Another common transition point occurs when one point is speaker hands over the presentation to another. The generic, undifferentiated way to handle a transition move on and *hope* the technical evaluation board (TEB) follows along. This strategy won't win the contract for your team and misses a great opportunity to increase retention of key information and keep the TEB engaged and learning.

Well-planned speaker transitions can provide context, position the next speaker as an expert, and clearly address the solicitation requirements. Simple transitions include clearly articulating the move from one question or requirement to the next. More complex transitions may include:

• reintroducing yourself
• summarizing your topic(s) 
• introducing the next speaker  
• connecting the last topic to the next topic   
• pointing out compliance with the requirement(s)

Here are two common transitions – reintroductions and stories. 

Reintroduction - Establishing  Expertise 

Presentation teams often fall into the trap of thinking that the TEB will remember everything they say the first time they say it. Numerous studies prove otherwise. In most cases, the TEB will need to be provided the information, in different formats, multiple times for them to remember it. This is especially true of individual backgrounds.   

At the beginning of the presentation, everyone typically introduces themselves (see blog 8, Individual Preparation Part 2: Developing Your Individual Introduction and their relationship to the company and the project. This first introduction sets the stage for the presentation and validates why you’re in the room in the first place. The TEB will likely not remember this introduction for several reasons. First, introductions aren’t graded so there is no reason to remember them. Second, this will be the first time they will learn about you, and research suggests you need at least three or more times for that information to stick. 

I coach presenters to reintroduce themselves nearly every time they get up to speak. This reintroduction has more flexibility than the initial introduction. The purpose of a reintroduction is to establish your credibiltiy as an expert for your sections and topics you are about to present.  

Simple Reintroduction

As a coach, I want every speaker to introduce themselves every time they begin a section, with a few exceptions. The simple version of this reintroduction is to state your name and the position you are bid for on the contract. This simple reintroduction gives the TEB enough information to understand who you are and what place on the team you would fill. Do this level of reintroduction at a minimum, regardless of how much time you have to present your section.  

Relevant Reintroduction

While the simple reintroduction gives just enough information for the TEB to visualize working with you in the position you’ll be holding on the contract, the relevant reintroduction gives them more background detail to hammer home your specific expertise that is directly related to the section that you are going to brief. A good, relevant introduction will be short, to the point, and related to the content you are about to present. It will focus on one or two parts of your resume that set you up as an expert. 

The relevant reintroduction is straightforward and does not have to include every part listed below:

• Name 
• Position/role you’re bid as  
• What you will be presenting 
• One point of relevant experience  

The flexibility of the reintroduction allows the speaker to calibrate as needed based on the time they have to present. When your time budget is limited, make it short and to the point. When you have plenty of time, make them longer or tell a relevant “hero” story.  

Reintroducing the Next Speaker

Another way to reintroduce yourself is to have the previous speaker introduce you. The structure is similar to when you introduce yourself individually, but from a third-party perspective. Introducing the next speaker is easy to do and increases the perception that you know, like, and trust each other. Here is a common structure for introducing the next speaker. 

• Name and role 
• Topic they will present 
• Where you have worked together in the past 
• One relevant experience that makes them an expert on the topic they will present

The simplest version of this format includes only bullets one and two (name, role, and topic). Not all introductions will have that level of close relevant experience with the next speaker. If you have never worked together before, you will need to talk to the person ahead of time to learn something relevant to make the reintroductions go smoothly.

Transition With A Story

Starting your section of the presentation with a relevant story can capture the TEB’s attention, establish credibility, and demonstrate expertise on the topic. The story must be relevant to the speaker’s part of the presentation, important for the broader contract, and/or hit a hot button by being about something important to the TEB. A lead-in story begins with the speaker’s name and proposed role on the contract.  

Proposal presentation stories must be short and to the point to be effective. Long-winded stories get boring fast and waste time that could be used for gradable information. Good storytelling includes emotion and a challenge to overcome and ends with a meaningful result that the TEB would want for themselves. 

To tell a great lead-in story, the speaker must craft the narrative in advance and rehearse and refine it with team feedback for maximum impact.  

I teach my teams a simple model for crafting a lead-in a story that includes a challenge and a results-driven benefit.  

1. The speaker’s leadership role on the project 
2. The relevant details of the project. This typically includes the client, the goal of the work/project, and anyone of note on the delivery team. 
3. The challenge your team faced (aka, the situation that starts the action) 
4. The novel or innovative way you overcame the challenge (aka, the rising action) 
5. Your innovative solution (aka, the climax) 
6. The results-driven benefits for the client (aka, the denouement) 

Transitioning to the Next Question, Requirement, or Section 

One of the “commandments” of a proposal presentation is, “thou shalt be easy to grade”. This means answering the questions and meeting the requirements in the order presented in the solicitation and the Statement of Work/Performance Work Statement (SOW/PWS). Slides should clearly illustrate what question or requirement is being addressed.  

You can significantly increase the likelihood that the TEB will give you credit for answering a specific question if you also keep them oriented with your talk track. This means identifying within your presentation when you are moving from section to section, question to question, and requirement to requirement. Here is a simple example of how to transition in a way that keeps the TEB oriented.  

“That completes our response to Factor 1a. Now, I’ll bring up Jim to begin Factor 1b, our approach to program management. Jim?”  

This type of transition creates a pause and a clear move from one part of the presentation to the next. Even when you’re struggling to complete the entire presentation on time, you can still fit in a simple transition.

Third-Party Coaches 

Developing speaker points, building anchor points into the deck, and working with the team on reintroductions can take time. When oral presentation timelines are compressed or if it’s a must-win bid, consider bringing in a third-party coach like Trident. Our orals coaches work with state and federal contractors at every step, from individual pre-work through final team delivery. 

We’ll equip every presenter with the skills to command their slides, deliver examples, and engage the government with credibility and passion. 

• Explore our Oral Presentation Coaching services and winning frameworks. 
• Contact Us to ensure every member of your team is individually and collectively ready to win. 

Don’t miss blog 10: Static Presentation Roles and Responsibilities

Written by Jeff Everage 
Jeff is the President and Founder of Trident Proposal Management. As a GovCon Oral Presentation Coach for more than 15 years, Jeff has coached more than 100 teams to success. His insights into oral coaching, gained from the trenches of coaching, are designed to support you and your team in your efforts. As a Navy veteran, Jeff resides in Southern California and provides support to clients worldwide as part of our globally dispersed team.