223 Presentations to clients C 24 lients may call bidders to attend an interview and present their ideas about an assignment either in place of a written submission ­ for example, if the contract value does not warrant or require a formal tendering procedure ­ or as a follow-up to a tender or a step in a negotiation process. Presentations give clients an opportunity to judge face to face the quality and professionalism of the people competing for the work as well as enabling them to pursue questions that may have emerged from an examination of the tenders. In situations where the tenders reveal no clear winner, a presenta- tion can have a decisive effect on the contract award. Planning and making the presentation Interviews may have three parts: an initial presentation or `pitch' by the bidder; a question-and-answer session in which each side may raise points it wishes to have clarified; a final statement by the bidder. The detailed agenda of the meeting and the time available for the presenta- tion will be set by the client. Depending on the scale of the contract, an interview may take just a half-hour or last a large part of the day. Who attends the interview on the bidder's side is usually left open, though clients generally want to see the people scheduled to do the work or those who will be directly responsible for it. They may indicate that they expect to see key members of a proposed work team ­ especially the team leader and the partner or director who would be in charge of the work ­ and they may set a limit on the size of each bidder's delegation. You risk losing the contract if you turn in a poor and indifferent perform- ance. A competent presentation is not enough ­ it has to be a winning one! It is essential to plan and rehearse your side's part in the proceedings and prepare for the questions you are likely to be asked, so that you are in