Just nailed my first big client presentation without notes

I've been working as a junior account manager for about 8 months now. Last week I had to present quarterly results to a client in Chicago, and I usually rely on my script pretty heavily. This time I only used a single page with bullet points and it went fine. The client even asked three follow up questions and I answered them without panicking. Has anyone else made that jump from reading everything to just knowing your stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor_patel11d ago

Did you feel like you had to practice differently to make that leap? I've noticed that when I stopped trying to memorize word-for-word and instead focused on understanding the "why" behind my points, everything clicked. It's like your brain frees up space to actually listen and think on your feet when you're not worried about reciting lines. The bullet point approach forces you to know your material inside out (because you can't just read it out loud). Those follow-up questions are the real test too, and it sounds like you passed with flying colors. Once you realize the client just wants to know you're competent and confident, you stop being so scared of saying the wrong thing.

kai_chen211d ago

Man I totally used to be on the other side of this, thought bullet points were just a lazy crutch and you needed a full script to be safe. But then I tried it myself (out of desperation honestly) and realized how much better it feels when you actually know your stuff instead of just reading it.

anthony76311d ago

Three bullet points sounds like a pretty big crutch still if you ask me. What happens when the client asks something that's not on that page and your brain freezes up because you didn't script it out? I'd rather have a full safety net of notes than pretend I'm some kind of presentation guru after 8 months on the job.