Creativity and distinction in the hotel business is essential to success. Hotel designers around the world have discovered the growing need for individuality in hotel spaces. Every day, hotel owners are ...
Make your pitch more compelling with drilled-down insights on the client, the market and ROI.
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There are so many factors that determine whether you win or lose a project. The one over which you have the most control is your presentation. So how do you put your best foot forward?
For this issue's master class question, we turned to Joanie Neumayer of Cheryl Rowley Design (CRD) in Beverly Hills, Calif. Neumayer knows presentations from both sides of the negotiating table. Before joining CRD as managing director in 2002, she held key management positions at such travel giants as American Express and Carlson Wagonlit. She has also worked as a consultant for major developers of luxury hotels and resorts. Her client list included global players such as investment firm Morgan Stanley and operators Hilton and Hyatt.
She puts that knowledge to work every day in her current role overseeing client relations and business development. Understanding clients' needs and talking their language in presentations has helped CRD become one of the largest hospitality design firms in the United States, with annual hospitality fees over $4.1 million.
Following are Neumayer's best practices for a stellar presentation.
Know the project and the market. Research city council planning meeting minutes, local newspapers, trade publications and organizations such as the Urban Land Institute (ULI) or the American Institute of Architects (AIA) before you even get there. How long has the project been in development? What types of obstacles has the developer encountered with entitlements? Have there been different ownership groups or different brands involved in the project's history? What's the brand positioning? Are there comparable projects happening in the area? The more you can speak about these issues during your presentation, the more you'll set your firm apart from other designers.
Use your network. In other words, name drop. Do you have mutual contacts with the client that you can mention in your meeting? Have you worked on other projects with vendors the client has worked with before? Is there anyone on your staff who's worked with the client before? The more contacts that you have in common with the client, the more familiar (read: viable) you become, giving you a better chance to become part of the project team.
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