Doing a presentation to look more professional

Question

I don't know if this is the best place to ask this question, but I couldn't find another stackexchange site to ask it.

I am a computer engineering student that doesn't work anywhere, and I don't have a company as well. I decided to develop an android application for a famous person in my country. We talked a few times on phone, tomorrow I will go to the city that he lives to show demo application and get an agreement about details, such as price etc. Getting agreement is quite important because, he may be a great reference.

I want to look like professional, because that will obviously increase my chance on getting an agreement. So, I decided to make a small presentation about application. But the problem is, he already knows that I'm still a student, and I'm not a professional yet. For my case, instead of being an advantage, creating a presentation may be a disadvantage.

Do you think presentation is an advantage or disadvantage in these kind of cases?

Edit: Thanks a lot for all the answers. I did a small (6-7 pages) power point presentation, and I can easily say, it impressed the client a lot, and we made a deal.

Answer 1

First of all, it is really nice to know that you are developing stuff that is useful for others.

It doesn't really matter whether you are a student or a professional. What you have done is most important. Of course, it depends on how you present it. I would like to suggest the following.

Presentation: Power point presentation might be helpful. However, try to make number of slides according to the appointment time you have given. May be 8 to 10 slides would be good. This presentation is more about the high level view of the application. Its usage, how the clients get benefit from it, one slide for how it is implemented, etc.

Demo: Compared to the presentation, the most important part is how you demo the application. Test the application thoroughly. Your client has many questions on the usage of the application. Therefore, you should prepare for the demo of the application. Focus more on how easy to use the application, benefits of the applications, etc., rather than its implementation in the demo. Of course, if the client asks about the implementation, you should answer it in simple manner. Don't talk about future enhancements of the application early, only bring this matter when it is needed.

Dress: I wouldn't suggest wearing a suit. Try to wear an outfit that is business casual.

Conversation: This is the most important part of the business. Don't start conversation about money. You should more focus on the application and its usage. You should talk about it when he/she brings that topic. Be prepared for the questions regarding the money such as "how much you are expecting?" etc. I would suggest to do some homework on this.

In the worst case, even if the business fails, you should maintain good relationships with the client. Be positive and confident. All the best.

Answer 2

Don't do a PowerPoint presentation if you're just going to show some bullet points that match what you're saying. If you need to represent data, charts, images, video, etc., that would be different. I think this applies even more if this is going to be one on one. Also, don't do a presentation if you don't have a projector.

I don't know what you mean by"famous" but they don't have a lot of time and will become bored quickly. And if they're not a business person (actor, politician, athlete, etc.), this will be worse.

Focus on demonstrating your app and listening to feedback. They'll want to talk. You're going to get interupted. Don't let it upset you. Stay calm. Even though you're a student, let them know you can solve problems and work hard. Be natural and confident.

Important: Practice your demonstration to anyone you can find. Family or friends and all different technical levels. Edit: If you're just going to read your slides, don't do a presentation.

Answer 3

Being a student and not a professional doesn't mean you can't work professionally. A good presentation can be very impressive. For a developer like me a demo application would be more interesting but that is up to you.

I guess more information and more things to show are always better in your case.

Answer 4

Helping a potential customer visualize how your product will be like is always a good thing. It would be better if you could show him a prototype but a presentation is still beneficial. And i think it is always good for a student to act professional. I don't see how it could be considered a disadvantage. Good luck...