My First Pre-Sales Presentation in English:
What Went Wrong and What I Learned
Designed by Magnific – www.magnific.com
Delivering an important pre-sales presentation in English as a non-native speaker, in front of a strategic systems integrator, is not an easy task.
Especially when several unexpected events happen and you have to adapt and improvise.
The Context: My First Pre-Sales Job Abroad
In 2010, I had been hired by my Belgian employer for my French language skills.
They wanted to expand their market by selling licenses for their GIS (Geographical Information System) solutions in France, so I was supposed to go back to the French offices after being trained.
My main task was to deliver pre-sales presentations in French.
But plans changed quickly: I also had to deliver presentations in English.
As I didn’t know the product at all (a complex Java-based software solution), I had a lot to learn a lot in a very short period of time.
But I found the challenge interesting, as it was my first professional experience abroad
The Unexpected Request
That day, I was at my desk working on understanding the products and learning how to create demos for future customers.
After a few weeks of work in Belgium, the company decided that they needed me to stay in the Belgium office because I was more useful there.
I had already delivered one or two pre-sales presentations in French, but not in English.
I had trained in English by myself, but I was not confident enough to deliver it in front of customers.
That day, one of my colleagues was delivering an important pre-sales presentation in English for a major systems integrator, and something happened.
My manager came to me urgently and said:
“Jeremie, your colleague’s wife is at the hospital, he has to leave now, and you have to replace him and continue the pre-sales presentation”.
I panicked. She added that I was the only one available. She asked me to use my colleague’s laptop and just continue the official pre-sales presentation.
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When Things Started Going Wrong
I arrived at the meeting room, said hello to everybody. Nobody replied.
The atmosphere was very cold, nobody was talking or smiling. I felt very stressed.
The systems integrator needed to know more about the GIS solution for military purposes.
I sat down and tried to find the folder containing the PowerPoint presentation on my colleague’s laptop. I was so uncomfortable that it felt like it took me forever to open the pre-sales presentation.
I continued the presentation, but I felt so stressed in front of this silent audience that I couldn’t find my words in English.
So I barely talked for each slide I was showing, I was giving the minimum amount of information possible.
The sales manager could see how stressed I was.
In order to save the presentation, he asked me to present a fancy technical demonstration used to demonstrate advanced GIS capabilities that are usually difficult to manage with standard GIS software.
The audience appreciated the demonstration and the sales manager took control of the meeting.
I didn’t finish the pre-sales presentation, and I knew I failed.
Why My Pre-Sales Presentation Failed
If we analyze the situation, there are various reasons, and it was no surprise that I failed to deliver my pre-sales presentation successfully.
1. I Had Very Little Time to Rehearse my Presentation in English
I was supposed to practice my business presentation in French for my future French customers, and suddenly I was asked to stay in Belgium to deliver business presentations in English.
I was barely prepared and had very little time to practice.
2. Stress Reduced My Language Skills
Speaking a foreign language under pressure is challenging especially:
- In an unexpected situation
- In front of a cold audience
- With a strategic customer and high stakes
3. Technical Knowledge Was Not Enough
I was also asked to learn how to create technical demonstrations with the GIS product, and it required programming skills in Java.
But I was a pre-sales engineer, so it required more than technical skills to be able to deliver a clear pre-sales presentation:
- Being clear and concise while explaining the features of the product
- Giving proper examples linked to the customer’s projects for each feature
- And of course mastering the language used for the business presentation
What Happened Next
After this difficult experience, I made a promise to myself: I would never feel so unprepared in front of a customer again.
My manager quickly decided to organize a pre-sales presentation practice for the team.
The real task in France will be a trade show I will participate in later, after this practice, which will help me regain confidence in my English presentation skills.
What Expats Can Learn from a Difficult Presentation in a Foreign Language
We all learn a lot from bad experiences. Here is my advice if you need to deliver a business presentation in professional French:
- Rehearse your business presentation aloud
- Prepare key phrases for each slide
- Know your slides by heart
- Test your technical demonstrations
- Anticipate difficult questions
Even if you know the product inside out, never rely only on your technical expertise.
In another professional context, I also had to improvise during a technical training session when unexpected issues forced me to adapt quickly.
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