Whether you are a specialty exhibitor like the charming folks at Kalamazoo Grills, or a mega-firm like GE, you have an equal opportunity to win Best of KBIS at NKBA’s annual Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS). But if you want to win you need to put your best foot forward. As one of five NKBA judges for KBIS 2020 I’m here to give you a little insight into what makes for a winning presentation from this judge’s perspective. 

Before I dive in, bear in mind that these winning tips focus on how to give a winning presentation. I’m assuming you’ve already taken the time and done the work needed to develop an innovative, beautiful, and functional product. If you have a bad product, no presentation will help you win Best in Show at KBIS, or any other competition.

But let’s say you do have a wonderful, innovative product. What can you do at the show to encourage a win?

#1 Lead with the most innovative features and benefits. 

Each competitor gets just five minutes to tell us why their product should win Best of KBIS. A number of presenters were lovely, but instead of leading with their most innovative features and benefits (ie., *why* this product should capture our attention and why it should win *this year*) they took some of their precious 5 minutes to thank us for coming, introduce themselves and their team, and tell us the history of the brand. If that information isn’t a part of why this product should win  – and win *this* year – then don’t be afraid to skip the niceties and the history and just dive into what is AWESOME about your product. If you leave that stuff to the end, you may run out of time and fail to win simply because you didn’t leave time to *tell* the judges why your product was awesome. 

#2 Answer our burning questions.

If we are judging you in person, then your entry already caught our attention and it got you to the position of being a finalist. Congrats! That means we’re truly eager to know why we should choose *you* as a winner. So don’t leave us hanging. Practice your presentation with as many folks who *don’t* know your product as possible, find out what questions they have after you complete your five minute spiel, then rework your presentation to cover any questions that make it clearer why you have a winning product. Common follow-up questions we had to ask were: 

“Which of these features are new this year?”

“Why are these features important? How are they innovative?”

How does this feature / this innovation compare to other similar products on the market? 

Some folks would mix in cool features that had actually been around for a while, and we needed to clarify what was new and innovative this year (since that is what we are judging). If you have the only product solving a given problem, speak up and say so! If other products solve this problem but in a less-good way, say so! Don’t assume we know that the problem you’ve solved needed solving, and don’t assume we are familiar with comparable products out there. Tell us, tell us clearly, and tell us quickly!

The best presenters answered our questions before we even thought to answer them, and all we had to do at the end of their presentation was thank them for a wonderfully prepared, thorough presentation. But be prepared for a couple follow up questions, and consider making your presentation just four minutes long to leave a little room for those questions. 

#3 Be enthusiastic, but don’t be sales-y.

We know you want to win – you don’t have to use any of your precious 5 minutes telling us that you’d really like to win Best In Show. But we *do* want to feel your enthusiasm. We are visiting dozens of vendors and true passion will stand out. If you are not excited about your product, why in the world should we be?

#4 Practice your presentation. 

Conventions are busy and noisy and all that chaos can distract an unprepared presenter. If your product involves a demo, be sure to practice it both back home and also after install at the show, and have a back up plan in case wifi doesn’t work (if your demo requires it). Five minutes will pass *much* more quickly than you can imagine, so know your presentation like the back of your hand, and try to make it rely on unreliable tech, wifi, or other humans. Set yourself up for success!

#5. Give us room, and your complete attention. 

You won’t know *exactly* when we will arrive, and while our fearless leader from Whitegood did an amazing job moving us along from vendor to vendor, we did get a little behind on schedule. Be flexible, and make sure the whole team knows we’ll be coming so they can help find your presenter as quickly and efficiently as possible. Once we arrive, it’s okay to cheerfully interrupt folks who might be standing in front of your display to say “hey folks, we are so excited the judges are here to see our product for the Best in Show entry. Would you mind giving us the floor for the next five minutes?” Be firm and get the party started! 

BONUS TIP: Just enter! 

Seriously. As we were walking from booth to booth we passed all kinds of gorgeous products we were surprised hadn’t ended up on our judging plate. In order to win, you have to enter. So just do it. 

Final Tip: put as much effort into presenting your product as you did developing it!

Not sure how to put the presentation together? Well, you spent all that money and time developing and marketing your product – maybe it’s worth investing in a coach who can help you put together and practice a winning 5-minute pitch. Or send your best presenter to Toastmasters – I spent two years in Toastmasters putting together 4-7 minute speeches – you really can say everything you need to say in a short amount of time!

And if you’re nervous – it’s okay! Just remember, we are excited about your product and want you to win, too. We are on your side! Good luck!