Everyone should be informed. That's why it sometimes happens that a host of participants converge on the side of the inviting party.

But what happens as a result?

• The tension for all parties increases.
• It stands to reason that insecure participants will try to disappear in the group.
• The presenters find it more difficult to address people specifically by name and to answer questions correctly.

Limit the number of your internal and external participants. Rule of thumb: 3 persons per party represent a suitable framework. You will thus achieve better results.

Pitch appointments mean a lot of tension and stress for all involved. Sometimes individual participants tend to wantto conduct professional discourses.

→ Motto: "I challengethe service provider a little bit!"

Experience shows that this approach usually yields little profitable results.

• 1st case: The potential supplier answers in a long-winded and technical manner. Part of the audience is no longer able to follow the remarks. A dialogue develops between two persons.

⇒ This does not benefit the selection process.

• 2nd case: The questioner is not satisfied with the answer and is now alwaystrying to return tohis point. Often, a desire for recognition and hurt pride play a role, because someone "dares" to represent a different opinion in a large group, possibly with a lasting effect.

⇒ There is an unnecessary conflict in the air here.

• 3rd case: The challenge and the stress turn out to be so great that the actually good service provider suddenly becomes nervous and unconfident. The appointment loses quality.

⇒ Most of the time, this does not help either party in the decision-making process.

Of course, many more cases are possible. The three above are intended to illustrate one thing:

Move technical discourses to separate 1:1 meetings or small groups. This relieves the atmosphere for everyone involved

On the day of the pitch presentation, representatives of invited companies sometimes arrive quite early due to travel. The persons of the previous provider may still be in the waiting area.

Now you are in demand.

Assessment centre consultants know what is likely to happen in such situations. Three typical things:

• People see other people and unconsciously lower their own chances of success in their own eyes. Simply because competition becomes visible, simply because choice is tangible. Rationally, there's no reason for that. But that happens unconsciously.

Consequence: the internal willingness of providers to take the so-called extra step may decrease. Motto: "It's no use anyway".

• Or, conversely, showing offoccurs. This mostly concerns male representatives. Full of testosterone, the presenters then perform accordingly in their pitches.

Consequence: providers who are too self-confident and "inflated" usually get worse scores. Companies do not present themselves as they actually are. In the assessment centre for managers, this is how you sift out.

• Suddenly a feeling of "us-against-them" arises. People tend to join larger groups and gain more security. 

Consequence: quite unintentionally, the outsourcing company enters into competition with the bidding companies. The presentation suffers from this.

Therefore, control the process. Take care of the waiting area. Provide 'outside moderation' and show appreciation towards all persons. You get more insights and better results in your pitch.