Presenting is commonly one of the most uncomfortable venues for Project Managers and Superintendents. But you need them in interviews helping land projects and being the people your prospects want to work with. In this post, Dean outlines SagePresence’s method for setting up your Project Managers and Superintendents to succeed on the interview.
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For construction firms with project managers and superintendents walking into interviews, you already know this truth: these folks don’t love the process. It’s not their natural environment. They thrive on the jobsite—solving problems, keeping crews moving, and running the work—not sitting in a conference room being evaluated. That’s why, in our shortlist interview training and AEC interview preparation, we bring a tailored approach for this wonderful group I affectionately call “soups and nuts.” Supers run the site. PMs handle the nuts and bolts. And interviews take both far outside their comfort zone.
Our core philosophy is simple: don’t try to turn them into something they’re not. Keep them exactly who they are. They need to look the part, sound like themselves, and show up authentically. Many believe they must “act different” in an interview, and we dispel that immediately. They don’t need reinvention—they need their authentic selves with a little more structure, finesse, and control, which is the heart of strong Presence Coaching and interview skills training for professionals.
We use a straightforward story-structure model that helps supers and PMs realize they already know exactly what they’re talking about. With a bit of structure, they can “ramble into a format” that works beautifully. They should never memorize a script—it won’t look good on them. Instead, we teach them to use their own language inside a reliable sequence often used in AEC interview skills training and shortlist interview coaching:
A PM talking schedule or a super talking site logistics already knows the technical content. This story format helps them connect the dots—who is affected, what the challenges are, what we’re going to do, and how it helps—turning technical detail into meaningful forward movement. This same method elevates business development communication training and presentation support for pursuit teams across the industry.
We also give supers and PMs a couple of body-language tools that instantly elevate presence—techniques often reinforced through leadership confidence training and group presentation coaching. Confidence and warmth are two different things. Confidence shows capability. Warmth shows approachability. Supers can be gruff. PMs can be factual. But when you combine capability and approachability, you get leaderly, relatable, highly likable team members—exactly the people selection committees want to work with.
Because it’s 2024, strong teams must communicate across three formats: live, virtual, and hybrid. Many shortlist interviews now include committee members on screen while others sit in the room, and sometimes a team member joins virtually from another state. We teach supers and PMs how to connect across all these environments using skills from virtual presentation skills coaching, hybrid presentation skills, and screen presence coaching. A unified team presence builds trust fast.
These are the foundational skills that help a construction-loving, presentation-averse super or PM step confidently into the interview and make real human connections. With the right story structure, presence tools, and adaptability, they can communicate clearly, show leadership, and become exactly the kind of people your prospects want running their project. With the right preparation—from project interview preparation to business speaking support—they can absolutely hit it out of the park.
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