7 Tips for a Killer Demo
I have been asked by the folks at SoftwareCEO to put together a seminar to help smaller software companies with their demonstrations. I thought it might be good to start by outlining what I believe are seven important tips for having a killer demo. Follow these suggestions and you well on your way.
- Start your presentation with a demo
- Get enough sleep
- Make sure you have a few things nailed and show them first
- Use a day-in-the-life approach rather than feature dumps
- Make coffee or caffeine containing soft drinks available
- Do a dry run
- Bring a backup computer
This ties in with my post on the 30 second demo. People who come do a demo want to see product and you should do everything possible to show them what you can do as quickly as you can. It does not need to be long or involved, but it will calm down those “show me” types at the start.
It may seem strange to put this in as #2, but it really is important to be well rested before any sort of presentation. Demonstrations can be particularly taxing, both mentally and physically, so being well rested is critical. If you have to choose between doing final preparations and getting enough sleep, choose getting enough sleep.
First impressions go a long way in a demo. If you show a few relevant and powerful things in your demo right up front, you will have the audience on your side. If, instead, you do a “B-minus” job on a bunch of things, you will lose credibility fast. So prioritize the items you know you can knock out of the park and put them up front. Even if they have a script for the entire demo, suggest that you want to show a couple things up front to orient the group to your applications.
Whenever you can show a prospect/customer how they will use the application rather than the features you provide you will be at an advantage. “A Day in the Life” scenarios are good for this approach as you can guide them through what how the application will apply to the work they do. This works best if you have the chance to do some discovery with the prospect beforehand, but it is still effective if you are going in blind. I will probably do a longer post on this topic in the future.
I don’t drink coffee or anything else containing caffeine, but if you want your audience to be more receptive, you should make it available before your demo. Studies have shown that caffeine puts people in a more receptive mood. It has been suggested that this factor is more important than any other in a presentation. So bring that Starbucks coffee-in-a-box with you!
I already have a post on the importance of dry runs and you should absolutely do at least one dry run with the entire team at least 2 days before your demonstration. It is worth the time and effort.
Murphy’s Law definitely applies in demonstrations. Bring a backup computer (or at least a backup hard drive) and be ready to switch over quickly if needed. You can blame your problems on Microsoft Windows all you like, but the customer is still going to judge any problems you have in your demo on your software.
There are lots of other ways to give a killer demo. What are your suggestions?
Hi Dave
i agree with you about feature dumps – theyr'e a great way to send your audience to sleep.
A day in the life, stories and demos are far more preferable
Cheers
Bill
Dave,
These are great tips. I would add two more that were the first things I learned when getting into technical sales, and a third that I learned as I developed as a resource.
1. Provide Context – Does everyone in the room have a clear vision of how the solution you are presenting will affect their lives? Specifically the main ideas you want them to take away from your presentation.
2. Know your data. Nothing will undermine your credibility faster than going to screens that don't work, or data that is not appropriate in building to your take aways.
3. Discovery. Any opportunity you can get to meet with the client to understand their specific issues and business processes, will accelerate your sales cycle. Doing generic demos can be effective. Speaking specifically to the issues of the prospect, using the names of the process owners and even using their data is a fantastic way to build a great demo
@Scott – great additions!
Be yourself, nobody wants to hear a scripted demo, roll with the punches. I have been demo'ing ECM for over 7 years and being able to perform a demo that does not have a rehearsed path works best. Also, know what you are showing, too often I have witnessed demos where the person presenting has limited knowledge on the subject and cannot answer questions not originally planned for.