Consider the  product or service you’re selling today. It beats the competition hands down, doesn’t it?  If not why would you be selling it.

Yet what you know is true  and what your prospective customer  “thinks” is true,  are two different  things.  Sales  is not  a process of order taking. It’s about influence.

 

Demos that Delight and Direct Desire

You’re excited about a technology and pumped to show off  all its bells and whistles. You want to serve the audience and make sure no stone is unturned.  It’s taken a lot of work to get this meeting and you’re ready to give  an epic demo. Yet nothing could be farther from the desires of the client.

Your  audience has time constraints. And they have criteria they’re using to compare vendors. You may have all day, but they don’t! Given the time limits of a two hour demonstration, care must be taken to ensure you showcase the highlights wisely.

Audiences get bored easily! So how do you overcome this in an attention deficit world? 

Consider the  Demo Theatre

Since you can’t show it all, give the impression you can do it all.  At the beginning of the meeting, ask the audience for a list of items they want demonstrated.  Use this list to guide the demonstration.  Focus on features that add value to their business. Focus on features that put your product in the best light.

You may have some cool innovation that blows away the competition. But if your audience isn’t in the market place for that innovation, they don’t care! Save that for the end of the meeting.

A List That Guides the Demo

One by one, click off items on the list. When first starting, demonstrate  how your product addresses their need in great detail. Show them the user functionality, how the process is addressed and the resulting outcome. Answer their questions simply and completely.  Guide the conversation but keep reminding the client, it’s their list.

Tell stories how the technology works. Make a show of each scenario you demonstrate.  Create context. This is more fun for you and more interesting for the audience.

As time runs out, they’ll  be asking:  “Can you do this? Can you do that?”   Now that you’ve earned credibility you can  answer without the need to demonstrate details.

What you’ve created is the sense you can do it all!

Leaving a Great Impression

Again you can’t show it all. But assuming you have a great product, demo  in a manner that gives the impression you can meet most needs and desires. By using  their  list to drive the demo, you give the client the illusion they’re running the meeting.

In reality, you’re controlling the sale.

Know the market. Have all the questions in your hand. Play the cards as the questions arise. Win the deal with confidence, clarity and panache.

 

Want to learn a selling style that fits your personality and works?  Click here!