Webinar Listing Service – WebinarHero.com

We’ve come across a new website that provides the ability to post and search for upcoming webinars – it’s essentially a webinar clearinghouse: www.WebinarHero.com.

This could be a good service to use both as a marketing vehicle and to aid in personal or team-member growth. Check it out…

Assessing and Using Risk Factors For Assigning Presales Resources

Consider including or calculating a relative Risk Factor on Request for Demo (resource) forms. This could be based on the amount and quality of information received and captured on a Request for Demo Form prior to a demo and could be used to determine whether to commit a presales resource to that demo.

For example, we can assign a point for each useful piece of information on a Situation Slide, per key person in a demo (Job Title, CBI, Reason(s), Specific Capabilities, Delta, Critical Date…). The more points, the better prepared and hence the better (lower) the risk.

[One could also call this a Probability of Success Factor, rather than Risk Factor, since the number actually is the inverse risk. Those who love math and formulae might also contemplate multiplying this Inverse Risk Factor (or a conversion thereof) against the forecasted amount of the opportunity to give a Risk-Reward Factor. Go nuts…!]

In cases where there are resource constraints or competition for internal presales resources, a Request for Demo form with a higher score beats out another Request for Demo with a low score…

However applied, this idea of scoring demo risk may be a good tool to help increase the amount and quality of information provided by sales to presales people prior to demos.

Excellent 5 Minute “Demo” Example

Here’s a terrific example of showing the “what” and holding back on the details of “how”… Wonderful!

http://www.ted.com/talks/josh_silver_demos_adjustable_liquid_filled_eyeglasses.html

Retro Encabulator – Stunningly Funny Demo Example

This is so amusing – and such a good example of showing the “how” and largely ignoring the “what”…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJKdh1KZ0w

Note that if you search on YouTube, you will find other versions of the video. It is interesting to the genesis and how much effort has gone into this spoof!

Four Stages of Learning and Implementation

The following is a wonderfully crisp capture of four stages of learning and implementation:

1. Unconsciously Incompetent
2. Consciously Incompetent
3. Consciously Competent
4. Unconsciously Competent

The first stage is typical for people who have not had skills or knowledge training, and who are often unaware of their weaknesses and situation.

The second stage takes place after a skills development or training session, with the participants recognizing that they have new skills and information to put into practice. They are now aware of their short-comings.

As participants consciously put their new learnings into practice, they move to the third stage – they are working hard to apply what they have learned.

Stage four is where participants are now practicing the new methods and concepts as part of their day-to-day operations, without having to devote additional thought to their application – the ideas are now imbedded and applied unconsciously.

I’d suggest that there is (at least) one additional stage to consider – any suggestions as to what it might be?

Live Meeting Full-screen Mode

F5 pushes Microsoft Live Meeting into full-screen mode (as a toggle) – this is in addition to the icon that accomplishes the same task, located in the bottom-right of the screen. F5 is easier to ask audience members to do…

It is important to make sure your audience sees everything you believe they are seeing – using full-screen mode helps make sure.

Public Great Demo! Workshops – San Francisco Bay Area

[Warning: Shameless self-promotion alert!]

In conjunction with the 280 Group, we are offering two 1-Day Great Demo! Open (public) Workshops this fall in the San Francisco Bay Area. The first is scheduled on October 1st; the second on November 19th.

You can find more information including an overview, agenda, location and pricing at the 280 Group website.

This is a terrific opportunity to send individuals or small groups.

Stunningly Awful Demo Example (But Very Funny)

A Great Demo! Workshop participant shared this Saturday Night Live recording that includes a terrifically poor “demo”. The segment is from Fall 2008 in the midst of the U.S. presidential elections – the “demo” is about 90 seconds into the recording…

Here’s the link: http://www.hulu.com/watch/40678/saturday-night-live-update-freds-mapfix-it#s-p1-st-i4. Enjoy!

99-to-1 Is a Tie

In the world of committee-based decisions, it was pointed out that a score of 99-to-1 may well be a tie score!