Demo Differentiation – Communicating the What and the Why

When presenting software screens to customers (and when presenting Illustrations, in particular), remember to describe the What and the Why…

What they are seeing

and

Why it is important

Most presenters in demos simply share a screen and then offer a thin, insufficient explanation.  For example, “Here you have one of our fabulous dashboards…”  Not particularly useful.

This often happens because the vendor has seen this screen hundreds of times – and hence the presenter is intimately familiar with it.  However, how many times has the customer seen this screen?  Likely this is the first time.

Accordingly, don’t assume the customer “gets it” – and don’t assume they can see it clearly or read the text. 

Point to the key screen elements as you describe WHAT the customer is seeing – bring it to life…!  And then describe WHY the screen in important:  the value it represents; the problems it solves; the opportunities it offers. 

For example:

Traditional Demo:  “Here you have one of our fabulous dashboards…” 

Better Demo:  “Here on this dashboard you can see exactly where your current forecast stands for the quarter and your pipeline looking out over the next few quarters, along with the key deals aligned with corresponding sales reps and deal confidence…”

Great Demo:  “Here on this dashboard you can see exactly where your current forecast stands for the quarter and your pipeline looking out over the next few quarters, along with the key deals aligned with corresponding sales reps and deal confidence – which will enable you to focus your time on the deals and reps that need coaching and help, enabling you to generate an incremental $2M in revenue…”

What and Why…!