What Does “We Eat with Our Eyes First” Have to Do with Demos?

 

"We eat with our eyes first": Apicius (a 1^st century Roman gourmand) purportedly make this statement – and it’s also true for demos!

 

Don’t assume that your prospects understand what they are seeing in your software demo screens. While you may have seen those screens hundreds of times, it is the first time for your prospects. Don’t assume they “get it.”

 

Compare: 

 

A.    The waiter who simply plops a plate on the table without any explanation.

 

vs

 

B.    The waiter who gently places the plate in front of a patron, rotates it carefully to present the dish optimally, and explains, “Viola! Your salad de maison! The lettuces and vegetables were grown right here in our organic garden and harvested just minutes ago: they are so fresh, so crisp! Those cheese morsels nestled amongst the greens are hand-made and were carefully rotated each week during aging. And these croutons were made from yesterday’s freshly baked crusty sourdough, then sauteed gently in our own extra-virgin olive oil made from the trees right outside, seasoned with fragrant cloves of fresh garlic and gently snipped herbs from the same garden. Enjoy!”

 

Which approach is more appetizing?

 

As vendors, we need to make each key software screen appear as appealing as possible. We do this by describing:

 

1.     What our audience is seeing.

2.     How it helps solve our prospect’s problems.

3.     The value associated with consuming the screen.

 

(You’ll learn how to execute this in the Third Edition of Great Demo!)

 

Bon appétit!