Click-Click-ClickClickClickClickClickClick-Clickety-Click…!

 

That’s the sound of an over-enthusiastic mouse…

 

I was watching a demo from the founder of a startup who was excited to share his new technology. I was amazed, but not in a good way, at how fast he drove through his software!

 

If clicking the most buttons and commands in the least time and moving as fast as possible from screen to screen were an Olympic sport, he’d have definitely qualified for the finals! 

 

However, demos are where “slow and steady” truly wins the race.

 

Your objective is clear communication, not speed. Execute a function, point precisely, and describe what the feature provides, how it solves your prospect’s business issues, and the value your prospect can expect to enjoy using the feature. Summarize as appropriate, particularly for longer pathways.

 

Then pause.

 

Let your audience take it in. Give them a chance to offer a comment or an observation or frame a question. Linger lovingly over your most exciting and valuable capabilities – give them time to sink in and resonate!

 

If you are limited in time, then apply the inverted pyramid approach and choose the few most important ideas to present. (And it is rare that we are not limited in time!)

 

Finally, slowing down is even more important when you are presenting to audiences who are not native speakers of your language. You may enjoy exploring Chapter 14 “Style” in Great Demo! for more guidance on the use humor, language, appearance, buzzwords, pace, props and visual aids, and other practices in your demos.

WHAT Time Is that Meeting?

 

Be aware that different countries start and end Daylight Savings Time on different dates!

 

So, what was once a comparatively comfortable time to meet for one party may be an hour earlier or an hour later for another.

 

“Daylight Saving Time (DST) is observed differently across the globe, with some countries changing their clocks twice a year, while others have abolished it entirely or maintain a permanent time. A majority of countries, particularly those near the equator, do not observe DST because the length of their daylight hours is more constant year-round. Europe and parts of North America observe DST, but with different start and end dates.”

 

And note that, “The dates for DST can vary. For example, the U.S. typically starts on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November, while Europe starts on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.”

 

Also be aware that countries in the Southern Hemisphere who observe DST are on it now!

 

Here’s more:

 

“Regions with Daylight Saving Time

• North America: The United States and Canada have many regions that observe Daylight Saving Time.
• Europe: All European Union countries and many European non-members continue to observe it.
• South America: Some South American countries, such as Chile and Paraguay, observe DST.
• Oceania: New Zealand observes DST, as do parts of Australia (New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory).
• Africa: Some countries, like Egypt, have re-implemented DST in recent years. 

Regions without Daylight Saving Time

• Asia: China, Japan, India, and other countries do not observe DST.
• Africa: Most African countries do not observe DST.
• Americas: Some parts of the United States (e.g., Hawaii, most of Arizona) and Canada (e.g., Saskatchewan, Yukon) do not observe DST. 

Countries that have abolished DST

• Russia, Turkey, and Iran are examples of countries that have abolished DST in recent years.
• Most of Mexico has stopped adjusting its clocks.”

 

Mousing: Look, Find, and Then Move

  

Let’s run a quick experiment: Open an existing document in MS Word. Now, choose “Review” and then “New Comment.” (Or “Suggesting” and “Add Comment” in Google Docs.) I’ll bet that your mouse followed your eyes as you hunted for these two commands, whizzing back and forth across the top of the screen until these commands were located!

 

When we mouse for ourselves, our mouse cursor tends to follow where we are looking. But that is not a good practice for demos! Every additional non-productive mouse movement fatigues our audiences’ eyes and brains.

 

Solution?

 

Look, find, and then move.

 

In your demos, don’t move your mouse until you have located, with your eyes, the command, button, or screen element you wish to click or highlight. Then, move your mouse smoothly and deliberately from its current location directly to that element. 

 

Bonus best practice? 

 

Once you have found that element, circle it once (if desired), next move your mouse so it points directly at the element, and then take your hand off your mouse!

 

I have found that inanimate mice rarely move on their own…

 

 

Want more tips on mousing and related? See Chapter 15 “Style” in Great Demo!

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