I was watching demos that highlighted vendors’ customer-facing intake forms/portals and noted some poor practices. Each vendor claimed that end-customers “can complete the process in five minutes or less” but:
- They turned the 5-minute workflow into 15-30 minutes…!
- They used obviously fake demo data.
- They covered many options, often exhaustively!
- It was obvious that the demonstrators had presented the same demo pathway dozens of times (it sounded like the presenters were boring themselves!).
- The prospects were largely silent through the entire demos.
- And the vendors never asked prospects to provide input into the workflows…
This last item really struck me as a MAJOR error! Our objective is to turn demos into conversations.
Here’s a truly terrific tip for these situations: Invite your prospect to be the end-customer and fill in the form!
Let’s say your software offers an intake portal for consumers who want a loan. You say to your prospect, “OK, let’s have you play the part of your customer. You tell me what to enter on each screen…”
Advantages?
- You and your prospect complete the intake form in five minutes (proving your original claim).
- Your prospect gains a first-hand vision of how the process works.
- Your prospect thinks about the options and asks relevant questions.
- And your prospect is fully engaged throughout the process!
This approach is called “Customer Fill In.”
Any time there is an option to choose from (and you don’t care about the choice), invite your prospect to make the choice. They’ll be engaged, taking ownership of the process and the result. Delightful!
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