Demos: The Elegant Art of Managing Questions and Time

(And Avoid Getting Lost in the Weeds)

 

 

“Demos should be perceived as structured conversations…!”

 

 

You are in the midst of delivering a demo and things appear to be going well when…

 

Somebody asks a question and you answer it, then start to return to your planned demo but they ask a follow-up question. You answer that, providing more detail. Again, you think they are satisfied, but they ask a further follow-up question, which you proceed to answer in depth, showing detailed examples of your software and covering extensive whiteboard space with drawings and text.

 

After several minutes you realize you are waaaay off track and “in the weeds.” Except for the low-ranking person who asked the questions, everyone else looks bored or confused.

 

Even worse, you notice that the high-ranking members of the audience somehow left the room while you were in your explanation. To add insult to injury, you are now short on time as well!

 

Have you ever had this happen to yourself or someone else? The answer in many cases is, “far too frequently!”

 

How do we simultaneously encourage questions in demos, yet make sure they don’t take us off track? And why do we want to encourage questions in the first place?

 

You’ll find the answers here!

https://greatdemo.com/the-elegant-art-of-managing-questions-and-time/