The Fallacy of Baselines

In the past, I’ve recommended “establishing a baseline” as the starting point for tracking metrics. “Track a few quarters to establish a baseline,” I said. I now realize that’s wrong!

 

There’s really no such thing as a baseline, when looking at presales or sales metrics. Every data point is meaningful. Calling the first few quarters a “baseline” artificially biases ones perceptions of what “good” or “bad” is!

 

Example: If you start measuring daily outdoor temperature in June (Northern Hemisphere), then your first several months of “baseline” will force the fall and winter months to look particularly cold (or bad). 

 

What you are really interested in is the change from point to point, and then the aggregate change over time and slices of time. Is the first derivative (the velocity) positive or negative (and are things getting better or worse)? Is the second derivative (acceleration) positive or negative (and are things getting better or worse more and more rapidly?).

 

Examining your data longitudinally (over time) provides the ability to compare current numbers with their historical counterparts. Perhaps another way to perceive this is that every prior datapoint is a part of your baseline!

 

The takeaway is to collect data. Lots of data, and don’t wait start now! Because without data, your decisions are based on guesses, impressions, opinions, and assumptions. And you know what happens when you make assumptions!

 

Discovery Don’t #9 Ignore Key Elements to Avoid No Decision Outcomes

According to Gartner (and many others), No Decision outcomes (also known as “Do Nothing” or “Status Quo”) comprise forty-five percent of forecasted opportunities. For many vendors, the number is even higher! Most vendors report that No Decision is their single largest competitor, yet very few vendors actively seek solutions.

 

Effective discovery that explores three key elements can dramatically reduce these No Decision rates. They are:

 

1.     The lack of a Critical Business Issue.

2.     Insufficient perception of value (insufficient Delta).

3.     No Critical Date.

 

Hospital (Patient) Analogies:

 

1.     “I can live with this pain… I don’t like it, but it’s not getting in the way of what I need to do.”

2.     “That drug/procedure is just too expensive… I’ll live with things the way they are.”

3.     “I’d prefer to put this procedure off until another time… Maybe next year.”

 

Solution? While there are many other reasons that could yield a No Decision outcome, including management or major business changes, economic challenges, etc., you can avoid overinvesting in many fruitless sales processes by doing discovery specifically for each of the elements above!

 

This is #9 from The Dirty Dozen of Discovery Don’ts – you can find all twelve here! https://lnkd.in/evUnp8YV

 

You can find the full set of DO’s and DON’Ts in Doing Discovery: 

https://lnkd.in/g28PXx55

Updating Automated Demos: What, When, How, and How Much?

“Another release? Oh, no!”

 

Development just released new capabilities that need to be reflected in your automated demo(s).

 

-       How often does this occur?

-       What effort is required to update your demo(s)?

-       How much time does it typically take? 

 

While this has never been easy, the problem may be growing bigger today…!

 

Do you have any tips to share regarding using specific tools, strategies, tactics, or techniques?

Discovery Don’t #8 Don’t Communicate Discovery Info Throughout the Team

 

As a prospect, imagine investing several hours in discovery discussions with a vendor, only to have the vendor ignore the information you provided. Instead, they show you features or entire modules you told them you aren’t interested in. They show you a list of hundreds of reports, but you only specified needing a handful. How would you feel? (I’d move on to another vendor who actually listens!)

 

Despite how incredibly insulting this is to the prospect, I see this happen far too frequently! Why does this happen? Several possible reasons:

 

-       Discovery information was not communicated within the selling team and the person or people delivering the demo resorted to their best guess or “standard overview” demo. 

-       The person (or people) presenting the demo was told by management to include certain capabilities in every demo. These are often identified as “our key differentiators…”

-       Discovery information is habitually ignored in demos. Hard to believe, but it happens!

 

In complex sales involving multiple players from both the prospect and vendor, it is even more important to communicate effectively. Great Demo! Situation Slides are a terrific currency for passing discovery information from person to person and team to team.

 

Hospital Analogy: Regardless of the diagnosis, everyone in this hospital is treated for appendicitis!

 

Solution? Execute crisp and complete information handoffs between team members. Review and discuss discovery notes prior to any demo to reach agreement on what to show and what not to show! Bonus: Communicate that same information to your implementation/professional services folks and your customer success team!

 

This is #8 from The Dirty Dozen of Discovery Don’ts – you can find all twelve here! https://lnkd.in/evUnp8YV

 

You can find the full set of DO’s and DON’Ts in Doing Discovery: 

https://lnkd.in/g28PXx55

Automated Demos Best Practices

“If you automate garbage demos, you’re just sending out lots of garbage!“

 

This article is for vendors who use automated demos, but there is also important guidance for the automated demo toolmakers as well!

 

There are two distinct journeys to contemplate:

 

1.     The vendors’ prospects who consume automated demos

2.     The needs and desired deliverables of the vendors themselves

 

Let’s explore both! https://greatdemo.com/automated-demos-best-practices/ 

Discovery Don’t #7 Do Five Minutes of Discovery and Then Deliver Your Standard Overview Demo

Disturbingly, hundreds of vendors still plod unproductively down this pathway. It appears to be driven by vendors’ urge to show and tell rather than ask and listen.

 

The results are as one might expect: prolonged sales cycles, frustrated prospects, multiple demos, unnecessary POCs and POVs, poor solution “fit,” and losses to No Decision and to competitors who do a better job in discovery.

 

Remember: The vendor who is perceived by the prospect as doing a superior job in discovery is in a competitively advantageous position.

 

Hospital Analogy: Imagine arriving at a hospital after suffering a bicycling accident: You’re bleeding, in pain, and concerned about broken bones. A doctor asks, “Where does it hurt?” After your brief response (“Everywhere…!”) they take you on a tour of the hospital, pointing out the wonderful equipment, staff, supplies, systems, and services available…

 

Solution? Put your offerings and your company “behind your back” in a virtual sense and engage in a fruitful, mutually beneficial discovery conversation. Then you’ll able to present a crisp, focused Technical Proof Demo that may eliminate the need for any further proof!

 

This is #7 from The Dirty Dozen of Discovery Don’ts – you can find all twelve here! https://lnkd.in/evUnp8YV

 

You can find the full set of DO’s and DON’Ts in Doing Discovery: 

https://lnkd.in/g28PXx55

“I Get Paid to Point, Click and Talk…”

 

Recently, I heard a presales colleague jokingly say to a prospect, “I get paid to point, click and talk…”

 

I just realized that a more impactful statement might be, “I get paid to ask – and then point, click, describe, and ask again…” Much better!

Discovery Don’t #6 Do Five Minutes of Discovery and Then Present Your Corporate or Product Overview

  

I’ve watched and listened to hundreds of discovery calls and a very large percent suffer from this serious malady! It seems to be a result of (less mature) salespeople’s desire to “take control” and “present something.” In many SAD (Stunningly Awful Discovery) cases, presenting a corporate or product overview is considered a critical part of the vendor’s sales process. 

 

Hospital Analogy: Imagine arriving at a hospital after suffering a bicycling accident. You are bleeding moderately, you hurt in multiple places, and you are concerned that you may have a broken bone or two. A doctor sees you, notes that you’re bleeding, and asks, “Where does it hurt?” and then starts a twenty-minute presentation covering the hospital’s mission statement, founding history, growth and revenues over time, patient statistics, departments and services… All the while you’re still bleeding, and the pain has only been made worse by suffering through the presentation!

 

Solution? Do discovery, not a presentation! This is the time to ask, not to tell!

 

This is #6 from The Dirty Dozen of Discovery Don’ts – you can find all twelve here! https://lnkd.in/evUnp8YV

 

You can find the full set of DO’s and DON’Ts in Doing Discovery: 

https://lnkd.in/g28PXx55

Face-to-Face Discovery Online? Consider a FaceTime or WhatsApp Walk-Through!

Many vendors know that visiting your prospects face-to-face facilitates superior discovery, particularly for industries like manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, retail, etc. In my own experience, a visit to my prospects’ laboratories was always illuminating, and prospects were often delighted and proud to show off their facilities. 

 

Even for businesses like accounting and order processing, just seeing staff members desks and workplaces paint a richer picture of prospects’ situations. Massive piles of papers are, for example, good indicators of major problems!

 

But with the advent of COVID, lockdowns, and restricted travel, the opportunities for face-to-face meetings diminished. Now, while travel is (comparatively!) unfettered, many prospects are loathe to invite vendors into their buildings. As a result, many (most?) vendors still rely on Zoom/Teams/etc. for discovery conversations.

 

A good alternative to the face-to-face visit is to use FaceTme or WhatsApp for an online tour of your prospects’ facilities. Try it and let me know how it works for you!

Discovery Don’t #5 READ Questions from a Long List

This is bad enough when inflicted over the web; it’s even worse when done face-to-face! The real issue isn’t the questions themselves, but rather the delivery. Reading verbatim from a script of questions is just painful for both parties.

 

It feels awkward, and it is!

 

True story: I was listening to a recorded discovery conversation and heard the vendor rep recite a long paragraph of a question that only yielded a “no” response from the prospect. There was a brief lull when the rep wrote down the prospect’s reply. And then the vendor launched another lengthy passage in question format that resulted in another “no” answer. This went on for nearly an hour! Boring, painful, and clearly an inquisition!

 

This approach stifles responses that might include more “color” and nuance, and it certainly suppresses the ability to make the call a real conversation.

 

Hospital Analogy: How would you feel if a doctor read long, detailed questions from a thick pad of paper or a tablet, one after another after another? It would feel uncomfortable rather quickly!

 

Solution? Know what you need to ask or use a “prompter” document. A prompter reduces the written questions down to a word or two, or a brief word phrase. This ensures that you cover the discovery space necessary while enabling you to phrase the actual questions dynamically, using your own words. The result is a more natural delivery that spurs bidirectional, productive conversations.

  

This is #5 from The Dirty Dozen of Discovery Don’ts – you can find all twelve here! https://lnkd.in/evUnp8YV

 

You can find the full set of DO’s and DON’Ts in Doing Discovery: 

https://lnkd.in/g28PXx55

Learn by Digging Deeper: Golden Knowledge Dust, Nuggets, Veins, and the Mother Lode!

 

People often hunt for “nuggets” of wisdom. Sadly, people typically don’t uncover real nuggets, but find mere dust and flakes of golden knowledge in most of the posts on LinkedIn and similar vehicles. These often take the form of brief generalizations such as, “Presales people are more trustworthy than salespeople,” admonitions to “be authentic and empathetic,” or non-nuanced statements like “No disco, no demo!”

 

While potentially intriguing, this dust doesn’t provide much value other than serving as indicators of deeper knowledge that awaits unearthing: real nuggets.

 

Knowledge and experience nuggets explore topics more richly and begin to provide useful, real-life guidance and advice. Some rarer, larger nuggets lay out the process for change and improvement.

 

But what if you really want to understand a skill or topic more deeply? What if your specific situation doesn’t fit the dust-size generalizations or the limited information contained in nuggets?

 

Dig deeper!

 

Exposing a golden vein of knowledge is the real pay dirt, but it requires more investment to bring it to light. Fortunately, we don’t need to dig tunnels or use dynamite that would be required in our gold mining analogy: We only need to invest ten or twenty minutes to read an article or consume a similar resource.

 

And, of course, if you follow the veins, you’ll find the knowledge, skills, and experience Mother Lode, in the form of books and training classes. Yes, it takes more time to consume these, but the refined payback is enormous!

 

Which approach to gathering knowledge will be the most effective for you: Gathering some dust or a few flakes here and there, vs collecting a few nuggets, vs pursuing a rich vein, vs liberating a Mother Lode?

 

Dig beneath the nuggets!

 

You’ll find knowledge nuggets, veins, and Mother Lodes on the Great Demo! website Resources pages:

 

-       Nuggets can be readily picked up from our Blog.

-       Veins can be tapped in our Articles, Webinars, and Podcasts.

-       Mother Lodes are found in our Books and Workshops.

 

Some Notes:

-       Gold dust particles can range in size from submicron (<1 micron) to 10-50 microns.

-       A natural flake of gold can weigh between 0.07 and 0.19 grams.

-       Gold nuggets are usually considered to be over one gram in weight.

-       Gold veins can vary in size from several centimeters to twelve meters wide.

-       The Mother Lode in California's Sierra Nevada Range has produced more than 310 metric tons of gold. That Mother Lode is a 193-km-long zone that's 1.5 to 6 km wide. That’s a lot of gold!

Discovery Don’t #4 Make It an Inquisition

  

This is a valid concern! Too many one-way questions can feel like an interrogation or inquisition. 

 

Hospital Analogy: Imagine being handed a ten-page questionnaire that you need to complete before you can see the doctor, including line after line of detailed questions about your medical history, relatives, prescriptions, insurance, and on and on. Even worse, you don’t have answers to many of the questions, leaving you concerned that you’ll ever see the doctor at all!

 

Solution? While we need to complete gathering the information we require in our discovery processes, we must also offer information, guidance, and insights in return. Discovery needs to be perceived as a two-way conversation, where both parties each learn something new. In doing discovery, we accomplish this by offering quid pro quo comments, observations, and success stories.

 

These can range from insights into how other customers have addressed similar challenges, or even simple comments such as, “You are not alone…!” See the section on “Empathy and Quid Pro Quo” in Doing Discovery for more guidelines on this important practice.

 

Your prospect should feel that they also took away new and useful information from the discovery conversation. Think win-win.

 

This is #4 from The Dirty Dozen of Discovery Don’ts – you can find all twelve here! https://lnkd.in/evUnp8YV

 

You can find the full set of DO’s and DON’Ts in Doing Discovery: 

https://lnkd.in/g28PXx55

Are Your Automated Demos Hurting You? Bad News!

  

If you automate garbage demos, you’re just sending out lots of garbage!

 

Over the past several months I’ve reviewed dozens of automated demos and must report some very bad news: Only a few stood out as effective and compelling, most were awful!

 

-       There were a LOT of demos that were product training. 

-       There were many instances of “let’s show as many features as we can.”

-       There was a surprising lack of context with many (what problems are being solved? Who is this for?).

-       Most demos never described the value or advantages of their solutions.

-       There were surprisingly few call-to-action elements.

-       Some demos required lengthy intake forms that discouraged prospects from completing the process (and hence they never saw the demos)!

 

Here are some raw notes from my reviews:

 

-       Largely a list of features

-       Feature list

-       Feature glut

-       Feature feature feature feature feature aaaagh!

-       Terrible Tabs Death March

-       Who is this for?

-       No problem/solution discussion

-       No setup, no problem/solution

-       No communication of deliverables or value

-       No value, no advantages, no benefits

-       No value…

-       No value…

-       Focuses on "how things work" vs deliverables and outcomes

-       Too long

-       Very long

-       Waaaay too long.

-       Very confusing

-       No narrative

-       Too many options to explore

-       Zzzzzzzzzz

-       Zzzzzz 

-       Very confusing navigation!

-       Hated the overlong intake form!

-       Too much intake form

-       Training video!

-       Product training

-       Training

-       Training

-       Trai… zzzzzzzz

-       Why start with the boring example?

-       Tell-show-tell feels like a piledriver in my brain!

-       No summary

-       I have no clue what this is for!

 

Do these demos move the buying/sales processes forward? I doubt it! In fact, they may be doing more harm than good. I’d guess many prospects say, “Well, I saw their demo and I’m not interested…” This conclusion seems to be confirmed by vendors who report poor conversion rates.

 

The morals are simple:

 

-       If you amplify terrible music, you’re just making more unwanted noise!

-       If you scale up the production of lousy food, you’re just serving tons of lousy food!

-       And if you automate garbage demos, you’re just sending out lots of garbage!

 

Solution? Contact Natasja Bax (NBax@GreatDemo.com) for guidance on real best practices for automated demos. Make every automated engagement a productive one!

 

An Offer: If you’d like free feedback on your automated demo(s), send them or their URL to me at PCohan@GreatDemo.com. First come, first served!