Stop Giving Demos. Make Sales Calls Instead.

There is a reason no one wants to see your demo. It’s boring. It’s a monologue. It’s an agenda that doesn’t include your client and their needs.

• Where you start: If you start with what you believe to be most important, you are making that decision based on what you believe to be true. Even if you have enough data points to believe you know where to start based on what other people wanted, you are still making an assumption that may or may not be true. If you want to know where to start, ask.
• Every presentation can be a conversation: No one wants your monologue. No one wants to watch you walk them through your talk track from start to finish. That part where you ask a question is tactical, especially since it is part of your script. It has to be part of the script because, without real engagement, you are talking to yourself. Even if your prospect politely replies.
• Isn’t that cool? Yes, it’s really cool. It’s whiz bang awesome. What is someone supposed to say when you ask that question? Steve could pull that off because his stuff was sexy enough to command that response without a prompt. Yours, however, may not be.

You are in Sales. You have to follow the rules.

• Start here: “”Look, our software is a lot like other offerings you’ve seen. We have a few things that are radically different, and it’s why our clients prefer us over the other things they’ve tried. Rather than drag you through a demo, would it be okay if we just talked about what you are trying to do, where and how you wish things were better, and we’ll use the screen to show you how we’d address those things for you? Would that work?”
• Continue: “What’s important to you, and what would you like to talk about while we’re together?”

Hand the steering wheel to your prospective client. Let them drive. Let them determine what they want to talk about, how much they want to see while you navigate.

Work to understand their needs, and show them how you might address their challenges and meet their needs. The more you are talking, the more poorly the sales call is going for you.

Stop giving demos. Make sales call instead.