Building a Business Value Demo OR How to give a better pre-sale demonstration Alec Clews http://alecthegeek.wordpress.com Voga Consulting Services http://voga.com.au

OR

How to give a better pre-sale demonstration

Alec Clews http://alecthegeek.wordpress.com

Voga Consulting Services http://voga.com.au

Talking about Why we do it What to do How to do it Traps and Pitfalls How to avoid (some of) the problems Technology and tips

Why we do it

What to do

How to do it

Traps and Pitfalls

How to avoid (some of) the problems

Technology and tips

What we are NOT going to talk about Presentations (But of course many of these ideas apply to presentations, as well as how to write your curriculum vitae) Basic talking and listening techniques

Presentations

(But of course many of these ideas apply to presentations, as well as how to write your curriculum vitae)

Basic talking and listening techniques

This is no magic wand Your demo must reflect you and your values No one size fits all I'm just one guy, so you teach me as well please

Your demo must reflect you and your values

No one size fits all

I'm just one guy, so you teach me as well please

Why do we do it? Add value for ourselves Make a sale By giving value to the customer Understand and Manage the business Do more better and faster Save money Value is $$$$$ But more on that later

Add value for ourselves

Make a sale

By giving value to the customer

Understand and Manage the business

Do more better and faster

Save money

Value is $$$$$

But more on that later

Problem No 1 People have short attention spans and only hear what they want to hear SO Assume customers have IBS and will leave after 10 minutes SHOW THE VALUE EARLY

People have short attention spans and only hear what they want to hear

SO

Assume customers have IBS and will leave after 10 minutes

SHOW THE VALUE EARLY

Be specific about the value “ This is one way our customers are saving 15%---30% of their development costs” “ This customised report shows customer satisfaction trends over time so that you discover what works and make improvements” “ These tailored alerts give you feedback on your security exposure, when server changes occur, so you can remediate immediately”

“ This is one way our customers are saving 15%---30% of their development costs”

“ This customised report shows customer satisfaction trends over time so that you discover what works and make improvements”

“ These tailored alerts give you feedback on your security exposure, when server changes occur, so you can remediate immediately”

Problem No 2 People hate lies, or what they think are lies SO Discover the customers PAIN FIRST then relate to your VALUE offering Be Credible Don't lie! EVER! Know your Product or Service and the Market

People hate lies, or what they think are lies

SO

Discover the customers PAIN FIRST then relate to your VALUE offering

Be Credible

Don't lie! EVER!

Know your Product or Service and the Market

OK That's all folks the rest is just details... but that of course is where the Devil lives...

OK

That's all folks

the rest is just details...

but that of course is where the Devil lives...

What is value? MONEY Which is either Understand and Manage Business Do more, better and faster Save Money (or Risk management, Competitive advantage, Cost reduction)

MONEY

Which is either

Understand and Manage Business

Do more, better and faster

Save Money

(or Risk management, Competitive advantage, Cost reduction)

Show the Value Early Start with reports and other information Oh no. Reports are boring! They're important to the guy with the budget ! Show and then describe, how the product is useful and easy -- VALUABLE Relate it back to the customer's pain

Start with reports and other information

Oh no. Reports are boring!

They're important to the guy with the budget !

Show and then describe, how the product is useful and easy -- VALUABLE

Relate it back to the customer's pain

Have a structured demo plan ALWAYS follow your plan You can get lead down the wrong way very easily Vary the pace, emphasis and words to suit the current situation Be good enough to start using the local terminology Helps you maintain control and authority Stay focused on the VALUE

ALWAYS follow your plan

You can get lead down the wrong way very easily

Vary the pace, emphasis and words to suit the current situation

Be good enough to start using the local terminology

Helps you maintain control and authority

Stay focused on the VALUE

Problem no 3 “Nerd in the Room” Can derail your demo plan in 15 seconds flat! “Does it use Perl 5.10 specific features?” “Our standard is to use DBIx::Class” CAREFUL – might be a key influencer Be as water Deflect Postpone Seek to understand fully (Leads back to 1) e.g. 'Why is that important you you?'

Can derail your demo plan in 15 seconds flat!

“Does it use Perl 5.10 specific features?”

“Our standard is to use DBIx::Class”

CAREFUL – might be a key influencer

Be as water

Deflect

Postpone

Seek to understand fully (Leads back to 1)

e.g. 'Why is that important you you?'

Problem no 4 “It's FAB baby!” The Old, Easy, Way (the perceived wisdom) F eatures A dvantages B enefits The New Way It's all about the VALUE

The Old, Easy, Way (the perceived wisdom)

F eatures

A dvantages

B enefits

The New Way

It's all about the VALUE

Example of FAB What you say 'These screens are blue with black text' 'Makes it easier to avoid re-key errors' 'Saves on time, mistakes and costs' What they think We don't use blue anywhere else? I wonder if the other vendor forces us to have blue? What time is lunch?

What you say

'These screens are blue with black text'

'Makes it easier to avoid re-key errors'

'Saves on time, mistakes and costs'

What they think

We don't use blue anywhere else?

I wonder if the other vendor forces us to have blue?

What time is lunch?

We need to show Pain and Value e.g. 'Accepted costs for re-key errors are 20% of total and major cause is poor UI design' 'These screens are designed to minimise operator fatigue and errors' 'Preliminary results suggest 10-12% saving off the bottom line cost' 'From our discussions earlier it sounds to me as if you are in a similar position. Do you agree?'

'Accepted costs for re-key errors are 20% of total and major cause is poor UI design'

'These screens are designed to minimise operator fatigue and errors'

'Preliminary results suggest 10-12% saving off the bottom line cost'

'From our discussions earlier it sounds to me as if you are in a similar position. Do you agree?'

The demo Repeats the sales messages about VALUE Through the medium of a working product and In the context of the prospects needs

Repeats the sales messages about VALUE

Through the medium of a working product and

In the context of the prospects needs

Importance of Language Use their language or jargon Connect your ideas to their mental map Demonstrate the business value & costs © 2008 Digital Business Group Pty Ltd

Importance of Language

Use their language or jargon

Connect your ideas to their mental map

Demonstrate the business value & costs

Problem 4 Leading ourselves astray People ask questions and have agendas We want to be helpful OOPS – our message is destroyed and we lose control So: Work answers into current demo Offer to follow at the end Offer a follow up meeting

People ask questions and have agendas

We want to be helpful

OOPS – our message is destroyed and we lose control

So:

Work answers into current demo

Offer to follow at the end

Offer a follow up meeting

Demo should be like an onion Show how great the Value is Reports and business information... Then show how easy it is for users Transactions and ... Show how low the support impact is Configuration, Security, ... Aim to finish after reports! (Peeling back the layers 1 by 1)

Show how great the Value is

Reports and business information...

Then show how easy it is for users

Transactions and ...

Show how low the support impact is

Configuration, Security, ...

Aim to finish after reports!

(Peeling back the layers 1 by 1)

Traps and Pitfalls Focusing on the appearance or architecture of the product Talking about the configuration and set-up first Qualifying every answer with technical detail Showing every feature in the product and giving product training Selling our knowledge instead of the product Showing something we are not sure of

Focusing on the appearance or architecture of the product

Talking about the configuration and set-up first

Qualifying every answer with technical detail

Showing every feature in the product and giving product training

Selling our knowledge instead of the product

Showing something we are not sure of

Problem 5: Having no hard edges If a product (or service) has clearly defined 'edges' then it's easy to show value Large products with soft edges are hard to show – which value are we selling? Make your own edges Edges may change depending on customer – needs careful thought and practice... Need multiple demo plans to show appropriate value

If a product (or service) has clearly defined 'edges' then it's easy to show value

Large products with soft edges are hard to show – which value are we selling?

Make your own edges

Edges may change depending on customer – needs careful thought and practice...

Need multiple demo plans to show appropriate value

Tips and Tricks Use Virtual Machine technology Protects precious demo from external changes Makes set-up easy and fast Use a fixed specific data set you know Practice and refine, again and again and... After every demo ask Three good things Three things to improve

Use Virtual Machine technology

Protects precious demo from external changes

Makes set-up easy and fast

Use a fixed specific data set you know

Practice and refine, again and again and...

After every demo ask

Three good things

Three things to improve

Tips and Tricks 2 Beware cultural differences. e.g. My approach works in Australia but needs changing in India Prepare by listening to the customer and make sure you know why they want to listen. Confirm your understanding. DISCOVERY Use the customers language, not yours e.g. machines vs. servers, iterations vs releases Features can be presented as an opportunity to attack or a tactic to defend – or both

Beware cultural differences. e.g. My approach works in Australia but needs changing in India

Prepare by listening to the customer and make sure you know why they want to listen. Confirm your understanding. DISCOVERY

Use the customers language, not yours

e.g. machines vs. servers, iterations vs releases

Features can be presented as an opportunity to attack or a tactic to defend – or both

Demo as a slide show Showing a product as a set of screen shots, or outputs, and associated data can be a valid second choice: UI is too small or hard to demonstrate live No UI to show Forces a large complex demo to stay on track Back up in case demo fails on-site As a handout – but be very careful where it ends up

Showing a product as a set of screen shots, or outputs, and associated data can be a valid second choice:

UI is too small or hard to demonstrate live

No UI to show

Forces a large complex demo to stay on track

Back up in case demo fails on-site

As a handout – but be very careful where it ends up

Key Takeaways The Demo MUST Address the PAIN Show the VALUE Be Credible

The Demo MUST

Address the PAIN

Show the VALUE

Be Credible

The boring bit Alec's started in NCR UK pre-sale team in 1982 In and out of technical sales and consulting ever since and project management, support, development, change control,... Currently an independent consultant for Software Process and Tools Business cards provided for modest fees ☺

Alec's started in NCR UK pre-sale team in 1982

In and out of technical sales and consulting ever since

and project management, support, development, change control,...

Currently an independent consultant for Software Process and Tools

Business cards provided for modest fees ☺

With thanks to: My many friends and colleagues over the years including, but not limited to: Paul Fenwick for help with OpenOffice The sales team at Tripwire for improving my skills Peter Rooke for being a sounding board Kate Carruthers http://digbiz.com.au/ for material The Sales Warrior blog for imagery (http://xrl.us/onbpi)

My many friends and colleagues over the years including, but not limited to:

Paul Fenwick for help with OpenOffice

The sales team at Tripwire for improving my skills

Peter Rooke for being a sounding board

Kate Carruthers http://digbiz.com.au/ for material

The Sales Warrior blog for imagery (http://xrl.us/onbpi)

The really boring bit This document is copyright 2008 Alec Clews Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (see http://xrl.us/ondsh )

This document is copyright 2008 Alec Clews

Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (see http://xrl.us/ondsh )

Further Information http://delicious.com/alecclews/demos Solution Selling training and books

http://delicious.com/alecclews/demos

Solution Selling training and books