How to demo like a demon

Leila Boujnane Idée Inc. http://hyperbio.net/ http://ideeinc.com/ [email_address] David Crow Microsoft Canada http://davidcrow.ca/ [email_address]

Photo http://flickr.com/photos/editrix/2052994682/

What makes a great demo? Photo by http://flickr.com/photos/paranoidroid/1471980792/

Create something worth demoing! Photos by Davies+Starr from NY Mag – The Perfect Prescription http://nymag.com/nymetro/health/features/11700/

What are you doing? Explain why users want it. Paul Graham http://www.paulgraham.com/investors.html

Photo http://flickr.com/photos/marjorie/150347349/ Your job is to get people excited!

Photo by Shaul Schwarz/Reportage for The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/magazine/13anthropology-t.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin Know your audience

Know your venue Photo http://flickr.com/photos/genista/228006200/

Control

Photo http://flickr.com/photos/stitch/200685439/ Have a backup plan

What is your message? “… will offer internet-based business productivity services addressing the needs of Information Workers in organizations of all types to help individuals, their teams and entire organizations transform their full range of information into real business value.” “… provides web-based tools that help businesses work better.” Microsoft to provide web-based tools focused on helping businesses work better

“… will offer internet-based business productivity services addressing the needs of Information Workers in organizations of all types to help individuals, their teams and entire organizations transform their full range of information into real business value.”

“… provides web-based tools that help businesses work better.”

Photo http://flickr.com/photos/noamg/216539661/ Craft a story

Imagine

Think about how people are actually going to use something

Script

Do the last thing first

Don’t start with talk! Photo http://flickr.com/photos/csaavedra/168359136/

A demo is not a tutorial

Use real data Photo http://flickr.com/photos/livatlantis/1287496582/ /

Photo by http://flickr.com/photos/8lettersuk/124648381/ Cut the jargon!

Photo http://flickr.com/photos/sveinhal/2231367800/ Don’t take questions until the end.

End with an exclamation!

Demo Boo Boos

Hardware & Software

Lack of preparation or how you can’t demo for shit!

Successful demos need

Make eye contact

Seem confident

Be a magician

Passion

Slow down, breathe

Solution Story Script

Resources Presentations Presentation Zen - http://www.presentationzen.com/ Beyond Bullet Points - http://www.beyondbullets.com/ The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint - http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/powerpoint Pitching The Pitch Coach - http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_38/b3951444.htm Demoing How to be a DEMOgod - http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/01/how_to_be_a_dem.html Demoing Software for Fun & Profit - http://www.scripting.com/davenet/1995/01/04/demoingsoftwareforfunprofi.html How to Demo Software - http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/11/16.html Example Demos DabbleDB 8 Minute Demo - http://dabbledb.com/demo/ DEMOgod Awards - http://www.demo.com/demonstrators/demogods.html Douglas Engelbart, The Mother of All Demos - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mother_of_All_Demos Business Plan Guide to a good venture pitch - http://www.slideshare.net/arey_abhishek/guide-to-a-good-venture-pitch/ Twenty page venture pitch - http://www.slideshare.net/cape/index-fowa Business plans – What goes in there? - http://technosailor.com/2007/03/14/business-plan-series-part-1-framing-your-plan/

Presentations

Presentation Zen - http://www.presentationzen.com/

Beyond Bullet Points - http://www.beyondbullets.com/

The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint - http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/powerpoint

Pitching

The Pitch Coach - http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_38/b3951444.htm

Demoing

How to be a DEMOgod - http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/01/how_to_be_a_dem.html

Demoing Software for Fun & Profit - http://www.scripting.com/davenet/1995/01/04/demoingsoftwareforfunprofi.html

How to Demo Software - http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/11/16.html

Example Demos

DabbleDB 8 Minute Demo - http://dabbledb.com/demo/

DEMOgod Awards - http://www.demo.com/demonstrators/demogods.html

Douglas Engelbart, The Mother of All Demos - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mother_of_All_Demos

Business Plan

Guide to a good venture pitch - http://www.slideshare.net/arey_abhishek/guide-to-a-good-venture-pitch/

Twenty page venture pitch - http://www.slideshare.net/cape/index-fowa

Business plans – What goes in there? - http://technosailor.com/2007/03/14/business-plan-series-part-1-framing-your-plan/

Leila Boujnane Idée Inc. http://hyperbio.net / http://ideeinc.com/ [email_address] David Crow Microsoft Canada http://davidcrow.ca / [email_address]