This document provides best practices for presales professionals to use when preparing for and delivering product demonstrations. It emphasizes the importance of discovery to understand the customer's needs and pain points. It also stresses preparing a customized demo tailored for the client by knowing their business and processes. When delivering the demo, the recommendation is to use a "tell-show-tell" approach where the presenter explains key points, shows relevant features, and then summarizes to keep the customer engaged. The document includes several case studies of past client demos that were both successful and unsuccessful, highlighting lessons learned.
2. Session Overview
ā¢ Discovery: The Key to Success
ā¢ Poor discovery = poor demo
ā¢ No decision maker / no budget / no timeframe = no
demo
ā¢ Demo Prep: Do Not Skimp
ā¢ Know prospects business
ā¢ Tailor demo for the client
ā¢ Demo Delivery: Tell Show Tell
ā¢ No questions = no interest
ā¢ Stories: Results from the Field
ā¢ Presales examples and results
7. Discovery: Nobody Wants It
āNo discovery needed ā¦ Iāve been working with this client for 3 years.ā
- VAR ABC
āThe prospect is excited and really wants to see the software.
- Acumatica Employee
āDuring this round, all my prospect needs is an overview of the sof
- VAR XYZ
āWe are narrowing it down to three vendors in this round.
- VAR 123
8. Discovery Document
ā¢ Easy to Get Started
ā¢ 3 pain points
ā¢ Sales process
ā¢ What they are replacing
ā¢ Modules needed
ā¢ Other Information
ā¢ Module specific information
ā¢ External systems
ā¢ Implementation
ā¢ Key reports
ā¢ ROI
11. Get a Purchase Order
Vendor part number
Catalog numbers
Data for demo
Track quantity received
B/O and FET all zero, why?
12. Get an Invoice
Add equipment to your project
Typed notes (manual invoice)
Actual pricing (and often inventory IDs)
Subcontractors (missed during discovery)
Reprints required
16. Flow Diagram: First Review
16
West Point
Howells
NVC Vet Supply
(Agri-Blenders)
Distributor
(MWI)
Wisner
1. Supplies ordered via distributor
2. Order placed
with manufacturer
1a) Sales order created with drop
shipment specified
- Cost provided from manufacturer
- Price set between companies
3. Order drop-shipped to NVS
2a) PO emailed to manufacturer with
shipping instructions
3a) Shipment received
into inventory
4) Invoice
Invoice
outside
Acumatica
17. Flow Diagram: Revision
17
West Point
Howells
NVC Vet Supply
Distributor
(MWI)
Wisner
3. Invoice sent to NVC
Invoice verified
(not re-keyed)
2. Order shipped to NVS
2a) Shipment received into
inventory
- Cost based on PO
amount
1. Supplies ordered
1a) PO emailed from NVC to MWI
- Bill to NVC
- Ship to NVS warehouse
Invoice includes
markup
4. Invoice sent to NVS
18. Flow Diagram
18
Main Warehouse
(pickup orders)
ā¢ Customer drive up, places
order
ā¢ Payment accepted
- Attempt to gather customer
information
1.Customer phones in
order
Purchase order
delivery
Invoice and
payment
Dispatch
(orders on account)
2.Schedule
delivery
3.Deliver via 3rd
party
4.Invoice
- Include
delivery charge
Account Customer
Drive Up Customer
20. Have an Agenda
ā¢ Establish key talking points
ā¢ Part of tell-show-tell
ā¢ Keeps demo on track
ā¢ Elements
ā¢ Key items to cover
ā¢ Speakers
ā¢ Scenarios
ā¢ Timeframes (optional)
ā¢ 10:00am
Background
ā¢ 10:15am Demo
ā¢ 12:00pm Questions
NOT AN
AGENDA
21. Start with Excitement
Start When
ā¢ Decision makers present
PowerPoint
ā¢ Key for setting vision
ā¢ Keep it short, not required
Attention Grabbers:
ā¢ Show dashboards
ā¢ Show customerās items
22. Build Credibility
āCan you handle federal excise tax applied to tire
purchases?ā
ā¢ Competition answer: yes
ā¢ Acumatica answer: if you can explain your
requirements I will show you what we can do with
our flexible tax system ā¦
āThis is very specific to our industry ā¦ here is how it
works ā¦ā
23. Finish with Vision
Attention Grabbers:
ā¢ Show mobile
ā¢ Show portal
List Issues
ā¢ Keep to-doās positive
ā¢ Not a list of customizations
25. Case 1: Tire Distributor
Preparation:
ā¢ Discovery doc + 10 things they wanted to see on demo
ā¢ Agenda including key process flows to show
ā¢ Received PO from supplier
ā¢ FUSION RMS
Demo 1:
ā¢ Showed custom items
ā¢ Made it look easy to search for data
Demo 2:
ā¢ Information was missing: quick quote, pick ticket
process, invoicing, federal excise tax
Result:
ā¢ Won
26. Case 2: Mulch Wholesaler
Preparation:
ā¢ Discovery included need for mobile and web
ā¢ Scheduling and dispatch ā M5 involved
Demo:
ā¢ Reviewed PPT workflow
ā¢ Showed everything needed and got buy off
After Demo:
ā¢ Gave demo instance, customer was āconfusedā by
software
Result:
ā¢ Lost
27. Case 3: Pet Supplies
ManufacturerPreparation:
ā¢ Multiple discovery calls (PAM, SE, Partner)
ā¢ Integration with third parties (Ecommerce, carriers,
shipping)
ā¢ Manufacturing options discussed
Demo:
ā¢ Showed customized items
ā¢ Showed inter-company and key processes
After Demo:
ā¢ Executive call scheduled
ā¢ Reference calls scheduled
Result:
ā¢ Won
28. Case 4: Hotel Supply
DistributorPreparation:
ā¢ Discovery uncovered forecasting needs
ā¢ Prospect provided 2 page document of pain points and flow
Demo 1:
ā¢ Needed better display of forecast data and container shipping
Demo 2:
ā¢ Showed forecasting, answered 10-12 specific questions
ā¢ Customization requested (duplicate PO, PO split, kitting)
Demo 3
ā¢ Did demo for a different audience
Demo 4:
ā¢ Reviewed 15 questions about solution, got buy-off on each
Post Demo:
ā¢ Provided access to system for testing
Result:
ā¢ Did not hear, assume lost
29. Case 5: Fragrance
importer/exporter
Preparation:
ā¢ Discovery included key points, high level flows
Demo:
ā¢ 50% demo, 50% discovery
ā¢ Team was very engaged in the process
After Demo:
ā¢ Proposed solution to consignment sales
Result:
ā¢ Lost ā competitor discount
30. Case 6: Boot Supplier
Preparation:
ā¢ Simple discovery ā financials only
Demo 1:
ā¢ Showed financials, mostly out of the box
Demo 2:
ā¢ Payroll demo (mid-June)
Result:
ā¢ Lost ā functionality/price
31. Case 7: On Demand Artwork
Preparation:
ā¢ Discovery included key points, high level flows
Demo:
ā¢ 50% demo, 50% discovery
ā¢ Team was very engaged in the process ā suggesting
ways to do things that they needed
After Demo:
ā¢ Provided information on configurator
Result:
ā¢ Nearing close
32. Case 8: Magazine Distributor
Preparation:
ā¢ Partner provided 4 page Word doc with key data
(budget, needs, timeframe, key points, etc.)
ā¢ Partner reviewed document in detail on prep call
Demo:
ā¢ Acumatica showed generic items (partnerās first
demo)
ā¢ Partner showed customizations for clientās
environment!!
Result:
ā¢ Open, with verbal āgo aheadā
Editor's Notes
A great demo can make the difference between winning and losing a deal. In this session we will introduce some winning strategies that will improve your demos and boost your win rate
Average # demos / prospect = 1.5
Influences:
Open for long time often means lost
Some ālostā still have possibilities
Build demo with actual data
You can learn a lot from an invoice
Build demo with actual data
Especially critical for projects
Do we need to provide a way to type on invoices?
Build demo with actual data
You can learn a lot from an invoice
Build demo with actual data
You can learn a lot from an invoice
Acumatica can provide sample artwork and flows
These can easily be converted into dashboards
Acumatica can provide sample artwork and flows
These can easily be converted into dashboards
Note: Find Accounting Software lead
Lots of competition