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Blog
Forgotten vs Verbatim: A Storytelling Superpower!
Describe a key capability to a prospect as a “fact” or feature and it is often quickly forgotten. Use a compelling analogy or metaphor ...
The Myth of the Informed Buyer
“They don’t know what they don’t know…!” Analysts observe that buyers have often completed 67% of their buying journey before engaging with live sellers. ...
Flip the Script on Your Internal Demo Training?
“It’s easier to learn than unlearn…!” Imagine you’ve just hired a new group of presales folks, or you are running an internal presales academy… ...
What Is Incremental Discovery?
It’s been a while, and you realize it’s time to check-in with an existing prospect or customer. You ask, “What’s changed since we last ...
Discovery and the Visible Spectrum: What Do You See?
Imagine it is sunset… Beautiful colors ranging from brilliant oranges to deep violets: An entire spectrum! Or is it? Nope! We humans see only ...
Ranging Probes – A Novel Discovery Probing Technique!
When doing discovery, Ranging Probes are a wonderful solution when dealing with “squishy” information or situations where your prospect’s answers might span a spectrum. ...
Signed Copies for Your Kickoff?
Sure! As you plan your 2025 sales kickoff or similar events, contemplate the impact of the team receiving signed copies of Great Demo! or ...
A “Thank You for Your Time” Alternative
Many vendors offer the phrase, “Thank you for your time…” when starting or completing a meeting with a prospect, often adding “I know your ...
The Single Biggest Problem with Communication…
“The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw
Engaging the Five Senses in Your Demos
Alex, the presales team member, began the demo by carrying a large stack of paper into the room, walked to the front and dropped ...
What’s the Difference Between Empathy and Sympathy?
Nearly everyone today talks about the importance of empathy: Showing empathy in sales calls, being empathic in discovery conversations, and even “leveraging empathy to ...
Storytelling: An Intriguing Take, with a Real-Time Experiment!
“We had a great discussion with Peter Cohan talking about the ONE topic he’s hearing right now in his conversations. It’s Storytelling! Listen in ...
Intriguing Discovery Question: What Are You NOT Interested In?
This is a non-obvious obvious question! Many people find it easier to describe what they don’t want than what they do want! And while ...
Dealing with “Just Show Me a Demo?” Seven Methods to Move into Discovery
Far too often, prospects demand, “Just show me a demo…!” when we know the correct approach is to invest, mutually, in a discovery conversation. But ...
Webinar Recording – This Was a Good One: Seven Validated Habits for Stunningly Successful Demos!
You can find the recording here! “You’ve prepared, you’ve practiced, you’ve poured your heart into your demo… and still, no sale. What gives? Peter ...
Stunningly Awful Demos – The Painful Irrelevance of Setup Mode
Or How to Make Your Software Look Complicated, Confusing, Overwhelming, and Expensive Or How Setup Mode Is Destroying Your Demos! A Never Stop Learning! ...
Rev Shots #38 – “What is the one topic you’re hearing that is not about AI?”
I joined the fabulous Dionne Mejer for this 30-minute Rev Shots session: “Join us as we talk with Peter Cohan, author of The Great ...
How Many Mouse Clicks Are in Your Demos? Beware the Horrors of Click Fatigue!
Perform and record your typical demo and count the mouse clicks. How many clicks were there? 10-25? Bravo for you! 50? OK… 100? Oh ...
Doing Discovery – The Importance of “Why” Questions
Prospect asks, “Can your software do X?” Vendor replies, “Yes, absolutely.” I can’t tell you how many times that brief conversation has occurred without ...
Consistency of Passion: A Unique Attribute?
I’ve encountered numerous presales folks who say they are deeply passionate about what they do. That’s both terrific and desirable. However, I’ve also heard ...
Demos and Cooking Shows Part 4: “We Eat with Our Eyes First”
Compare: a blob of stew plopped onto a plate vs that same preparation ladled carefully into a large, artistic bowl, sprinkled with snipped greens, ...
Are We Really Getting Better? A Sobering Analysis of Presales Practices!
“Learning never exhausts the mind.” – Leonardo da Vinci This article is for all of us who are experiencing the Dunning-Kruger effect, have experienced it, or will experience it. And if you ...
Demos and Cooking Shows Part 3: Time Warping!
How long does it take to roast a turkey? Can you imagine a cooking show that made you wait hours to see the completely ...
Demos and Cooking Shows Part 2: Nobody Wants to Watch You Chop Vegetables
Consider: You never see the chef chop onions on-screen! Instead, all the ingredients have been prepared ahead of time and made ready to use ...
Demos and Julia Child: What Can We Learn from Cooking Shows?
Julia Child brought French cooking dishes and methods into American households in the last century (1963-1973 or thereabouts) in her entertaining and educational cooking ...
Tell Your Prospects “It’s OK to say no…”
Most people, as prospects, don’t want to say “no” to sales teams. We are typically more comfortable to say “yes” to small steps than ...
“If you do not know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing.”
“If you do not know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing.” – W. Edwards Deming Here’s how to do discovery!