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Undivided attention?
In your business conversations, instead of really listening, how often do you find yourself: Thinking about what you want to say next? Considering how ...
Demo Hack: New vs Save As
“Execute all pathways with the fewest number of clicks.” – Cohan’s Law of Simplicity “Choose pathways that CAN be executed with the fewest ...
A Painful Logo Slide Lesson
“Cured me!” I commented to my colleague, after a visit to a prospect. He had wondered why I didn’t do a corporate overview ...
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 ...
Demo Skills Assessment Time!
Where are you with the ten levels of demo skills? Level 1: Follows the standard demo script. Level 2: Customizes based on the prospect’s ...
Take a Break from Your Reading…?
I was surprised when I heard this recommendation from three separate people… They said they were working their way through business books and needed ...
“With great curiosity comes great opportunity!”
Be curious – it’s an evolutionary advantage!
Acronym Musings
Forty years ago, when electrons were slower, there was an acronym that guided development, marketing, and sales of software: RSVP. (And no, in this ...
Practical Pointing Practices for Demos
“There are always three demos for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish ...
That’s a Zippy Mouse! A True Tradeshow Story
Some habits can be changed… We were on booth duty the morning after a long, but enjoyable evening on Bourbon Street listening to Dixieland. ...
Get Up!
Demo Presenters: You are not bound to your chair! I watched a ninety-minute face-to-face demo, and the presenter never left his chair! Result? He ...
Click-Click-ClickClickClickClickClickClick-Clickety-Click…!
That’s the sound of an over-enthusiastic mouse… I was watching a demo from the founder of a startup who was excited to share his ...
WHAT Time Is that Meeting?
Be aware that different countries start and end Daylight Savings Time on different dates! So, what was once a comparatively comfortable time to meet ...
Mousing: Look, Find, and THEN Move
Let’s run a quick experiment: Open an existing document in MS Word. Now, choose “Review” and then “New Comment.” (Or “Suggesting” and “Add Comment” ...
Please Stop Circling Your Mouse!
Have you ever seen a demo where the presenter circles their mouse around and around and around (and around and around) a screen element? ...
Can You See My Mouse?
Not easily! The standard Mac and Windows mouse cursors are too small and too insubstantial for effective demos. Both display a thin black outline ...
Why Specific Value Numbers Are MUCH More Compelling Than Platitudes
Compare the following exchanges: Scenario One: “If you use our product, you’ll save time and money…!” offers the vendor rep. “Blah blah blah blah ...
In Your Demos, When You Say “If…”
In your demos, when you say “if,” you are making a major error! When you say “If,” you are creating a branched pathway that ...
Planning an SKO But Can’t Afford $1000s for a Speaker?
Here’s a surprisingly effective alternative for $20-$60 per participant: Provide your team with copies of Great Demo!, Doing Discovery, and/or Suspending Disbelief! Sowing these ...
Aligning Your Communication of Value
“And if you use our tool,” said the salesperson, “you’ll save millions every year!” The response from the prospect team was indifferent, even quietly ...
I Have to Point This Out…!
Be aware of how you point in your face-to-face demos – you may not realize what you are communicating! On a Mediterranean island, I ...
SKOs, Volume Discounts, Book Club Support?
Signed copies for your SKO? Yes! Volume discounts? Yes! Book club support? Yes! Signed copies of Great Demo!, Doing Discovery, or Suspending Disbelief books are a great ...
What’s a Good Story?
Are You Telling Stories or Just Reciting Facts? Part 2: What’s a Good Story? “You need a search capability, we provide that capability ...
When I Hear People Talking about Their Gold Demo, I Cringe!
When I hear people talking about their gold demo, or bronze demo, or any other form of single “standard” demo, I cringe! Why? Because ...
“The Culture Map” – A Brain-Expanding Book!
I’m pretty well traveled and have been in customer-facing roles across the U.S., the UK, Continental Europe, Russia, parts of Asia and Latin America, ...
“I finally had a chance to read Suspending Disbelief by Peter Cohan and let me tell you, it’s 🔥”
“I thought I’d skim a story or two… but I couldn’t put it down.” “🚀 Just finished Suspending Disbelief by Peter Cohan… and it’s ...
Are You Telling Stories or Just Reciting Facts?
What’s the difference? Great stories get remembered and retold; Facts, on their own, just fade away and disappear! I first heard this ...