Far too often, prospects demand, “Just show me a demo…” when we know the correct approach is to invest, mutually, in a substantive discovery conversation. But how do we convince prospects to make this change? Here are seven ideas:
Prospect says, “Just show me a demo…”
- You respond, “Terrific – let’s schedule 8 hours for the demo – because it will take that long to go through our offering… Or, we could invest 30 minutes to discuss your situation so that we can focus on what is most important for you – and the resulting demo will likely last well under an hour…”
Prospect says, “Just show me a demo…”
- You offer, “You are investing a great deal of time and energy in finding and implementing a new system – let’s ensure that investment pays off for you by making sure that we understand your situation/goals/needs/etc. fully before we present a demo…”
Prospect says, “Just show me a demo…”
- You say, “Oh! This is exactly like having a severe headache and going to the doctor – and the doctor says, ‘You have a headache? Great – go down to the pharmacy and try each of the 1000 drugs we offer – and then let me know which one works best…!’ We can continue on that pathway or, if you allow me to be your ‘physician’, I can ask questions that enable an accurate diagnosis – and a focused software demo prescription.”
Prospect says, “Just show me a demo…”
- You respond, “I’m presuming you don’t want to pay for capabilities that you don’t need – so instead of guessing, and likely wasting your time and mine, let’s invest a few minutes to discuss your actual needs. The demo can then focus specifically on those capabilities.”
Prospect says, “Just show me a demo…”
- You offer, “If I were a doctor, would you prefer that I grab a scalpel and open you up – or would you prefer that I ask a few questions first?”
Prospect says, “Just show me a demo…”
- You counter, “Imagine you just sat down for a meal in a nice restaurant and I’m your waiter. Should I simply guess what you might want to eat and start bringing out dishes – or would you want me to offer you a menu?”
Prospect says, “Just show me a demo…”
- You say, “Fine…” and move (gently but firmly) into a Vision Generation Demo, that leads delightfully to a discovery conversation.
Any other ideas to suggest?