ES 
EN GREAT DEMO!
Blog
The Man Who Does Not Read Good Books…
“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.” — Mark Twain
Pilots, Vendors, and Discovery
Pilots are directed to consume “all available” weather information prior to making a go/no go (flying) decision. Vendors should have the same requirement prior ...
The Role of Sales in Great Demos – Part 3
Today we finish our Goldilocks story with the second half of “just right!” Delivering demos should be perceived as a “team sport” when two ...
The Role of Sales in Great Demos – Part 2
Yesterday’s post was the first half of a Goldilocks story: Too little, too much. Today we enjoy “just right!” Salespeople have a specific ...
The Role of Sales in Great Demos – Part 1
Regarding the role of sales in demos, here’s what NOT to do: Nothing. Way too much. Far too many salespeople contribute far too little ...
Qualification vs Discovery: What’s the Difference?
Qualification is done for the vendor’s benefit only; Discovery is done for the benefit of both parties. Qualification is about establishing boundaries; Discovery ...
What Does Superior Discovery Deliver?
Vendors who perform superior discovery enjoy… With Prospects: Timely Decisions Precise Demos Better Product Fit Closing Doors to Competitors Positive Differentiation Accurate Proposals Expanded ...
What Does Insufficient Discovery Yield?
Insufficient discovery causes: Delayed Decisions No Decisions Unwarranted Discounting “Buying It Back” Slowed Sales Cycles Wasted Sales Cycles Harbor Tour Demos Stunningly Awful Demos ...
¿Cuánto descubrimiento es suficiente?
Vendors constantly struggle to answer this question – so let’s address it! How much discovery is enough? Is it… When you have a qualified ...
Software Demos by Musicians: Musicians Have an Advantage!
Why? Musicians understand dynamics (louds and softs). They know when and how to drop their voice to a whisper or deliver a forceful phrase. ...
Using AI to Annoy Prospects?
AI personalizes but often without correct context. I can’t tell you how many LinkedIn messages I get that are “personalized” but ignore key information. ...
Do Best Practices Age?
Of Course! Best Practices Are Just Local Maxima… Five thoughts: What is currently considered a best practice today will likely be exceeded by another ...
More Premature Elaboration: A Competitive Oops! – Another Sales Prevention Team True Story
“Competition whose motive is merely to compete, to drive some other fellow out, never carries very far. The competitor to be feared is one ...
Premature Elaboration – Another Sales Prevention Team True Story!
“Chirp chirp chirp chirp…” – The sound of crickets in an empty room Because he’d heard prospects ask certain questions repeatedly, he chose ...
Founders’ Frustration – Another Sales Prevention Team True Story!
“But there’s so much to show…!” – SaaS Founder in year two “When you first released your MVP [Minimum Viable Product], how much ...
Do Real-time AI Coaching Tools Inhibit Active Listening?
Do real-time AI coaching tools inhibit active listening? What’s your experience?
Diagnose and Ignore? Another Sales Prevention Team True Story!
“You can ignore reality, but you can’t ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” – Ayn Rand The prospect had invested in several hours ...
Demo Desperation – Another Sales Prevention Team True Story!
“Wait! Don’t go away, we haven’t gotten to the best stuff yet!” – Vendor rep watching people leave the room… It was an ...
Help, Mr. Wizard…! Another Sales Prevention Team True Story!
“Tell me, old friend, when did you abandon wisdom for madness?” – Gandalf to Saruman Software wizards are intended to make a ...
Setup Mode Horror – Another Sales Prevention Team True Story!
“Life is too short for you to be the caretaker of the wrong details.” – Alexandra Stoddard I watched a ninety-minute demo recording ...
An Online Oops… A Sales Prevention Team True Story!
“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” – John Wooden A lack of situational awareness can be ...
The Terrible Tabs Death March – A Sales Prevention Team True Story!
“The happiness of most people is not ruined by great catastrophes or fatal errors, but by the repetition of slowly destructive little things.” – ...
Do You Use Ranging Probes?
Of course, you are familiar with Open and Closed Probes… What’s an example of an Open Probe? (THAT’s one!) And do you use Closed ...
Demos and Prospects’ Initial Mindset
What are your prospects’ emotional stances when you start your demos? Enthused? Curious? Skeptical? Cynical? Annoyed? Apathetic? Neutral? How does their mindset ...
The Sad Story of the Way Cool Tool: A Surprising Product and Demo Lesson!
Drawing tools are always evolving, seeking to improve and streamline image and diagram production. And in the world of chemistry, drawing chemical structures has ...
For Founders – Storytelling, Sales, and Business Growth: Turning Ideas into Revenue!
Do’s and Don’ts: Fabulous Framing for Founders! “Peter E. Cohan shares how storytelling, sales strategy, and business thinking drive real growth. Learn how to ...
Why Structure Demos Like the News – Part 6 of 6: Running Short on Time – Pro Tip!
In an earlier post I noted that newspaper editors could trim articles to fit the available space by cutting stories from the bottom upwards. ...