{"id":29072,"date":"2018-02-20T10:39:33","date_gmt":"2018-02-20T10:39:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/?p=366"},"modified":"2023-01-26T15:32:26","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T15:32:26","slug":"surprisingly-delectable-demos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/surprisingly-delectable-demos\/","title":{"rendered":"Demostraciones sorprendentemente deliciosas: deliciosas analog\u00edas gastron\u00f3micas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Surprisingly Delectable Demos \u2013 Delightful Dining Analogies<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What could we possibly learn from the realm of restaurants and food that we can apply to the wonderful world of demos?\u00a0 Much more than that one might guess!<\/span><\/p>\n

Restaurants are all about Vision Generation \u2013 and tasting is Technical Proof\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

From the moment we enter an elegant restaurant to when we pay the check at the end of a marvelous meal we are engaged in a surprising number of procedures and processes \u2013 all designed to heighten our dining experience and to generate incremental revenue for the restaurant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few examples to whet your appetite\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Preparation, Preparation, Preparation<\/span><\/h4>\n

The restaurant opens.\u00a0 The first wave of diners arrives and is seated.\u00a0 Intriguing scents are in the air:\u00a0 freshly baked bread, garlic, herbs, spices, butter, and a wonderful aroma of umami pervades throughout.\u00a0 Appetites rise in anticipation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The kitchen is prepared; ingredients have been shopped for and purchased, sauces simmered, soups thickened, fruits peeled, spices crushed, vegetables carefully trimmed and cut, racks roasted, brisket braised, fish filleted, and garnishes readied.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, too, the dining room is prepared; linen laid out, napkins neatly creased, tableware aligned, glasses inspected, candles lit, and tonight\u2019s \u201cspecials\u201d menus have been printed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most importantly, the staff met, before the doors opened, to review the plan for the evening.\u00a0 Any new dishes or wines?\u00a0 Everyone clear on the descriptions of the menu offerings?\u00a0 What is the flow of reservations this evening?\u00a0 Any expected theatre-goers or others with time constraints?\u00a0 Any particularly important guests or reviewers expected?\u00a0 What should we push and promote tonight?\u00a0 Any issues or problems?<\/span><\/p>\n

Restaurateurs work all day to prepare for their lunch and dinner customers.\u00a0 As much as possible has been prepared and is in place before the doors open \u2013 and plans are readied to handle expected challenges:\u00a0 \u201cSorry to say we had a run on the swordfish and we just served the last plate, but the sturgeon is fabulous and frankly is my favorite\u2026!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, Great Demos are all about preparation.\u00a0 Doing sufficient Discovery, preparing (and testing) the infrastructure, discussing and generating Situation Slides and Illustrations, organizing the \u201cchunks\u201d and choreography, agreeing on what\u00a0will<\/em>\u00a0be shown and what will\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0be presented \u2013 all should be complete before the demo is scheduled to begin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine sitting down at a restaurant, ordering the trout with hollandaise sauce and being told, \u201cIt\u2019ll just be a few minutes:\u00a0 the chef is out in the stream angling for your trout and the chickens are being urged to hurry it up with the eggs\u2026.!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

First Impressions<\/span><\/h4>\n

As customers, our first impressions are critical when we arrive and are seated.\u00a0 We notice the fresh flowers and lit candle on the table, the feel of the linens, the ambiance.\u00a0 We even note, perhaps unconsciously, the difference between menus already piled on the table vs. being presented an opened menu by the waiter personally.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fresh water is poured (with a hint of lemon), warm bread and butter follow, and we are already enjoying the experience as we peruse our menus and explore the wine list.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similar first impressions are (clearly) equally important at the start of demo meetings.\u00a0 If taking place at your offices or Executive Briefing Center, the meeting room should be prepared for the customers\u2019 arrival:\u00a0 white-boards clean, cabling organized, lighting, projector and screen set up, refreshments prepared, etc.\u00a0 As in a restaurant, details make a difference!<\/span><\/p>\n

When meetings takes place at the customers\u2019 sites, arrive sufficiently early to clean, organize and prepare\u00a0their<\/em>\u00a0conference rooms!<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The Menu<\/span><\/h4>\n

Have you ever been in a situation where:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. You find yourself in front of an audience about which you know nothing of their needs or interests \u2013 and they\u2019ve been promised a demo\u2026<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. You are asked to join a web session, right now, and the sales person says, \u201cThey asked to see a demo\u2026\u201d\u00a0 (Again, you have zero information about the customer\u2026)<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Someone walks up to you at a trade-show booth and says, \u201cWhat do you guys do?\u201d or \u201cShow me a demo\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    Are you interested in a delightful self-rescue technique for situations like these?\u00a0 It\u2019s called The Menu Approach \u2013 and it is a logical, simple and surprisingly effective method for dealing with situations where your audience is partly or largely undiscovered.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Imagine walking into a nice restaurant \u2013 and you are quite hungry.\u00a0 You sit down and a few moments later the waiter comes up to you and asks, \u201cWhat would you like to eat tonight?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    You have no idea what they offer, so you respond, \u201cWhat do you have?\u201d\u00a0 The waiter says, \u201cWell, we have an extensive set of offerings \u2013 appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts \u2013 what would you like?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Very frustrating (and what a wonderful analogy)\u2026!\u00a0 Both of you are making no progress \u2013 and it is very much the same situation as requests for demos where neither party has a clear idea of the other\u2019s desires or capabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n

    A solution?\u00a0 Back in our restaurant, the waiter says, \u201cHere, let me get you a menu\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    The menu provides a rapid method for the customer to assess what is\u00a0possible<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 and to select what is most\u00a0desirable<\/em>.\u00a0 A menu presents a high-level listing of the range of offerings \u2013 and we can apply the same principle to the wonderful world of demos.\u00a0 [See the article entitled\u00a0The Menu Approach \u2013 A Truly Terrific Demo Self-Rescue Technique<\/em>\u00a0on our website at\u00a0https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/articles\/<\/a>\u00a0for further details on applying this terrific tool.]<\/span><\/p>\n

    In demos, the Menu Approach offers an additional advantage:\u00a0 it (by definition) enables you to control what content can be explored.\u00a0 With a restaurant menu, the range of offerings is typically limited to what is on the menu.\u00a0 This keeps diners \u201con track\u201d with respect to what the kitchen can prepare and serve.\u00a0 The Great Demo! Menu Approach provides that same control when presenting topics to your audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Wine Menu<\/span><\/h4>\n

    \u201cWhat wine would you recommend\u2026?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    You\u00a0know<\/em>\u00a0you are being played when you ask for a wine recommendation to go with your lamb and the waiter immediately suggests the most expensive bottle on the list.\u00a0 Interestingly, many diners head for the shallower waters and choose one of the low price options.\u00a0 Our waiter has failed in this upsell opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

    On the other hand, the\u00a0savvy<\/em>\u00a0steward offers three recommendations:\u00a0 one at the low end (a modest but earnestly appealing Pinot), a mid-range selection (an attractive Gigondas), and a spectacular Chateau Neuf de Pape (located just across the river from Gigondas, but commanding much higher prices).<\/span><\/p>\n

    Which wine will most people choose?\u00a0 Typically, it is the middle option that is often selected \u2013representing an upsell from what the customer might have originally contemplated spending.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Customers dislike being perceived as \u201ccheap\u201d, both in restaurants and in selecting software.\u00a0 The seasoned sales person presents three similar options when preparing proposals and providing pricing information to prospects\u2026!<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cWould you like to try it first?\u201d<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Wines, in particular, and beer, to a lesser degree, can be puzzling for many restaurant patrons.\u00a0 We are presented with a wine list that may include dozens of choices \u2013 a few we may know; most we likely have never experienced.<\/span><\/p>\n

    We ask the waiter, \u201cWhat would you recommend with my rack of lamb?\u201d\u00a0 He replies, \u201cWell, a C\u00f4te du Rhone is a good choice, a big California Pinot Noir works well, and some of the Aussie Shiraz can be a very good fit\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    But (for many of us) we still lack sufficient data to make an informed decision.\u00a0 In cases where wine is offered by-the-glass (and generally for any draft beer), the wise waiter asks, \u201cWould you like to try a taste?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    95% of the time the customer purchases a glass or bottle of that wine.\u00a0 World\u2019s Best Demo!<\/span><\/p>\n

    A Pause Between Courses<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Your waiter has taken your order \u2013 appetizer, salad, soup and main course \u2013 and you are looking forward to your meal with great anticipation.\u00a0 Ahh, here comes the appetizer and it looks terrific!<\/span><\/p>\n

    Two minutes later the soup arrives, followed swiftly by your salad.\u00a0 You are now a bit confused, trying to decide which to address.\u00a0 Moments later your Beef Bourguignon is presented.\u00a0 Holy cow (no pun intended), the table is packed with dishes and you are overwhelmed.\u00a0 Too much, too fast \u2013 you need a break between courses.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Traditional demos suffer from a similar lack of breaks \u2013 they are often presented as a constant stream of features and functions flung without a pause or breath of air:\u00a0 \u201cAnd the\u00a0next<\/em>\u00a0really cool thing I want to show you is\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Like a well-paced meal, Great Demos break up demos into manageable bites \u2013 consumable components \u2013 that can be introduced and explored in as much depth as the customer has interest.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Appetizers<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Appetizers are the essence of Vision Generation:\u00a0 often beautiful, intensively appealing, and a portion that is\u00a0just<\/em>\u00a0enough to stimulate the appetite further.\u00a0 They provide brief, savory satisfaction without overwhelming and set the stage for the courses that follow.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Great Vision Generation demos follow the same idea:\u00a0 carefully crafted, not too long,\u00a0just<\/em>\u00a0enough to pique your customers\u2019 interest.\u00a0 In Great Demo! methodology a beautifully executed Vision Generation demo might last 4-6 minutes and consist of an abbreviated Situation Slide, Illustration, and Do It pathway.\u00a0 Delicious!<\/span><\/p>\n

    Does It Look Good?<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Ah\u2026 Here comes the main course.\u00a0 We watch the waiter place it carefully in front of us, rotating the plate to a precise presentation position.\u00a0 Fascinating \u2013 we can learn two intriguing ideas from this\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

    First:\u00a0 When we are served a plate of food in a restaurant, we typically assess three things, in the following order:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
      \n
    1. Does it\u00a0look<\/em>\u00a0good?<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Does it\u00a0smell<\/em>\u00a0appetizing?<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. How does it\u00a0taste<\/em>?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

      Interestingly, as customers, we (often unconsciously) make a very similar assessment when presented with a software screen in a demo:\u00a0 Does it\u00a0look<\/em>\u00a0good?<\/span><\/p>\n

      If an initial software screen looks confusing or complicated, we reject it right away (\u201cyuck\u201d) and the balance of the demo will be battling this first impression.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Conversely, if the screen appears to be clear, compelling and logical (\u201cyummy\u201d), we are open to exploring further and (in a virtual sense) \u201ctasting\u201d the software.<\/span><\/p>\n

      This suggests that we should work to make our Illustrations and end deliverables appear to be as appetizing as possible!<\/span><\/p>\n

      Interestingly, a number of Great Demo! practitioners have commented that the equivalent of \u201cDoes it smell good\u201d is the perception of ease of use\u2026\u00a0 It has been suggested that the number of clicks or taps required to complete a task is the software measurement equivalent of \u201cdoes it smell good\u2026\u201d\u00a0 The \u201cDo It\u201d pathway is, therefore, one possible indication of whether the software is perceived as easy to use (and thus smells terrific!) \u2013 too many clicks, on the other hand, and it stinks!<\/span><\/p>\n

      [Meanwhile, I eagerly await the advent of apps and software that provide real-time smell and odor capabilities\u2026\u00a0 Don\u2019t you?]<\/span><\/p>\n

      Second:\u00a0 Remember that our waiter carefully positioned the plate in front of us \u2013 presentation is key to helping it look as attractive as possible.\u00a0 Garnish, sauce dots and lines, vertical structures \u2013 these all combine to make the food look as interesting and appetizing as it can.\u00a0 But the plate doesn\u2019t have to do all the work on its own: the waiter\u2019s presentation (delivery with a white folded napkin in hand, followed by careful rotation to\u00a0just<\/em>\u00a0the perfect angle in front of the customer and the verbal summary of dish\u2026) \u2013 all conspire to increase the allure!<\/span><\/p>\n

      Similarly, in software demos, you can bias customer perceptions of the appearance of your software by drawing their attention directly to the key elements on the screen, supported through the use of props, examples and engaging stories.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The Desert Platter<\/span><\/h4>\n

      The Menu Approach is a terrific tool to help customers understand what is possible and to choose what seems most interesting \u2013 but can we do better?\u00a0 Certainly\u2026!<\/span><\/p>\n

      Which restaurant will sell more desserts:\u00a0 the one that presents diners with the dessert menu, after the main course is finished, or the establishment that has the waiter bring the tray of mouth-watering, irresistible desserts presented with a one-by-one exploration of the delights of each offering?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Tough guess, huh?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Think about it.\u00a0 Restaurants have learned is that the visual combined with the\u00a0verbal delivery<\/em>\u00a0describing an offering can make critical differences in perception (and purchase) by customers.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The same principles apply to demos and especially when presenting Illustrations of end results.\u00a0 If a vendor simply shows a screen and says, \u201cSo, what do you think?\u201d that vendor is letting the customer come to his or her own conclusions \u2013 the customer may not understand the significance of what is being displayed.<\/span><\/p>\n

      On the other hand, pointing specifically to the key elements on the screen while verbally providing commentary designed to underscore the importance and value of those elements \u2013 well, that is what our more skilled waiter is doing with the dessert tray (and the augmented bill yields correspondingly larger tips).<\/span><\/p>\n

      Adding Some Bias<\/span><\/h4>\n

      Our waiter in the above example does something else that we can learn from and apply to demos.\u00a0 The next time you are in an elegant restaurant and you have the opportunity (and pleasure) to explore the daily specials or the waiter-presented dessert tray, listen carefully to what he or she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

      For example, does the waiter describe all of the dishes equally?\u00a0 Typically not!\u00a0 This one is identified as \u201cthe most popular\u201d and that one is his \u201cpersonal favorite\u201d.\u00a0 He is skillfully biasing your choice towards certain offerings, based (hopefully) on his personal experience or (unfortunately) what the kitchen needs to move that evening\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

      The end result, generally, is that those dishes and desserts that receive the most positive bias from the waiter will be sold in higher quantities.\u00a0 How might we apply this to demos?<\/span><\/p>\n

      The very same way!\u00a0 When presenting a set of choices (when using a Menu, for example), we can bias audience interest towards any particular item by suggesting a stronger positive angle \u2013 or cause other items to sink in ranking by down-playing their importance.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Japanese Restaurant Food Models<\/span><\/h4>\n

      Imagine that you are in Japan, on business, and you decide to head out of the hotel for dinner.\u00a0 You walk down the street and all you see is signage in Japanese (let\u2019s assume you don\u2019t speak or read Japanese).\u00a0 What do you do?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Fortunately, many Japanese restaurants have front windows that display a range of delectable offerings on shelves \u2013 noodle dishes, soups, fried items \u2013 enabling you to quickly decide what looks most appetizing to you.\u00a0 To order, you don\u2019t need to know the name of the item or find it on a Japanese text-only menu, you can simply take your waiter to the front window and point \u2013 what a delight, as you are really hungry!<\/span><\/p>\n

      A closer look at the dishes in the window shows, however, that they are not real \u2013 they are carefully crafted plastic models of individual dishes (which affords great expiration dating, by the way:\u00a0 \u201cBest used by 2815\u2026\u201d).<\/span><\/p>\n

      These models are excellent examples of Great Demo! Illustrations \u2013 showing the end result.\u00a0 In this case, the end result is an excellent (plastic) representation of the dish, enabling customers to quickly scan what is possible and\u00a0choose which item looks most palatable.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Cookbooks \u2013 and Pictures<\/span><\/h4>\n

      You are paging through a new cookbook, trying to get ideas for an upcoming important meal.\u00a0 Which recipes do you tend to explore \u2013 those that are limited to text descriptions or those that also include a photo of the finished dish?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Cookbook publishers know that most readers prefer cookbooks with photos of the finished product.\u00a0 The pictures help readers gain a rapid understanding of what the completed recipe should look like \u2013 if it\u00a0looks<\/em>\u00a0appetizing, it has a higher likelihood of being pursued.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Not surprisingly, pictures of the completed, plated, presented dish can tell us a great deal:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • What should it look like?<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Does it\u00a0look<\/em>\u00a0appetizing?<\/span><\/li>\n
      • What are major ingredients?<\/span><\/li>\n
      • What is the mode of preparation?<\/span><\/li>\n
      • How should it be presented?<\/span><\/li>\n
      • What beverages does it pair well with?<\/span><\/li>\n
      • What are the complementary side dishes?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        One picture of a completed dish is easily worth 1000 words of text description \u2013 which suggests that one good Illustration of your software should be worth\u2026 (wait for it\u2026) 1000 clicks!<\/span><\/p>\n

        What can we learn from the restaurants that we can apply to the wonderful world of demos?\u00a0 Clearly, a veritable buffet of ideas \u2013 bon app\u00e9tit!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        \u00bfQu\u00e9 podr\u00edamos aprender del mundo de los restaurantes y la comida que podamos aplicar al maravilloso mundo de las demostraciones? Mucho m\u00e1s de lo que cabr\u00eda suponer.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,14,8,9,16,10,18,21],"tags":[6,7],"class_list":["post-29072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aweful_demos","category-advanced_topics","category-great-demo-blog","category-growth_development","category-humor","category-methodology_basics","category-storytelling","category-vision_generation","tag-articles","tag-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29072"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29072\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}