Who can solve your customers\u2019 problems? Is it you, your customers, or both?<\/p>\n
It may seem<\/i> like it should be both of you, but only your customers<\/i> can take the actions necessary to address their challenges.<\/p>\n
Will you, as the vendor, be running<\/i> the software you sell them? Of course not.<\/p>\n
Will you be making the decisions that your software enables on behalf of your customers? Not a chance.<\/p>\n
The problems are your prospect\u2019s <\/i>problems, not yours. The Critical Business Issues are your prospects\u2019<\/i> Critical Business Issues, not yours. The value they receive from using your software is theirs, not yours (they already<\/i> paid you!).<\/p>\n
And will you be taking responsibility for your customers\u2019 outcomes? Only indirectly. While you may provide guidance on best practices, you won\u2019t be clicking their mice or making their decisions for them. (Note that services may be a different situation; this only applies to software purchases and use.)<\/p>\n
So, when you are presenting demos, stay in \u201cYou Mode.\u201d Avoid using \u201cwe.\u201d But is this just an opinion or is there research that validates this idea?<\/p>\n
A simple Google search for \u201cwe vs you in sales\u201d turns up multiple references and summaries. Here\u2019s Google\u2019s AI overview:<\/p>\n
\u201cIn sales, using \u2018you\u2019 instead of \u2018we\u2019 is generally more effective because it focuses on the customer’s needs and benefits, leading to a more personal and persuasive connection. Research indicates that \u2018you\u2019 phrasing can increase conversion rates and convincing cases to purchase compared to \u2018we\u2019.<\/p>\n
Elaboration:<\/p>\n
Customer-Centric Approach:<\/p>\n
\u2018You\u2019 language positions the customer as the primary focus, highlighting how the product or service can directly benefit them. This fosters a sense of personalization and connection, making the customer more likely to engage with the sales message.<\/p>\n
Reduced Ego-Focus:<\/p>\n
\u2018We\u2019 language can sometimes sound impersonal and corporate, focusing on the company rather than the individual customer’s needs. \u2018You\u2019 language, on the other hand, shifts the emphasis to the customer’s experience and empowers them to take action.<\/p>\n
Increased Persuasion:<\/p>\n
Studies have shown that \u2018you\u2019 phrasing can be more effective in persuading customers to take action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a service, or completing a call to action.<\/p>\n
Example:<\/p>\n
Instead of saying \u2018We offer a wide range of products,\u2019 try \u2018You can choose from a wide range of products that suit your needs\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, simply changing the dominant pronoun from \u201cwe\u201d to \u201cyou\u201d will increase your success rates substantially. It is a recurring theme across all the Google search results!<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve been saying \u201cwe\u201d for the past many years in your demos it may be challenging to make an abrupt change to \u201cyou.\u201d Here are a few practices to help with the transition.<\/p>\n
If you record your demos, play them back, and count how many times you say \u201cwe\u201d vs \u201cyou.\u201d Simply paying attention to your delivery can begin the process; tracking your progress over time will help reduce the \u201cwe-we-we-ing\u201d and move to \u201cyou-you-you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Great Demo! practitioners enjoy an advantage in making the change. Situation Slides are designed<\/i> to be presented in \u201cYou Mode.\u201d They are all about your prospect<\/i>, making it easier to remember to use \u201cyou.\u201d Here are a few phrases to help:<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I recall correctly, you<\/i> said you needed to ____.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou<\/i> said these are the problems that are getting in your way\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe you<\/i> said you<\/i> are looking for the following Specific Capabilities\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou<\/i> noted you<\/i> would like to enjoy the following value\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I believe you<\/i> said you<\/i> need a solution in place by ____, because of ____.\u201d<\/p>\n
Similarly, applying the highly differentiating practice of \u201cDo the Last Thing First\u201d also helps you to stay in \u201cYou Mode.\u201d Great Demo! practitioners know that when you present Illustrations, you need to communicate three sets of ideas:<\/p>\n
Starting demos in \u201cYou Mode\u201d with a crisp summary of your prospects\u2019 situations and the key deliverables sets you up to stay<\/i> in \u201cYou Mode\u201d as you progress further in your demo.<\/p>\nGoing Deeper<\/h3>\n
Applying the Inverted Pyramid<\/a> structure also gently forces you to move from \u201cwe\u201d to \u201cyou.\u201d In fact, Inverted Pyramid requires you to constantly test how deep your prospect wants to go in the demo.\u202fAs a result, you\u2019ll find yourself saying phrases such as:<\/p>\n \u201cIs that sufficient or would you<\/i> like to explore further?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you<\/i> interested in seeing how you<\/i> can ____?\u201d<\/p>\n Summarizing after each segment also helps you stay in \u201cYou Mode\u201d as well:<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what you<\/i> just saw is how easily you\u2019ll<\/i> be able to ___.\u201d<\/p>\n And while summarizing tends to precipitate questions and comments, you can also encourage interaction with other \u201cYou Mode\u201d prompts:<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think of what you\u2019ve <\/i>seen so far?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you<\/i> have any questions, comments, or observations about this segment?\u201d<\/p>\n The best demos are perceived by prospects as two-way, bidirectional conversations<\/i>. There is give and take, statements, questions and answers, comments, and discussion.<\/p>\n A conversation, by definition, must have at least two participants.\u202fIf one person dominates and removes the opportunity for the second person to contribute or ask questions, it ceases to be a conversation. That\u2019s what happens in traditional demos, and, interestingly, that\u2019s what using \u201cwe\u201d also <\/i>causes!<\/p>\n While using \u201cwe\u201d may seem inclusive, it actually removes the other party from the conversation. And going another step backwards to using \u201cI\u201d is even worse!<\/p>\n \u201cNow I\u2019ll click here to ____.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNext, I\u2019ll bring up the ____ to see the ____.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s a monologue!<\/p>\n The best demos are structured<\/i> conversations, that follow a clear plan. That\u2019s Great Demo! methodology!<\/p>\n The process of building a Transition Vision with your prospect involves substantial use of \u201cyou\u201d (see \u201cTransition Vision\u201d on page 106 of Doing Discovery<\/i><\/a>).\u202fFor example:<\/p>\n \u201cDo you<\/i> plan to deploy broadly or in waves?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you<\/i> identified your initial use cases?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would you<\/i> consider to be a small win after you<\/i> go live?\u201d<\/p>\n Transition Vision conversations demonstrate to your prospects that you are not just interested in getting the order, but that you have a genuine and tangible interest in your their successes. It is a terrific way to differentiate from your competition.<\/p>\n Once the order has been placed and you move into implementation, the need to separate \u201cyou\u201d from \u201cwe\u201d may become less critical. However, keeping a bias towards \u201cYou Mode\u201d will help with achieving the desired timelines and Value Realization Events<\/a>. After all, it is only your customer who can trigger the renewal or purchase an expansion!<\/p>\n If you find yourself still struggling to move from \u201cwe\u201d to \u201cyou,\u201d here is a homework assignment: Watch the last scenes of \u201cThe Blues Brothers\u201d where they are performing, \u201cEverybody Needs Somebody to Love\u201d and sing along as they and the audience chant, \u201cYou, you, you\u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2025 The Second Derivative \u2013 All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n To learn the methods introduced above, consider enrolling in a Great Demo! Doing Discovery or Demonstration Skills Workshop<\/a>. For more demo and discovery tips, best practices, tools and techniques, explore our blog and articles on the Resources pages of our website at https:\/\/GreatDemo.com<\/a> and join the Great Demo! & Doing Discovery LinkedIn Group<\/a> to learn from others and share your experiences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Es usted, no nosotros \u00bfQui\u00e9n puede resolver los problemas de sus clientes? \u00bfUsted, sus clientes o ambos? Puede parecer que deber\u00eda ser<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":37404,"comment_status":"closed","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":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","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":[10,8],"tags":[6],"class_list":["post-37397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-methodology_basics","category-great-demo-blog","tag-articles"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37397","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=37397"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38550,"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37397\/revisions\/38550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}A Structured Conversation<\/h3>\n
Bonus Insight<\/h3>\n
Implementation and Customer Success<\/h3>\n
Some Final Fun<\/h3>\n
\n