Great Demo! & Doing Discovery Updates – Great Demo! Third Edition, Public Workshops (EMEA English, Espa?ol, and New! Demo Automation), Lit Fest, More

Hi All,

Here are the latest Great Demo! updates for you, along with links to our latest articles:

Steering Through an Economic Downturn: The Urgency of Upskilling Your Workforce

Maximizing ROI from a Great Demo! Workshop: Post-Workshop Implementation Strategies

Let’s Talk About Value – Uncovering the Delta

Uncovering Critical Business Issues – What, Why, and How

How AI is Revolutionizing Sales and Presales: Opportunities and Challenges

Enjoy!

Great Demo! and Doing Discovery Pearls and Epiphanies

“What's another word for thesaurus?”

New Items

Great Demo! Third Edition Soft Launch!

The long-awaited Third Edition of Great Demo! is now available in paperback and Kindle versions. The Audiobook version should appear soon as well.

The book has been substantially updated and expanded – it is now really two books in one! Part 1 focuses on the core Great Demo! methodology while Part 2 offers skills, tips, and truly best practices for:

• Complex Demo Scenarios
• Vision Generation Demos
• Virtual Demos
• Storytelling
• Elements of Style
• Other Forms of Proof (e.g., POCs, POVs, etc.)
• Your Demo Environment
• Implementing the methodology

What’s changed? Lots! The second edition was published in 2005, this third edition is completely updated, overhauled, and extended, incorporating the new learnings and practices we’ve implemented and production-hardened with customers.

Here’s the Table of Contents:

INTRODUCTION

PART 1 – CORE METHODOLOGY

1?WHAT IS GREAT DEMO?

2?WHY DO DEMOS FAIL?

3?WHAT HAPPENS IF THE DEMO FAILS?

4?YOUR PROSPECT

5?THE GREAT DEMO!

6?BUSINESS PREPARATION

7?TECHNICAL PREPARATION

8?MANAGING TIME AND QUESTIONS

9?DEMO DELIVERY – PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

PART 2 – ADVANCED TOPICS

10?MULTI-SOLUTION, MULTI-PLAYER DEMOS

11?VISION GENERATION DEMOS

12?YOUR DEMO ENVIRONMENT

13?VIRTUAL DEMONSTRATIONS

14?STORYTELLING

15?STYLE

16?OTHER FORMS OF PROOF

17?IMPLEMENTING GREAT DEMO!

18?BECOMING A DEMO MASTER

INDEX

And I have a special offer for those who write a nice 5-Star review on Amazon – contact me for details!

Tip – “They Said They Need It Yesterday…”

“They Said They Need It Yesterday…” That’s good, right?

Nope.

They didn’t take action yesterday, or the day before, or the day before that, or before that… Every day that passes includes another “yesterday”.

So, what “They said they need it yesterday” really means is that nothing is going to happen. They do nothing. It’s another No Decision outcome!

Your prospect has been able to live without making the change for days, weeks, months, or even years! There’s no Critical Date, no date with an accompanying driving force or sense of urgency that requires your prospect to make the purchase and implement.

To learn how to uncover (and propose) compelling Critical Dates that drive action, grab a copy of Doing Discovery. You’ll find a rich discussion of Critical Dates beginning on page 126 of the paperback edition of the book.

(Many thanks to Alex Smith of Cuvama who pointed this out!)

Tip – “Spend” vs “Invest”

I’ve noted that many of the most successful, seasoned sales and presales folks use the term “invest” when discussing price and value with prospects and customers, as opposed to using “spend”, “cost”, or “price”.

For example, instead of, “Our software costs $150,000…” they’ll say, “You’ll invest $150,000 in this effort…”

Or, even better, once value is established:

“Your monetary investment in this project will be $150,000, which will be rewarded with an ROI of $600,000 within eighteen months…”

Delightful!

The Sales Hustle Podcast – Great Demo! & Doing Discovery Insights

“Sales, presales, and the tools that get us there…” I joined Miles Martin for this 40-minute exploration of:

• Intro – with a reverse!
• Experiences being the prospect – and a new perspective on demos
• The need to turn demos upside down and Do the Last Thing First
• Discovery – where the problems begin…
• Being different
• Biggest gaps in demos
• One size does not fit all!
• Demos need to be tailored to individual job titles
• CRM systems as an example
• Slice and dice, via discovery, what individual job titles want and need – and use cases
• 13 different job titles!
• Product growth and demos
• A mini horror story!
• Demo structure – making dinner as an analogy
• The ineffectiveness of traditional demos
• Restructure your demo in accord with your prospects’ interests – and desired deliverables
• A comment about sausage (as another analogy)
• Key elements of discovery – and perspective
• Solutions to the “Just show me your product” demand – Vision Generation
• Technical Proof Demos – done after discovery
• A doctor example – malpractice!
• 5 pieces of information needed for each prospect Job Title – An example with Miles…
• Critical Business Issues vs problems/reasons/pain
• Specific Capabilities – and to show is your demo
• The Value of making the change – the gap
• Critical Dates – when and the driving force
• Ready to demo – and reduced risk of “Do Nothing”, a No Decision outcome
• No Decisions consume 45% of B2B forecasted opportunities – and how to reduce this number
• The 3 reasons for No Decision outcomes
• ?The fallacy of “We need this yesterday…”
• What do you do with your discovery info?
• Traditional overview “Harbor Tour” demos
• Starting your demo with a Situation Slide
• Uncovering desired deliverables in discovery
• Presenting your demo – starting from the desired deliverables
• Fewest number of clicks!
• Peeling Back the Layers – conversationally
• Driving real interactivity vs “Any questions so far?”
• Some comments about demo automation – terrific opportunities!
• “Choose your own adventure” tools and examples
• Advantages for both the vendor and the prospect
• Complacency puts you at risk: Never Stop Learning!
• Dunning Kruger and Mt. Stupid – “They don’t know what they don’t know…”

You can find the recording here. Enjoy!

Lit Fest Recording: Reduce Your No Decision Outcomes – The Single Largest Waste of Sales Teams’ Time

On average, 45% of all forecasted opportunities result in No Decision outcomes. This means that nearly half the time spent working sales opportunities is wasted.

In this 27-minute recording, we shared how improved discovery skills will help you avoid pursuing these time-consuming, unproductive sales opportunities. We discussed:

• Improving sales productivity…
• Incremental change vs large step-change
• No Decision outcomes defined
• How you waste ~45% of your time
• Negative vs positive sales force scaling
• Three reasons for No Decision outcomes
• Solutions!

Enjoy!

Upcoming Great Demo! & Doing Discovery Public Workshops

Sharpen your saw for the Summer and beyond! Public Workshops are perfect for individuals or small teams.

Our next EMEA Face-to-Face Public Great Demo Workshop is scheduled to take place on September 20-21 in Amsterdam. You can find registration information here. You can also contact Natasja Bax for more information.

Our next EMEA and LATAM Spanish Virtual Public Great Demo Workshop is scheduled to take place on July 25, 26 & 27. You can find registration information here. You can also contact us for more information.

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Great Demo! VIRTUAL Public Workshop - Edición en Espa?ol – Julio 25 – 27

GREAT DEMO! Haz demostraciones que sorprendan y convenzan a tus clients.

'Do the last thing first' (Empieza por el final): esta es la receta de la metodología Great Demo!

Taller con álvaro Toscano dirigido especialmente a preventas que realizan demos de software B2B a sus clientes y partners. Trae tu demo y prepárate para presentarla - ?te ayudaremos a convertirla en una demo sorprendente capaz de convencer a tu cliente!

Are You Using Demo Automation Tools and Not Seeing the Expected Results??

New! We are launching an EMEA Demo Automation Public Workshop. Preliminary dates are October 23 – 26. Click?here?for more details or contact Natasja Bax for more information.

Maybe your demos were not sufficiently compelling – automating these demos will only have negative effects.

Join our Virtual Public Workshop about?interactive demo automation?in October. You'll work with your software and your demo automation tool (we are vendor agnostic).?

This workshop will have two segments for which you can register separately.?

Segment 1: Creating interactive demos for people who need to do this:

• Discover how the proven Great Demo! framework can be applied to structuring interactive demos for optimal engagement and impact.?
• Learn to craft interactive demos that put the customer's needs first, tailoring the narrative to their specific business challenges and interests.?
• Master the interaction, including setting up scripts, interaction points, managing the flow, and anticipating questions expected.

Segment 2: Delivering interactive demos for sales teams.

• Understand how interactive demos can create a dynamic sales environment, enhancing customer engagement and providing powerful insights into their needs and interests.
• Applying the Great Demo! framework to deliver interactive demos effectively, keeping the prospect engaged and moving them towards a purchasing decision.
• Learn how to navigate interactive demos based on the customer's feedback, adapting in real-time to keep the content relevant and compelling.

Discovery skills and active listening are key topics.

Gain practical skills in leading an interactive demo session, managing customer input, and addressing questions or objections conversationally.

Our next North America Great Demo! Demonstration Skills Public Workshop is being scheduled. Please let us know if you have dates or location preferences.

Our next North America Doing Discovery Skills Public Workshop is being scheduled. Please let us know if you have dates or location preferences.

Our next English EMEA Doing Discovery Skills Public Workshop is being scheduled. Please let us know if you have dates or location preferences.?

Great Demo! & Doing Discovery LinkedIn Group – Over 8650 Members

The Great Demo! & Doing Discovery LinkedIn Group now has over 8650 members: It’s an ongoing discussion of thoughts, tips, tools, techniques and best (and worst!) practices to increase your success rates doing discovery, software demonstrations, and related activities. Consider it an online users’ community for Great Demo! and Doing Discovery practitioners and learners.

Previous Update Items

Recent Article: Maximizing ROI from a Great Demo! Workshop: Post-Workshop Implementation Strategies

What’s in this article for you? Learn how to:

• Communicate the Benefits and Gain Support
• Reinforce the Key Takeaways
• Customize and Adapt the Methodology
• Provide Ongoing Support and Resources
• Foster Collaboration Through Peer Reviews
• Align Incentives and Performance Metrics
• Monitor Progress and Analyze Results
• Measure and Communicate Success
• Schedule Refresher Training

You can find this article here!

Recent Article: Let’s Talk About Value – Uncovering the Delta

What’s in this article for you?

• Specific value numbers are much more compelling than platitudes
• Prospects’ value numbers are much more compelling than vendor or industry numbers
• The lack of sufficient value contributes to No Decision outcomes
• How to capture and calculate specific value numbers – the Deltas
• Communicating value so that it resonates with your audience
• Differentiating via Value Realization Events discussions

You can find the article here!

Doing Discovery – Now Over 3200 Copies

Over 3200 copies of Doing Discovery have been purchased in the past few months, including over 500 Audiobooks, and I’m hearing very positive feedback from those who have put the ideas into practice. Reports include:

• Much more effective demos
• Elimination of overview demos and Stunningly Awful Harbor Tours
• Increased sales and buyer process velocity
• Avoidance of unnecessary POCs
• Becoming the preferred vendor over competition

The advantage goes to those of you who adopt early – get your copy here!

Custom Seminars, Webinars, and Workshops

At your next SKO, QBR, or upcoming gathering, contemplate including a Great Demo! or Doing Discovery Seminar or Webinar to stimulate thinking and begin the process of change. To really master the skills, schedule a Great Demo! Workshop to train the team.?Seminars, Webinars and Workshops can be face-to-face or delivered virtually.?Topics include:

• The Use of AI in Great Demo! & Doing Discovery
• Overcoming Objections – Why Many Objections Shouldn’t Need to Be Overcome
• Seven Levels of Discovery Skills – Discovery as a Methodology
• Great Demo! Fundamentals
• Hybrid Demo Meetings – Opportunities and Realities of Mixed Face-to-Face and Virtual Demos
• Managing POCs and Evaluations (for Fun and Profit)
• Storytelling and Demos
• Vision Generation Demos – the Crisp Cure for Stunningly Awful Harbor Tours
• Demos for Expansion and Renewals Scenarios
• The Perfect Demo Environment
• The Perfect Presales/Sales Partnership
• Great Demo! Approaches for Enabling the Channel
• Driving Interactivity in Virtual Demos
• And More…

Contact us to discuss organizing a custom session for your team!?

Copyright ? 2023 The Second Derivative – All Rights Reserved.

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To learn the methods introduced above, consider enrolling in a Great Demo! Doing Discovery or Demonstration Skills Workshop. 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 and join the Great Demo! LinkedIn Group to share your experiences and learn from others.