Demo To The Client's Interest

Closing new business, getting a new prospect to invest in Dynamics GP and your services involves a number of factors, the most important of which is proving that the product can and will resolve business issues important to the prospect. This is best accomplished through a demonstration, demonstrations that frequently fail to impress.

Prospects have specific issues in mind when viewing a demo. Frequently these include simple processes that the software will perform. However, all too often I have watched as the presenter bored the prospect with hours worth of less than interesting details on the abilities of the software.

I watched a rep make what might have been the best presentation ever last week. I had given the rep an overview of the customer, including some personal background as well as the top three business issue the prospect firm faced. After some preparation and a bit of discussion over who when to what school when, the demonstration began.

The presenter opened with the second and third most important issues. He showed how the software addressed these issues immediately. He then expanded the demonstration to show related functions that strengthened the value of the product to the customer. Never were basic navigational processes or software setups discussed.

As the demo progressed, I waited and waited for the presenter to cover the prospect's number one issue. I am sure that the missing feature was on the mind of the prospect as I had received the list of issues directly from the prospect. I had emphasized to the prospect that the software could address the problems. Still, no mention of the critcal issue.

The presentation was slated to take an hour. At the 55 minute point, the presenter turned the discussion to a different feature. In one brief moment, supported by all of the other information shown, he demonstrated how the proposed software solved the number one issue in just a few quick keystrokes. He made it look so easy to use that the first questions asked by the team of viewers, who at that very moment KNEW their problems would be solved, were "when can it be installed?"

I thought my demos were good. I too typically ignore lots of background on software installation and setup and dive directly into the prospect's needs. But this new twist, holding the key issue until last and making its resolution look so easy, is a winner.

If you have been showing the sizzle of the software, menu setups, screen layouts, printing flexibility, et cetera like many of us do, quit putting your prospects to sleep. Prospects expect today's top software products to perform these functions. Begin showing how the software solves the customer's problems. Then schedule your installations.

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