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How Are Demo and Discovery Tips Like a Pile of LEGO Bricks?
We see posts like these all the time: “The 8 Discovery Questions My Best AEs Use” “My Favorite Demo Tip” “5 Discovery Must-Haves!” “Demo ...
An Amusing Example of Skills vs Methodology
Brushing your teeth! Skills include: Opening the tube of toothpaste Putting toothpaste on the brush Brushing Rinsing the brush Pretty simple! But what happens ...
The Power of Analogies and Metaphors in Demos and Discovery – Part 8: A Metaphorical, Analogous Summary
The strength of memories is like a spider web: the more attachments and connections, the stronger the web. A fact is like a single ...
The Power of Analogies and Metaphors in Demos and Discovery – Part 7: What NOT to Do!
Beware the Morass of Mixed Metaphors This post is designed to be both informative and fun! Metaphors and analogies are terrific but can be ...
The Power of Analogies and Metaphors in Demos and Discovery – Part 6: Storytelling!
Ah, stories! The most effective communications leverage the power of stories. Archimedes noted: “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which ...
The Power of Analogies and Metaphors in Demos and Discovery – Part 5: Creating!
Manufacturing Metaphors and Accumulating Analogies Some people can generate effective analogies and metaphors as needed, on the fly. Other folks may want to have ...
The Power of Analogies and Metaphors in Demos and Discovery – Part 4: Understanding!
Why use analogies and metaphors? Understanding! Have you ever found yourself struggling to explain what a new technology enables to non-technical people (including some ...
The Power of Analogies and Metaphors in Demos and Discovery – Part 3: Examples!
Here are some examples I’ve heard in demos and discovery conversations, with the fact presented first, followed by the analogy or metaphor. First specimen: ...
The Power of Analogies and Metaphors in Demos and Discovery – Part 2: Retention!
Why Use Analogies and Metaphors? Retention! Facts are boring, whether new or old, and they aren’t memorable on their own. Here’s an example: Crows ...
The Power of Analogies and Metaphors in Demos and Discovery – Part 1
“The world is full of hopeful analogies and handsome, dubious eggs, called possibilities.” – Mary Ann Evans (pen name George Eliot) “The difference between ...
More Simple Demo Guidance!
The more options you present, the more confusion you produce!
Simple Demo Guidance
Never Take Your Prospect on a Trip You Wouldn’t Take Yourself!
“5.0 out of 5 stars excellent storytelling!”
Thank you, Jennyn Anderson, for your nice Amazon review! “As a professional in the Scientific Software industry, I very much enjoyed reading this great ...
What Are Key Events in Buying Processes?
They can make all the difference! We were selling automated workflows into pharma and materials science research organizations that included hardware, software, intellectual ...
Do You Remember?
It is certain that memory contains a surprisingly significant number of false positives and false negatives!
Get Ahead of Your Competition?
A head start can make all the difference! Many vendors schedule SKOs for January, February, or March and include skills training sessions as part ...
How Long Does It Take to Describe What Your Product Does?
Way too long, generally! Customer-facing folks need to learn how to describe their offering(s) in one crisp sentence! When I ask, “What does your ...
Leverage! Advantages of the Incumbent Vendor – Part 9
The incumbent vendor enjoys huge advantages that should be leveraged when exploring renewals, expansion, upselling, and in defense against competitors. Remind your customer of ...
Users’ Groups Are Competitive Weapons! Advantages of the Incumbent Vendor – Part 8
Users’ Groups are like biological organisms: They want to grow and succeed. Each new customer who joins an active users’ community makes that community ...
Send AI Summaries to Your Prospects?
How many of you send the AI summaries of your discovery or demo calls to your prospects? Thoughts on this?
The Value of Relationships and Social Capital: Advantages of the Incumbent Vendor – Part 7
Social capital is another area of advantage for the incumbent vendor. As the entrenched vendor, you have undoubtedly established and grown relationships with important ...
Implementation and ROI Failures – Dealing with “Burn Victims”: The Advantages of the Incumbent Vendor – Part 6
There is great risk in change, often accompanied by fear and loathing. And for good reason! Have you ever seen a software implementation effort ...
Why Risk Trying Another Vendor?The Advantages of the Incumbent Vendor – Part 5
There is risk associated with anything new. As consumers, we tend to repeat purchasing from vendors who deliver sufficiently on their goods, expected capabilities, ...
Change? No Thank You…! The Advantages of the Incumbent Vendor – Part 3
Fundamentally, most people don’t want to change. Let me say that again: Generally speaking, people don’t want to change. Even if they don’t like ...
The Advantages of the Incumbent Vendor – Part 3: Leveraging the Investment!
Once your solution is in production use, the appetite for your customer to repeat their selection and implementation experiences (see Parts 1 and 2) ...
The Advantages of the Incumbent Vendor – Part 2: Solution Implementation – More Costs, Time and Energy Investment
The previous post explored selection, now let’s look at implementation! Solution Onboarding: It is likely that you and your customer invested significantly in the ...
The Advantages of the Incumbent Vendor – Part 1: Vendor Selection – Sunk Costs, Time, and Energy Investment
Leveraging Its Impact on Managing Competition, Renewals and Expansion Sales “Get their data, and their hearts and minds will follow” – Michael Cusumano, ...