{"id":26212,"date":"2021-05-14T07:21:17","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T14:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/?p=26212"},"modified":"2026-09-15T19:38:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T19:38:57","slug":"discovery-and-demos-for-transactional-sales-cycles-when-more-must-be-less-and-less-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/discovery-and-demos-for-transactional-sales-cycles-when-more-must-be-less-and-less-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Discovery and Demos for Transactional Sales Cycles &#8211; When More Must Be Less (And Less More)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Is it possible to complete an introduction, engage with a Vision Generation Demo, segue into a Discovery conversation, deliver a brief Technical Proof Demo, and execute a soft close in a 45- or 60-minute call?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Yes!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Let\u2019s explore the strategy and mechanics to accomplish this\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>But First \u2013 Some Perspective<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Many software vendors have partitioned their sales and presales teams into tiers to address different prospect organizations, typically by prospect size and revenues:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Enterprise \u2013 largest prospects; largest revenue opportunities<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mid-market \u2013 mid-size prospects; mid-sized orders<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">SMB \u2013 smallest prospects; smallest deals<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Enterprise prospects generally enjoy working with the most seasoned sales and presales teams; Mid-market prospects are aligned with sales and presales folks with somewhat less experience; and the SMB prospects are often the training ground for the vendor\u2019s newest hires into sales and presales.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And while Enterprise and Mid-market segments experience full sales cycles (and buying processes), SMB prospects are often relegated to \u201ctransactional\u201d sales processes, based on economics:\u00a0 the smaller revenues of SMB orders can\u2019t justify the time and expense of full sales cycles and veteran vendor teams.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">But here is the first potential disconnect:\u00a0 what is small to the vendor may be large to the prospect.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Visualize the owner of a small business \u2013 responsible for the livelihoods of 50 employees, struggling to generate $6 million in annual revenues to keep the business growing.\u00a0 Profits may be a few $10,000s, after salaries, benefits, and operating expenses.\u00a0 Investing in a new \u201ccore\u201d software system may represent a big chunk of these funds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Accordingly, an order of $20-25K for the vendor is a drop in the overall revenues bucket \u2013 but to the prospect that same amount constitutes <em>the<\/em> major investment of the year (or next several years)!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Similarly, the SMB owners need to get it right the first time \u2013 a failed implementation would be disastrous, and a sub-optimal system could hamstring growth.\u00a0 It\u2019s an important decision!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And here\u2019s another disconnect\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Contemplate our SMB owner \u2013 operating the business for 20+ years and 40, 50 or 60 years old \u2013 interacting with the vendor\u2019s SMB rep, which one owner described as \u201ca kid, fresh out of college, with no experience in the industry, trying to sell me his software in a 30-minute Zoom call\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">From the owner\u2019s perspective, there\u2019s no credibility, no trust, no expectation of long-term relationship \u2013 these are serious challenges for both parties.\u00a0 Not a good starting point!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Inbound vs. Outbound?\u00a0 Request for Demo?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As a prospect, I\u2019m not a fan of receiving outbound calls from vendors \u2013 I don\u2019t like the interruptions or the attempted \u201cgimmicks\u201d to engage.\u00a0 For this article, let\u2019s assume that all leads are inbound <em>or<\/em> that the vendor rep has already established comparable interest if the call was outbound.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Let\u2019s also assume that our prospect has engaged by requesting a demo from the vendor.\u00a0 Accordingly, there is an expectation in the prospect\u2019s mind that the vendor should be prepared to present a demo, which puts our vendor in the classic (sad) situation of the seller not knowing enough about the prospect and vice versa\u2026!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The following process is a proven cure for this ailment and the disconnects identified above\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The Full Flow<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Here\u2019s the outline of the major steps in our 45- to 60-minute call:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Intro \u2013 About the Prospect<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Menu and Vision Generation Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Discovery Conversation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Discovery Summary \u2013 Go\/No Go<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Technical Proof Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Q&amp;A \u2013 Value and Pricing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Soft Close<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Let\u2019s examine each step in turn\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Intro \u2013 About the Prospect<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Once the objectives for the call have been established, one terrific starting point is to ask about the prospect\u2019s personal background or history.\u00a0 For example, \u201cTell me about your background \u2013 how did you arrive at this position of power and authority at xxx?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">People are often most comfortable talking about themselves \u2013 it is a question that is easy to ask and easy to answer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">What you learn in the \u201cAbout the Prospect\u201d description can be extremely helpful, providing background on your prospect\u2019s experience and insights into their personality.\u00a0 It also begins to establish rapport and a \u201ccall and response\u201d dialogue for the conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This initial interchange takes just a few minutes and queues both parties for the next steps in the call.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Important Notes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Executives may prefer you to get to the point of your call more rapidly. You can give them a choice, accordingly, \u201cShould we discuss your situation directly or start with your background and how you arrived in your current role?\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The \u201cAbout the Prospect\u201d approach works very well in the Americas and most of Europe; in Asia-Pacific the process varies in accord with local culture, but the general approach is still applicable.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">With the Intro complete, where are we in our Flow?<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Intro \u2013 About the Prospect<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Menu and Vision Generation Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Discovery Conversation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Discovery Summary \u2013 Go\/No Go<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Technical Proof Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Q&amp;A \u2013 Value and Pricing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Soft Close<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The Menu Approach<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Out next step is to deliver on the prospect\u2019s request to see a demo \u2013 but of what?\u00a0 This is what typically results in \u201c<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/stunningly-awful-web-overview-demos-the-gruesome-anatomy-of-a-traditional-1-hour-web-overview-demonstration-and-some-solutions\/\">overview<\/a>\u201d demos, that consume far too much time and often miss the mark.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Instead we use <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/the-menu-approach-a-truly-terrific-demo-self-rescue-technique\/\">The Menu Approach<\/a> to very rapidly identify the prospect\u2019s desired <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/why-did-they-buy-fabulous-fuel-for-sales-presales-and-customer-success\/\">use case<\/a>.\u00a0 This process is exactly analogous to the waiter-customer interaction in a nice restaurant \u2013 the menu enables the customer to see what is possible and then to select the item of highest interest.\u00a0 In our case, each Menu item is the top level of a high-probability use case that can be described in a few words.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We present our Menu and our prospect chooses an item \u2013 enabling both parties to focus on what\u2019s most important.\u00a0 This process only takes a minute or two \u2013 that\u2019s it.\u00a0 Very simple, very elegant!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Note:\u00a0 For organizations with a single main use case, you can jump directly to a Vision Generation Demo.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Vision Generation Demo<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Our objectives at this point are to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Satisfy our prospect\u2019s desire to \u201csee a demo\u201d and<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">To move the prospect (gently, yet firmly) into a Discovery conversation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/vision-generation-demos\/\">Vision Generation Demos<\/a> accomplish both objectives very effectively.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We present the use case selected above and invite our prospect to comment on how their situation compares.\u00a0 In this template-based approach the prospect reveals much of the key Discovery information needed for qualification of \u201cactive buying process\u201d vs. \u201cjust browsing\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In return, we share one or a few key screens or deliverables from our software, satisfying our prospect\u2019s desire to get a sense of what\u2019s possible.\u00a0 If these screens resonate, we make a mutual decision to continue our Discovery conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Presenting use cases in Vision Generation Demos also establishes us as knowledgeable, with respect to the prospect\u2019s industry, while generating \u201chope and curiosity\u201d in our prospect.\u00a0 Hope, since other similar customers have been able to solve their business challenges (using our capabilities) and curiosity as to how this could be accomplished for themselves.\u00a0 This drives the conversation forward\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The typical time for the Vision Generation Demo and template-based initial Discovery is 6-10 minutes \u2013 we are about 15 minutes into our call overall:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Intro \u2013 About the Prospect<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Menu and Vision Generation Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Discovery Conversation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Discovery Summary \u2013 Go\/No Go<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Technical Proof Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Q&amp;A \u2013 Value and Pricing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Soft Close<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Discovery Conversation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Our next segment is crucial:\u00a0 we need to complete <em>just enough<\/em> Discovery to satisfy two objectives:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Collect sufficient information so that we can confidently and clearly propose a precise solution;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Collect sufficient information so that our <em>prospect <\/em>believes that the we have a sufficient understanding of their situation to be <em>able<\/em> to propose a precise solution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Accordingly, here is an outline of question topics that represents Discovery sufficient for both parties (note that this is a <em>subset<\/em> of the full Great Demo! Discovery outline):<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Demographics Questions<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Team \u2013 how many people, backgrounds, skills levels, and related<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Workflows\/processes \u2013 description of the major steps, throughput numbers, and related<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Environment<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Technical\/Infrastructural \u2013 systems\/software that impacts, enables or limits implementation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Major Pain<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Do well \u2013 what is going well?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Do better \u2013 what needs to change or be improved?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Quantify \u2013 what is the tangible value of making the change (using the prospect\u2019s numbers)?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Vision Reengineering \u2013 what is the prospect\u2019s vision of a solution; can it be changed or expanded?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Extended Environment<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Impact \u2013 who and what else is impacted?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Culture<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Uniqueness \u2013 how does the prospect perceive their uniqueness?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Wrap-up<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Getting worse, Do nothing \u2013 is the prospect\u2019s situation stable or getting worse? What happens if the prospect chooses to do nothing?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Timing and VREs (VRE = Value Realization Event) \u2013 Is there a date by when the prospect needs a solution in place and how will the prospect begin to define successful outcomes?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Drivers (CBIs = Critical Business Issues) \u2013 what overarching goal or objective is at risk?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A few comments on this part of the Flow:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Note that we start with Demographics and Environment questions \u2013 questions that are easy to ask and easy to answer. This makes the conversation comfortable for both parties.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Major Pain is explored in the middle of the discussion, after you have been able to earn a measure of trust and credibility with your prospect. This enables your prospect to share pain honestly and completely.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Use <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/expansion-questions-an-essential-discovery-skill\/\">Expansion Questions<\/a> to reveal deeper aspects of the Major Pain and impact on both the immediate and broader organization, to capture value components, and to reengineer vision.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Vision reengineering, through <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/discovery-questioning-skills-doctors-vs-lawyers\/\">Biased Questions<\/a>, provides opportunities to outflank competition and build a more compelling vision of a solution.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Importantly, the output of the Major Pain discussion will provide you with the list of Specific Capabilities you\u2019ll need to present (or be ready to present) in your Technical Proof Demo.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Questions about the Extended Environment often help prospects realize that their problems impact much more than one specific workflow \u2013 and how these problems ripple upstream and downstream throughout the business (along with additional value elements).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Every prospect company believes they are unique (even when we know that they aren\u2019t!) \u2013 questions about culture and uniqueness go a long way to satisfy our second Discovery objective.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cWhat happens if you do nothing?\u201d The answer to this question will tell you if this opportunity is a candidate for the dreaded No Decision outcome.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Similarly, questions about timing and urgency will help you decide whether to pursue the opportunity further or terminate the call with a mutual action plan to \u201cnurture\u201d the prospect.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Discussing VREs (Value Realization Events) demonstrates that you are truly interested in your prospect\u2019s <em>success<\/em> (as opposed to simply getting the sale). VREs are small but significant early \u201cwins\u201d for the prospect that yield small components of the overall desired ROI.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Quid pro quo comments from you, such \u201cYou are not alone\u2026,\u201d help spur the conversation along.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Finally, why do we save questions about the overarching goals or objectives \u2013 the drivers \u2013 to the end of the conversation? Because that is when most prospects are willing to reveal them!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">One further note:\u00a0 Avoid the traditional trap of \u201cDiscovery-on-the-Fly\u201d.\u00a0 Many of the most successful practitioners of our methodology use static screen shots (full screen captures) for their Vision Generation Demos to resist the urge to exit Discovery and dive into deeper demos too early.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">15 minutes is about right for this conversation for many situations \u2013 you should experiment to find the best length for your prospects and offerings.\u00a0 We are now about 30 minutes into our call overall\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">What\u2019s next in our Flow?<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Intro \u2013 About the Prospect<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Menu and Vision Generation Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Discovery Conversation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Discovery Summary \u2013 Go\/No Go<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Technical Proof Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Q&amp;A \u2013 Value and Pricing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Soft Close<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Discovery Summary<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This is really, really, really (really!) important\u2026!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\u2019s time to take a breath and reflect your key learnings back to your prospect.\u00a0 Use Situation Slide format, verbally, to accomplish this:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Critical Business Issue: This person\u2019s top-level challenge \u2013 often best expressed as a quarterly, annual or project-based goal or objective that is at risk<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Problems\/Reasons: What makes it a problem today \u2013 what is making it hard to achieve the goal or objective \u2013 how are they doing things today<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Specific Capabilities: What capabilities the customer needs to solve his\/her problem, from the prospect\u2019s perspective<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Delta: The value associated with making the change (prospect\u2019s numbers)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Critical Date \/ VREs: A date by when the prospect needs to have a solution in place (and why) \/ Value Realization Events \u2013 first small successes using the solution<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A crisp review of the prospect\u2019s situation, following this format, confirms your understanding and enables your prospect to correct or tune any of the information.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Go\/No Go Decision<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Now is the time for you to decide, mutually with your prospect, if this is an active opportunity or if it should be passed to marketing to \u201cnurture\u201d.\u00a0 A simple \u201cIf-Checklist\u201d will provide you with guidance:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">IF:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Critical Business Issue is known and real, then proceed\u2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Problems\/Reasons can be addressed by your solution, then proceed\u2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Specific Capabilities are provided in your solution, then proceed\u2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Delta is sufficiently large to provide an acceptable ROI, then proceed\u2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Critical Date is real and achievable, then proceed\u2026<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If any of the answers above are \u201cNo\u201d, then this opportunity is likely a candidate for nurturing and you should close the call with that as the mutual action plan.\u00a0 If all of the answers are \u201cYes\u201d, then proceed\u2026!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">What\u2019s next?<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Intro \u2013 About the Prospect<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Menu and Vision Generation Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Discovery Conversation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Discovery Summary \u2013 Go\/No Go<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Technical Proof Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Q&amp;A \u2013 Value and Pricing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Soft Close<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Technical Proof Demo<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In the Discovery Summary, your verbal review of the Specific Capabilities defines the scope of your Technical Proof Demo.\u00a0 These are the Specific Capabilities your prospect needs to solve their problems \u2013 nothing else needs to be shown in the demo\u2026!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When possible, we (rather strongly) recommend applying Great Demo! principles to your Technical Proof Demo:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Your Objective: Prove out the Specific Capabilities to your prospect\u2019s satisfaction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Do the Last Thing First: Start by showing the deliverables desired by your prospect.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Do It: Execute all pathways with the fewest number of clicks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/why-like-a-news-article\/\">Peel Back the Layers<\/a>: Only go as deep as required to prove each capability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Summarize: And confirm that you have shown\/proven each Specific Capability sufficiently.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The length of your Technical Proof Demo will likely be about 10 to 15 minutes \u2013 but this can vary greatly depending on the nature of your offering, the list of Specific Capabilities, and the job title of your prospect.\u00a0 Note:\u00a0 \u201cThe higher you go, the less you need to show\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You are now about 45 minutes into your call \u2013 time for your next segment\u2026 Where are we in our Flow?<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Intro \u2013 About the Prospect<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Menu and Vision Generation Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Discovery Conversation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Discovery Summary \u2013 Go\/No Go<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Technical Proof Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Q&amp;A \u2013 Value and Pricing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Soft Close<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Q&amp;A \u2013 Value and Pricing<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Address any remaining questions, if any, and move into a brief discussion of <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/transition-vision\/\">implementation<\/a> \u2013 a rough timeline from now through \u201cGo Live\u201d and beyond to when your prospect enjoys their first VREs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Next, review and summarize the tangible business value you uncovered in Discovery.\u00a0 You may need to do some quick calculations to make the numbers reflect annual gains, reductions and savings.\u00a0 These numbers should be significantly larger than the cost of your software (or you\u2019ll have no deal)!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Now you can present the pricing for your offering.\u00a0 Value first, then price\u2026!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This discussion likely consumed about 5 minutes \u2013 it\u2019s time to try your Soft Close\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Intro \u2013 About the Prospect<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Menu and Vision Generation Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Discovery Conversation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Discovery Summary \u2013 Go\/No Go<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Technical Proof Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">[Done] Q&amp;A \u2013 Value and Pricing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Soft Close<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Soft Close<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A Soft Close is a gentle method of asking for the order.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You begin with a brief summary of the full call, then ask if your prospect has any further questions \u2013 \u201cHave I addressed everything so far?\u00a0 Are you comfortable with what we\u2019ve covered today?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If your prospect responds in the affirmative, then reply with, \u201cThen why don\u2019t we get started right away?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This is your Soft Close and there are good probabilities that the answer could be \u201cYes\u201d.\u00a0 Before moving to your mutual action plan, congratulate your new customer on their (clearly excellent) decision \u2013 remember, it\u2019s all about <em>them\u2026!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Next, discuss your mutual action plan (execute any necessary documentation, introduce your new customer to your implementation and customer success team, etc.).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Total time for this call?\u00a0 About 55 minutes and you accomplished the full Flow:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Intro \u2013 About the Prospect<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Menu and Vision Generation Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Discovery Conversation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Discovery Summary \u2013 Go\/No Go<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Technical Proof Demo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Q&amp;A \u2013 Value and Pricing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Soft Close<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Congratulations \u2013 you are one step closer to making your quarterly numbers \u2013 and your customer is one step closer to implementing a solution to their challenges!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Now take a few minutes before your next call to document your Discovery notes and Situation Slide information.\u00a0 Additionally, the best practitioners review the call (mentally or using a tool like Gong or Chorus) to assess what they did well and what could have been done better or differently.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>A Great Starting Point<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Gaining the necessary knowledge and skills to execute this Flow isn\u2019t particularly challenging \u2013 but enablement must take place to address the potential age\/experience disconnect identified earlier.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Accordingly, you must be sufficiently trained and capable in the following areas:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Situational Fluency \u2013 equipped to understand typical prospect Critical Business Issues, Problems\/Reasons, Specific Capabilities desired or needed, system\/environment requirements, business value, Critical Dates, and Value Realization Events.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/four-opportunities-to-harvest-the-value-of-informal-success-stories\/\">Use Cases<\/a> \u2013 able to articulate a range of high-probability use cases.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/the-menu-approach-a-truly-terrific-demo-self-rescue-technique\/\">Menus<\/a> and <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/vision-generation-demos\/\">Vision Generation Demos<\/a> \u2013 prepared to present these use cases in Vision Generation Demos.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Discovery \u2013 equipped to guide conversations to explore prospects\u2019 situations to the prospects\u2019 satisfaction, while qualifying opportunities as \u201cactive buying process\u201d vs. \u201cnurture\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Technical Proof Demos \u2013 able to drive the software sufficiently to address at least 80% of prospects\u2019 Specific Capabilities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/greatdemo.com\/lets-talk-about-value\/\">Value<\/a> and Pricing \u2013 ready to communicate a compelling value equation in relation to pricing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Soft Close \u2013 asking for the order (gently, but firmly\u2026!).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>But Wait\u2026<\/strong>\u00a0 <strong>There\u2019s more!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Applying this Flow can reduce the number of vendor players required <em>and <\/em>the number of vendor\/prospect meetings needed to close transactional business opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Consider:\u00a0 what might have required three vendor individuals and three separate calls (SDR\/BDR, Salesperson, Presales person) could be accomplished by a single person in one call.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">So:\u00a0 Is it possible to complete an introduction, engage with a Vision Generation Demo, segue into a Discovery conversation, deliver a brief Technical Proof Demo, and execute a soft close in a 45- or 60-minute call?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Yes, indeed!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Copyright \u00a9 2021 The Second Derivative \u2013 All Rights Reserved.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is it possible to complete an introduction, engage with a Vision Generation Demo, segue into a Discovery conversation, deliver a brief Technical Proof Demo, and execute a soft close in a 45- or 60-minute call?<\/p>\n<p>Yes!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"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":"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 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