Nine ways to improve CRM software demonstrations…

July 8, 2008 Richard Boardman

I may well have covered this topic before, but as someone asked me my thoughts on this topic this week, and as I’ve been both sides of the table more times that I’d care to think about, I thought I’d draft a ‘x ways to improve CRM software demonstrations’ post, so here goes:

1. Go SLOW – there’s a strange effect where some of the best CRM software demonstrations I’ve seen are by people new to the organisation because their still getting to grips with the software and as such they move about the application slowly. Invariably you see the same person in action 12 months later, and their presentation is nowhere near as effective for the simple reason that they have reached a point of proficiency with the software such that they now outpace their audience’s ability to keep up. I’ve rarely seen a demonstration done too slowly, but I figure 80% plus are presented too fast.

2.Keep it relevent – the audience want to know how the software will make their lives easier, they really don’t want to spend time looking at arcane capabilities that have nothing to do with their day to day jobs, yet time and time again I see vendors showcasing ‘really cool’ features that are irrelevant to the people they are presenting to.

3. Cut the ‘about us’ presentation right down – yes we need to know who you are and your credentials, but this should be a two to five minute exercise not an hour. Most of these presentations blend into each other with different vendors spending a lot of time saying exactly the same thing. This is the opportunity for vendors to crisply set out why they are different, but 95% of vendors go on way, and I mean waaaaaay too long in this area.

4. Keep to the time-lines – there will either be an explicit or implicit duration for the demonstration, be sure you know what it is and stick to it. Again some vendors, once in full flow, fail to register their audience has either mentally or physically left the building.

5. Interact – the most effective demonstrators foster a dialogue with their audience. They get people involved and talking, and when they are involved they are actively listening, and when they are actively listening they are open to the key messages you are looking to convey (assuming you have key messages of course – see point nine)

6. Check it all works – for every four presentations I see I’d estimate at least one suffers some sort of technical breakdown that badly disrupts the flow of the presentation. Yes, these things happen, but I suspect better preparation would reduce the incidence considerably, and if it does happen the impact is considerably mitigated if the presenter keeps the audience in the loop as to what’s happening rather than staring manically at the lap-top screen muttering over and over ‘but it was working earlier, but it was working earlier’.

7. Don’t answer a question with a demonstration – if someone asks ‘does your software do X?’ the reflex response is to show them just how well it does X – which generally dissuades other people from asking any other questions for fear of landing up with an equally long-winded response. The better answer is ‘yes, would you like me to show you ?’

8. Differentiate – the purpose of the CRM software demonstration should be to explain ‘why you’. Most get used to explain why the software is just the same as everyone else’s.

9. Have knowledge or bring it with you – too many demonstrations founder on the rocks of ‘I’ll have to get back you on that one’. You may get away with it once or twice, but after that your credibility is shot. If the presenter is weak on in depth knowledge, or the audience is likely to be demanding, it’s wise to bring back up. If you do however make a promise to come back to people, keep it.