For many, this means supporting sales people on individual deals—such as doing presentations and demos or authoring RFPs. How often does a custom demo outperform a standard one? Could demos be put online in a video format? Should we set up a demo center? MORE
Product Demos: Selling Value in Spite of Product Deficiencies. The B2B Product Manager Magazine April 2017 is now available. In this issue we cover everything from selling value in spite of your product’s deficiencies to what makes a rock star product manager to the criticality of the functional designer role. Plus tips for hiring the right product manager and getting unbiased customer feedback. View the April 2017 Issue. In This Issue: Blog: High-Octane Product Management. MORE
In this issue we cover everything from obsessing over customer success to demo techniques to improving your website lead generation and conversion. We also throw in a few tips for improving feature adoption, product demos, product planning and win-loss analysis. Web Demos: Engaging An Audience You Can’t See. Product Demo Techniques: Telling Versus Selling. The B2B Product Manager Magazine March 2017 is now available. MORE
More than one sprint review meeting I’ve attended was quickly over: A development team member demoed the functionality to confused looking stakeholders with the product owner in the background. The team demoes the product increment to you. Involve the Right People. MORE
Product demo objections are a staple of the sales process in the B2B software business. Successful demos require that you master the art of making certain product deficiencies seem trivial in the grand scheme of the overall solution. The Playbook: The single biggest factor to overcoming product demo objections is to understand very early in the sales cycle the strategic goals of the executive buyers. MORE
The Body Part: Product Demos. In many companies, product demos are a second string job for anyone with product expertise. The injury: poor problem discovery and poor preparation make for “show up and throw up” feature demos that bore prospects to tears and delay buying decisions. There’s a good reason why athletes in contact sports wear protective pads. MORE
Every facet of UX testing was explained to me in detail, with practical examples and demos delivered along with a reading list of all the key UX texts. In my first few weeks of working for a UX testing company I was put under a rigorous training programme. MORE
For example, I often tell a story about helping a sales engineering team with their demo. They asked me to help them with their agile demo because I am an agile expert. As I worked with them, I realized the problem wasn’t their agile demo, it was how they were demoing. MORE
Imagine, we excitedly said to ourselves, not just searching for help content, but booking demos, offering newsletter subscriptions and offers – all things you can do without needing to start a conversation. Yesterday marked one of our biggest releases yet – our all new messenger. MORE
Every deal the company won had one thing in common: the buyer participated in a non-customized demo in the company briefing center. The solution was to standardize the selling process around a standard demo. Have it always ready for a standard demo.” MORE
We also look at the benefit of using customer value themes to drive your sales demos and how they can improve win rates. Using Product Demo Themes to Improve Your Sales Win Rate. The post Product Success Metrics, Demo Value Themes & The Definition of Successful Product Management appeared first on Product Management University. The B2B Product Manager Magazine January 2018 is now available. MORE
The team finished the story, demonstrated it and asked if they could watch the PO demo the story to just one of their customers. He demoed the feature to this specific customer. I was on vacation last week, thinking about value. MORE
In some cases, it’s clear that the person doing the demo hasn’t prepared and is just following a canned script. In others, you can tell that they put a lot of time into tailoring the demo specifically for the client, but even then, the demo can often miss the target. MORE
Then the sales person can talk about how we address those challenges, and schedule a demo to show how we address them. Would you like my team to show you how we address resource management in a demo next week?” MORE
Note that this approach still assumes that you can collect the relevant feedback in the sprint review meeting, for instance, by carrying out a product demo, usability test, or solution interview. Option 1: In the Sprint Review Meeting. MORE
In this issue we cover everything from obsessing over customer success to demo techniques to improving your website lead generation and conversion. We also throw in a few tips for improving feature adoption, product demos, product planning and win-loss analysis. Web Demos: Engaging An Audience You Can’t See. Product Demo Techniques: Telling Versus Selling. The March 2017 Issue of The B2B Product Manager Magazine is now available. MORE
A Sales Demo Challenge. Even though we had a lot of customers successfully using it for agile projects, the sales engineers felt severely challenged because we didn’t have the features to show in the sales demo. The first one is about “how to demo.” MORE
And I wanted them to see the presentation and demo done correctly at least once. When it comes to product, get one of the sales engineers to deliver the presentation and demo. Or, Be careful what you teach your sales teams. MORE
Once you know the “real” reason, make it the strategic theme of your pitch such that every demo scenario is related to the overall value theme. During the demo, there is no reason to refer to each product separately unless asked. The fewer the number of people delivering the demo, the easier and more integrated the solution will be perceived. Base the Demo on Job Tasks Instead of Features or Problems. MORE
We did a “lunch-and-learn” where we fed the team pizza and spaghetti, while one of our product managers did a demo of the product and talked about how it was complimentary to the products they were already selling into their accounts. MORE
The sales engineers brought me in to help them articulate the product story better, especially for the demo. The sales process and demo were about us and our product, not about the prospect and their pains. Successful customers, quality product, but bad sales. MORE
Product demo themes can improve your sales win rate. Here are three guidelines for creating and using demo themes to improve your sales win rate. Your demo themes will be more effective and more credible if they connect tactical departmental/user issues (addressed by your product) to big-picture strategic issues that are top-of-mind with executive decision-makers. The demo theme is the line that connects the dots. The key? MORE
11%: Trial users who watched our demos were 11% more likely to retain past the two week trial period ( Intercom, 2017 ). Improve your video marketing: How we scaled product demos at Intercom. MORE
When it comes to product demo techniques, there are two styles: telling and selling. The “telling” demo (stop me when you see a feature you like) won’t energize your buyers or set you apart from the competition. The “selling” demo energizes your buyers with a vision because it’s more about their business than it is your products. The “Telling” Demo. It’s more or less a rewind and replay for each demo. MORE
You can now order a user test of your website or mobile app prototype with a click of a button—test anything from an early prototype or wireframe to a fully functional demo. MORE
The product managers certainly need to be there to make sure nobody makes any claims that must be supported elsewhere—such as the demo or on the ever-changing product roadmap; you need to make sure nobody is making any promises the products can’t keep. “A Day at Corporate” Analyzing the win and loss patterns at one company revealed that many deals were being lost during the software demo. 13:00 product demo by the corporate demo team. MORE
The #1 challenge with conducting web demos is the ability to read and engage an audience you can’t see. Is the demo going well? The key to reading a prospect you can’t see is to engage them in a discussion during the demo. Ideally, you should have some idea of what your prospects are trying to accomplish and why it’s important prior to each demo so you are prepared with a few discussion points. MORE
For example, I often tell a story about helping a sales engineering team with their demo. They asked me to help them with their agile demo because I am an agile expert. As I worked with them, I realized the problem wasn’t their agile demo, it was how they were demoing. MORE
That’s why many product managers get involved with roadmap discussions, technical demos, and answering RFP/RFIs. Product Demo Center. If your enterprise clients require a product demo, then treat it like a marketing program. Set up one or more demo centers with all the necessary equipment ready to go. Put some time into developing the most common scenarios and make it a great demo. Sales teams often need access to deep product knowledge. MORE
In addition, we ask for an email address to access our online demo. This demo login alone brings us 15 to 20 new contacts every week. Here are the response rates for the people who gave their email address to access our demo. MORE
Likewise, showing the prospect a demo of your product that shows how it addresses their specific needs is great for reducing perceived risk. Asking good questions during discovery (see the previous article ) and doing a good prospect-focused demo will help reduce objections. MORE
And with so many new innovations coming to the fore each month, Boston Innovators Group , Mass Innovation Nights , Boston New Technology meetup , and other groups offer monthly or quarterly innovation demo gatherings. Contributed by Steve Robins. MORE
We also examine product usability and its impact on revenue, plus sales demo tips. The post How Buyers Sell Themselves, Product Usability & Revenue, and Two Types of Demos appeared first on Proficientz - Advanced Product Management Training & Certification for B2B. The B2B Product Manager Magazine October 2017 is now available. In this issue we discuss the value of listening as one of the most overlooked sales skills, and the value of business conversations. MORE
Give customers the white glove treatment with live demos. “A demo allows the customer to see and feel how things will be better if they buy (and worse if they don’t).” Back when I started at Intercom, we made a point of inviting every single person who gave us their email address to a weekly live product demo(usually attended by anywhere from one to 50 potential new customers). MORE
When working with development, we have a set of requirements, we collaborate on the design of the solution, and then we accept completion of the features based on seeing them in a demo. MORE
Product Demos: Selling Value in Spite of Product Deficiencies. The B2B Product Manager Magazine April 2017 is now available. In this issue we cover everything from selling value in spite of your product’s deficiencies to what makes a rock star product manager to the criticality of the functional designer role. Plus tips for hiring the right product manager and getting unbiased customer feedback. View the April 2017 Issue. In This Issue: Blog: High-Octane Product Management. MORE
The post Customer Value, Underperforming Products, Product Demo Objections and More appeared first on Proficientz - Product Management Training for B2B. The B2B Product Manager Magazine May 2017 is now available. In this issue we examine the impact of a customer value culture, why products underperform and three steps to connect corporate strategy to product, marketing and sales execution plans. MORE
38:40 The value of weekly demos across self-organizing teams. A few months ago, I sat down with Hope Gurion, Chief Product Officer at CareerBuilder , to talk about her team, how they work, and how she stays current in the fast-moving world of product management. MORE
In a perfect world, you’ll always understand big picture business objectives before a product demo and you’ll invest your time on prospects that give you the best chance making the sale. If you need to make the shift from selling tactical products to strategic business solutions, contact Proficientz to discuss how our Product Demo Training Courses can help you shorten sales cycles, improve win rates and expand the deal size. MORE
We also examine product usability and its impact on revenue, plus sales demo tips. MORE
A Sales Demo Challenge. Even though we had a lot of customers successfully using it for agile projects, the sales engineers felt severely challenged because we didn’t have the features to show in the sales demo. The first one is about “how to demo.” MORE
A Sales Demo Challenge. Even though we had a lot of customers successfully using it for agile projects, the sales engineers felt severely challenged because we didn’t have the features to show in the sales demo. The first one is about “how to demo.” MORE
Once you know the “real” reason, make it the strategic theme of your pitch such that every demo scenario is related to the overall value theme. During the demo, there is no reason to refer to each product separately unless asked. The fewer the number of people delivering the demo, the easier and more integrated the solution will be perceived. Base the Demo on Job Tasks Instead of Features or Problems. MORE
Demo Related Topics PM Hardcore
AUGUST 18, 2017
A Sales Demo Challenge. Even though we had a lot of customers successfully using it for agile projects, the sales engineers felt severely challenged because we didn’t have the features to show in the sales demo. The first one is about “how to demo.”
PM Hardcore
AUGUST 18, 2017
A Sales Demo Challenge. Even though we had a lot of customers successfully using it for agile projects, the sales engineers felt severely challenged because we didn’t have the features to show in the sales demo. The first one is about “how to demo.”
PM Hardcore
AUGUST 18, 2017
A Sales Demo Challenge. Even though we had a lot of customers successfully using it for agile projects, the sales engineers felt severely challenged because we didn’t have the features to show in the sales demo. The first one is about “how to demo.”
Proficientz – Product Management University
MAY 24, 2017
Product demo objections are a staple of the sales process in the B2B software business. Successful demos require that you master the art of making certain product deficiencies seem trivial in the grand scheme of the overall solution. The Playbook: The single biggest factor to overcoming product demo objections is to understand very early in the sales cycle the strategic goals of the executive buyers.
Proficientz – Product Management University
NOVEMBER 2, 2017
We also examine product usability and its impact on revenue, plus sales demo tips. The post How Buyers Sell Themselves, Product Usability & Revenue, and Two Types of Demos appeared first on Proficientz - Advanced Product Management Training & Certification for B2B. The B2B Product Manager Magazine October 2017 is now available. In this issue we discuss the value of listening as one of the most overlooked sales skills, and the value of business conversations.
Proficientz – Product Management University
JANUARY 30, 2018
We also look at the benefit of using customer value themes to drive your sales demos and how they can improve win rates. Using Product Demo Themes to Improve Your Sales Win Rate. The post Product Success Metrics, Demo Value Themes & The Definition of Successful Product Management appeared first on Product Management University. The B2B Product Manager Magazine January 2018 is now available.
Proficientz – Product Management University
FEBRUARY 27, 2017
The #1 challenge with conducting web demos is the ability to read and engage an audience you can’t see. Is the demo going well? The key to reading a prospect you can’t see is to engage them in a discussion during the demo. Ideally, you should have some idea of what your prospects are trying to accomplish and why it’s important prior to each demo so you are prepared with a few discussion points.
Under10 Playbook
NOVEMBER 2, 2016
And I wanted them to see the presentation and demo done correctly at least once. When it comes to product, get one of the sales engineers to deliver the presentation and demo. Or, Be careful what you teach your sales teams.
Proficientz – Product Management University
MAY 24, 2017
The post Customer Value, Underperforming Products, Product Demo Objections and More appeared first on Proficientz - Product Management Training for B2B. The B2B Product Manager Magazine May 2017 is now available. In this issue we examine the impact of a customer value culture, why products underperform and three steps to connect corporate strategy to product, marketing and sales execution plans.
Proficientz – Product Management University
MARCH 10, 2017
In a perfect world, you’ll always understand big picture business objectives before a product demo and you’ll invest your time on prospects that give you the best chance making the sale. If you need to make the shift from selling tactical products to strategic business solutions, contact Proficientz to discuss how our Product Demo Training Courses can help you shorten sales cycles, improve win rates and expand the deal size.
Proficientz – Product Management University
NOVEMBER 2, 2017
We also examine product usability and its impact on revenue, plus sales demo tips.
Proficientz – Product Management University
MARCH 9, 2017
In this issue we cover everything from obsessing over customer success to demo techniques to improving your website lead generation and conversion. We also throw in a few tips for improving feature adoption, product demos, product planning and win-loss analysis. Web Demos: Engaging An Audience You Can’t See. Product Demo Techniques: Telling Versus Selling. The B2B Product Manager Magazine March 2017 is now available.
Proficientz – Product Management University
MARCH 9, 2017
In this issue we cover everything from obsessing over customer success to demo techniques to improving your website lead generation and conversion. We also throw in a few tips for improving feature adoption, product demos, product planning and win-loss analysis. Web Demos: Engaging An Audience You Can’t See. Product Demo Techniques: Telling Versus Selling. The March 2017 Issue of The B2B Product Manager Magazine is now available.
Inside Intercom
MARCH 2, 2018
Give customers the white glove treatment with live demos. “A demo allows the customer to see and feel how things will be better if they buy (and worse if they don’t).” Back when I started at Intercom, we made a point of inviting every single person who gave us their email address to a weekly live product demo(usually attended by anywhere from one to 50 potential new customers).
Product Beautiful
JUNE 8, 2014
We did a “lunch-and-learn” where we fed the team pizza and spaghetti, while one of our product managers did a demo of the product and talked about how it was complimentary to the products they were already selling into their accounts.
Under10 Playbook
NOVEMBER 2, 2016
Every deal the company won had one thing in common: the buyer participated in a non-customized demo in the company briefing center. The solution was to standardize the selling process around a standard demo. Have it always ready for a standard demo.”
PM Hardcore
FEBRUARY 20, 2018
Then the sales person can talk about how we address those challenges, and schedule a demo to show how we address them. Would you like my team to show you how we address resource management in a demo next week?”
Under10 Playbook
NOVEMBER 2, 2016
The product managers certainly need to be there to make sure nobody makes any claims that must be supported elsewhere—such as the demo or on the ever-changing product roadmap; you need to make sure nobody is making any promises the products can’t keep. “A Day at Corporate” Analyzing the win and loss patterns at one company revealed that many deals were being lost during the software demo. 13:00 product demo by the corporate demo team.
PM Hardcore
MARCH 28, 2018
For example, I often tell a story about helping a sales engineering team with their demo. They asked me to help them with their agile demo because I am an agile expert. As I worked with them, I realized the problem wasn’t their agile demo, it was how they were demoing.
PM Hardcore
MARCH 28, 2018
For example, I often tell a story about helping a sales engineering team with their demo. They asked me to help them with their agile demo because I am an agile expert. As I worked with them, I realized the problem wasn’t their agile demo, it was how they were demoing.
Proficientz – Product Management University
OCTOBER 24, 2017
Once you know the “real” reason, make it the strategic theme of your pitch such that every demo scenario is related to the overall value theme. During the demo, there is no reason to refer to each product separately unless asked. The fewer the number of people delivering the demo, the easier and more integrated the solution will be perceived. Base the Demo on Job Tasks Instead of Features or Problems.
Proficientz – Product Management University
OCTOBER 24, 2017
Once you know the “real” reason, make it the strategic theme of your pitch such that every demo scenario is related to the overall value theme. During the demo, there is no reason to refer to each product separately unless asked. The fewer the number of people delivering the demo, the easier and more integrated the solution will be perceived. Base the Demo on Job Tasks Instead of Features or Problems.
Roman Pichler
NOVEMBER 15, 2017
More than one sprint review meeting I’ve attended was quickly over: A development team member demoed the functionality to confused looking stakeholders with the product owner in the background. The team demoes the product increment to you. Involve the Right People.
Under10 Playbook
NOVEMBER 10, 2016
For many, this means supporting sales people on individual deals—such as doing presentations and demos or authoring RFPs. How often does a custom demo outperform a standard one? Could demos be put online in a video format? Should we set up a demo center?
UserTesting
DECEMBER 16, 2015
You can now order a user test of your website or mobile app prototype with a click of a button—test anything from an early prototype or wireframe to a fully functional demo.
Product Talk
JANUARY 27, 2016
38:40 The value of weekly demos across self-organizing teams. A few months ago, I sat down with Hope Gurion, Chief Product Officer at CareerBuilder , to talk about her team, how they work, and how she stays current in the fast-moving world of product management.
Mind the Product
SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
In addition, we ask for an email address to access our online demo. This demo login alone brings us 15 to 20 new contacts every week. Here are the response rates for the people who gave their email address to access our demo.
Roman Pichler
JANUARY 25, 2017
Note that this approach still assumes that you can collect the relevant feedback in the sprint review meeting, for instance, by carrying out a product demo, usability test, or solution interview. Option 1: In the Sprint Review Meeting.
bpma ProductHub
DECEMBER 12, 2016
And with so many new innovations coming to the fore each month, Boston Innovators Group , Mass Innovation Nights , Boston New Technology meetup , and other groups offer monthly or quarterly innovation demo gatherings. Contributed by Steve Robins.
PM Hardcore
JANUARY 15, 2018
The sales engineers brought me in to help them articulate the product story better, especially for the demo. The sales process and demo were about us and our product, not about the prospect and their pains. Successful customers, quality product, but bad sales.
Inside Intercom
MAY 14, 2018
11%: Trial users who watched our demos were 11% more likely to retain past the two week trial period ( Intercom, 2017 ). Improve your video marketing: How we scaled product demos at Intercom.
Under10 Playbook
NOVEMBER 2, 2016
When working with development, we have a set of requirements, we collaborate on the design of the solution, and then we accept completion of the features based on seeing them in a demo.
Inside Intercom
APRIL 25, 2018
Imagine, we excitedly said to ourselves, not just searching for help content, but booking demos, offering newsletter subscriptions and offers – all things you can do without needing to start a conversation. Yesterday marked one of our biggest releases yet – our all new messenger.
Proficientz – Product Management University
APRIL 18, 2017
Product Demos: Selling Value in Spite of Product Deficiencies. The B2B Product Manager Magazine April 2017 is now available. In this issue we cover everything from selling value in spite of your product’s deficiencies to what makes a rock star product manager to the criticality of the functional designer role. Plus tips for hiring the right product manager and getting unbiased customer feedback. View the April 2017 Issue. In This Issue: Blog: High-Octane Product Management.
Proficientz – Product Management University
APRIL 18, 2017
Product Demos: Selling Value in Spite of Product Deficiencies. The B2B Product Manager Magazine April 2017 is now available. In this issue we cover everything from selling value in spite of your product’s deficiencies to what makes a rock star product manager to the criticality of the functional designer role. Plus tips for hiring the right product manager and getting unbiased customer feedback. View the April 2017 Issue. In This Issue: Blog: High-Octane Product Management.
Johanna Rothman
FEBRUARY 14, 2018
The team finished the story, demonstrated it and asked if they could watch the PO demo the story to just one of their customers. He demoed the feature to this specific customer. I was on vacation last week, thinking about value.
PM Hardcore
MARCH 9, 2018
Likewise, showing the prospect a demo of your product that shows how it addresses their specific needs is great for reducing perceived risk. Asking good questions during discovery (see the previous article ) and doing a good prospect-focused demo will help reduce objections.
Under10 Playbook
NOVEMBER 2, 2016
That’s why many product managers get involved with roadmap discussions, technical demos, and answering RFP/RFIs. Product Demo Center. If your enterprise clients require a product demo, then treat it like a marketing program. Set up one or more demo centers with all the necessary equipment ready to go. Put some time into developing the most common scenarios and make it a great demo. Sales teams often need access to deep product knowledge.
Proficientz – Product Management University
MARCH 14, 2017
The Body Part: Product Demos. In many companies, product demos are a second string job for anyone with product expertise. The injury: poor problem discovery and poor preparation make for “show up and throw up” feature demos that bore prospects to tears and delay buying decisions. There’s a good reason why athletes in contact sports wear protective pads.
Userzoom
MARCH 28, 2018
Every facet of UX testing was explained to me in detail, with practical examples and demos delivered along with a reading list of all the key UX texts. In my first few weeks of working for a UX testing company I was put under a rigorous training programme.
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