Think about the last presentation or demo that you did. What value did you add, what problems did you help your customer solve?

Prospects demand value. They can learn all about your products on the web; your value-add is what makes them want you.

Fail to provide value and you’ll most likely lose to the sales team that does.

Let’s take a look at 5 ways to add value in your next presentation or demo:

Share knowledge

Prospects get tons of information from your web site, but you can still add value by sharing your:

Company/Product Knowledge

• Understanding and explaining complex license policies
• Helping with complex configurations
• Helping them select the best solution for their needs
• Acting as an ombudsman and advocate for them with your factory

Industry/Market Knowledge

• Alerting prospects to industry best practices that they are not aware of
• Sharing success stories from your exposure to others in their industry
• Sharing trends that your are seeing that may affect their business

Technical Knowledge

• Tips about implementing a new technology
• Examples of how to increase efficiency through new products
• Things to avoid when adopting new technologies
• Ways to use related technologies as part of a complete solution
  

Do industry research

Once you understand your prospect’s issues, think about ways to help them.

Learn all you can about related products and services. Aspire to be the go-to industry resource that provides valuable insights and actionable ideas.

Improve your communication skills

Become proficient at explaining key industry concepts and technologies to all types of audiences. Make the complex accessible, and you’ll be the go-to resource when your prospect needs an industry update.

Reveal trends

How many software and product demos have you done–hundreds, more? This gives you a great window into the issues faced by your prospects. This experience is invaluable to your prospect. Keep in mind that customers are busy and only exposed to the issues unique to their microcosm. Take the time to share useful insights and trends that will help them do their jobs better.

Make introductions

Does one of you prospects need a CTO? Perhaps you know of someone who is a great fit. Why not do a little matchmaking?

Know of an adviser, consultant or perspective board member that could help you customer? Why not hook them up? In the end you will make an ally regardless of the outcome.

Have other ways to add value, let me know in the comments section.