Remote web demos are great.
You don’t need to travel or tote around heavy equipment. You can work from your office with all the resources and support you need at your fingertips. Some lucky people can even do them from the comfort of their own home.
With all this Internet demo goodness, what are some of the shortcomings of remote demonstrations and what can we do about them?
Remote demos have a hazy kind of feel to them
You show the money shot–the software dashboard! Lots of great information, great organization… Audience Response: silence and a blinking cursor. You can’t tell if they’re watching your demo or checking their twitter account.
Worse yet, what if your internet connection cuts out and they lose the visual.
Remote demos stifle your ability to see, hear and “read” your audience. Anyone who has done face-to-face demos knows that being able to see, hear and relate to your audience is a big advantage. So what can you do to make up for the lack of feedback in an internet based demo?
Coming back to your senses
Here are several things that I have suggested to students in our Demonstration Training Classes:
Fly-on-the-wall – Have your sales person on-site with your prospect during your demo. They can act as your eyes and ears, providing valuable feedback to keep you on track. You still save 50% on travel and reap the benefits of being in your office.
Ask Questions – Open the phone line or use the built-in chat function in your web conferencing software to ask them if this screen is relevant to the way they do things. (With hope, you will already know this from your pre-demo discovery questions.)
Watch your own demo – A second system logged in to watch your demo is an excellent way to be sure that your audience sees what you want them to see. Be sure to watch with the sound off to avoid feedback issues. Some companies use a partner to watch the demo, allowing you to focus on the demo itself.
If you’re interested in learning more about improving your web demos, please check out our Software Demo Skills Training page.