A picture is worth a thousand words is a phrase everybody has no doubt heard all their lives. Today I want to add to that phrase that a demonstration is worth a thousand (or possibly thousands of) dollars.
Your offering may contain many differences and advantages, but if you don’t demonstrate them to your prospects, how will they ever know and remember how superior it is? Additionally, it might not have occurred to you, but insightful demonstrations will also reduce the frequency of hearing, your price is too high! Here are three examples you have no doubt seen in the past.
The photo above is a SodaStream 3D demonstration depicting the volume of wasted plastic and can material that can be saved by a typical family over a 5-year period by using their device instead of purchasing beverages in bottles and cans. This one sits permanently at the Tel Aviv airport, graphically strengthening the product’s value proposition without making a sound.
Dawn dishwashing liquid ran ads that demonstrate how the product was used to clean ducks with oil embedded in their feathers after the 2010 Gulf Coast Oil Spill. It’s brilliant because this demo powerfully illustrated how effective Dawn is at removing grease, while at the same time showing how gentle it is at protecting these delicate creatures.
Febreze embarked on an ingenious challenge campaign during the 2012 London Olympics by sponsoring the Azerbaijani Olympic Wrestling Team in the smelliest sport possible. They sprayed sweaty jock straps and wrestling boots of team athletes with Febreze, and then dangled them in front of the noses of random blindfolded Londoners while asking them to guess the smell. Videotaped guesses included “strawberry milkshake,” “passion fruit,” “citrus,” and “floral bouquet.” The demonstrations were highly memorable and convincing that the product was extremely effective.
The good news is, since many of your competitors are too lazy to stage demos, by providing them you will stand alone as the rep who illustrates what your product or service really can do.
Here are some tips to help effectively demonstrate your product or service:
- Choose aspects of your product to demo that are relevant to your buyer’s needs.
- Decide in advance what you will say about the item your demo, and then discuss it from the buyer’s perspective, needs and wants.
- Choose demonstrations that will produce a WOW and involve the largest number of the buyer’s senses.
- Plan ahead to ensure you have everything needed and double-check that all the components work properly.
- Make sure your demonstrations are completed in as much of a controlled environment as possible, so as not to leave anything to chance.
- If possible, involve the prospect in the demo. If they try it, they’ll buy it!
- Hold a demo dress rehearsal, including any planned comments that will make it more effective.
About five years ago my wife and I were watching TV when a commercial began for a brand-name water filtering system where not one word was spoken. In pantomime fashion, a guy poured like amounts of red wine into two containers of water and then ran them through competing filter systems.
What blew us away was how only the featured filtration system produced completely clear water. That really brought on a WOW since red wine is pretty hard to hide. It was obvious to us from this simple silent demo that the 5-stage filter system did the job, so that item immediately went on our Christmas list!
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a demonstration really is worth thousand(s) of dollars.
—————Read Joe K’s Comment—————
“I was in an audience where Doug was speaking about ways for salespeople to improve their communication skills and he was spot on. He was interesting, witty, to the point, and made some suggestions that I will definitely share with my employees.” Joe K. – Huntington, W.V. Preview Doug’s DIY sales training.
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