Playback - Winter 2008 - (Page 22) REPS IN THE FIELD 5 Tips for Conducting Better Demonstrations BY BEN WIERSUM Just about any rep can tell you that a well-run demonstration will greatly increase your chances of “sealing the deal” and making the sale. However, many things can go wrong and make your demo run amok. Below are some tips to help things go smoothly, and keep you and your products (and sales efforts) looking, sounding and performing their best. 1. Make sure you have absolutely everything you could possibly need for your demo. For technical demonstrations, bring plenty of adaptors and extra cables so that if something breaks, you have a spare you can easily swap in, thus keeping the demo running smoothly. There’s nothing worse than a short in a cable when you’re trying to show off that fancy new microphone. 2. Bring the optional accessories, and talk about them. If It’s one thing to talk about what you’re demonstrating, but if attendees have something to take away, they’ll be much happier. Furthermore, they’re significantly more likely to remember what you said—and the products you demonstrated. you’re demonstrating a set of powered loudspeakers and they have optional covers available, make sure you have some on hand so people can look at and touch them. Many people might not realize that they need something if they don’t know it exists. 3. Bring complimentary items. It’s one thing to talk about what you’re demonstrating, but if attendees have something to take away, they’ll be much happier. Furthermore, they’re significantly more likely to remember what you said—and the products you demonstrated. Bring product spec sheets, literature and any sort of promotional items that reinforce their new knowledge of the product—key chains, T-shirts, mugs, even little stickers for people to slap on an old road case. It’s great for people to have something tangible paired with the memories. 4. Make sure you—and anyone else conducting the demo— have a clear understanding of your role. If a customer asks a question and you don’t know the answer, have a way to signal this to one of your co-workers so he or she can seamlessly jump in and answer the question. This communicates a greater sense of knowledge and competence to the customer and also keeps staff members from stepping on each other’s toes as they all try to answer the same question at the same time. 5. Engage the “audience.” The people you are demonstrating the equipment to are just that—people, and by keeping them involved, they’ll remember more and be more interested in what you’re saying. Keeping attendees engaged can be anything from interactive question-and-answer sessions to letting them pick the music to be heard on a demonstration loudspeaker system. People like to participate, and making them feel like they’re an active part of the demonstration—not just passive listeners—can really make a big difference. Ben wiersum is a Technical Sales staff person with Spoiled By Technology. He’s worked in the audio recording industry for seven years. 22 PLAYback
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