Thursday, April 5, 2012

"So Prove It" Part 2

Your prospect may be thinking it, or may be saying it, or may be pounding the table with his eyes popping out of his skull and the veins in his neck ready to burst.

At some point you must show proof. What is proof? Proof is defined as a demonstration which proves in the mind of the prospect the results you are claiming.

And that is the rub.  You may be in love with your demonstration, but your prospect may still remain unconvinced. Benjamin Franklin observed: A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.

I've seen it happen to others and it has happened to me.

Why do proofs fail? Here are a few common reasons:
  1. The prospect hasn't been prepared by you.  Which is to say the explanation leading up to the demonstration has failed to prepare the prospect for the punch line.
  2. The proving demonstration failed to operate correctly.  Very costly mistake due to lack of your preparation. Every demo needs a few dry runs and a dress rehearsal.  Make sure the operator is rested, relaxed, and ready to respond to questions.
  3. The demo doesn't fit the prospect's problem. Nothing worse than having the right answer to the wrong problem.  Manufactures who focus only on selling what is inventory frequently find they are demonstrating products for which a need existed three years ago, but the need was filled better by a newer product 6 months ago.
  4. The demonstration lacked zip, organization, and precision. I recall having the Hitachi general sales manager in Australia look at a machine I wanted them to sell.  Hitachi is crazy for "fit and finish." The machine we were demonstrating didn't fit together well, there  were welding splatters all over it, the paint job had several noticeable sags precisely at eye level.  [Remember a static machine is a demo of the manufacturers ability.]  Later we showed the sales people and the dealers that the machine worked very well. That evening on a river cruise and steak fry the general sales manager complained, for the 15th time, about our fit and finish. I'd had it with his pestering. But he was right; I had to admit it. Finally I blurted out the truth: "Well, it does look like hell, but it sure works like the devil."
A demonstration is like a great movie. It must start off with a bang, have a climax, and then finish off with a great ending.  If you have trade shows coming up, remember these points.

p.s. Just had a demo go bad and I wasn't allowed to be on hand for the demo....owner didn't want to spend the money for me to be there.  It was a $3.5 million deal.   Before the owner got it going and tested to make sure the bugs were out, they invited the customer to see it. The customer had to fly/drive about 800 miles to see it. Machinery only worked about 50%. So the customer got the privilege of seeing a busted demonstration.

Part 2:
Well the customer bought the order anyway and I was happy to get the commission. However the commission should have been larger but the customer beat the heck out of us on the price, all due to the busted demo. I had the unfortunate privilege of making the above mentioned 800 mile round trip with just the both of us in the car.  He's a Frenchmen so wasn't interested in hearing Rush Limbaugh, or Golden Oldies during the drive. He was hopeful going to the demo, and rather peevish the 400 miles back to the airport.


There are 4 key tasks which must be achieved to sell construction equipment, dental equipment, or even clothing.  Watch for the Big Four on my next post.

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