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| Recovering from a BOMBED demo | Views: 1430 |
| Mar 10, 2005 5:40 pm | | Recovering from a BOMBED demo | # |
James F. | | I work for an enterprise software company. We've been engaged in a long sales cycle with the typical milestones (requirement gathering/shaping, RFP, response, etc.) We had a major demo for a large group of decision makers. It's was the first and only demo some important folks will see. Bottom line is we bombed our demo. We didn't show our strengths, didn't engage the crowd, pretty much stunk up the place.
How do we recover? It's unlikely that we'll get such a large and important audience together again. We are planning on offering smaller, more targeted demos in the hope that we can address some of the concerns in a focused fashion, but what else can we do? How do we spin this? How do we recover? Granted, the entire deal doesn't hinge on one demo, but it was an important event and we flopped. Private Reply to James F. |
| Mar 14, 2005 6:59 am | | re: Recovering from a BOMBED demo | # |
Suresh Menon | | Dear James
Try this old saying: ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. I dont know what your product is, but try cutting the entire product into modules and try to market them. Then show up a customer list and have things back on rails. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an overnight solution to a bombed demo. I really understand how you must be feeling.
Suresh MenonPrivate Reply to Suresh Menon |
| Mar 14, 2005 9:07 am | | re: Recovering from a BOMBED demo | # |
Ash Nallawalla | | I was with a company where the sales guy missed a vital instruction from the inside champion that his company had a religious obsession with limiting all company meetings to 60 minutes. He forgot to tell the product manager who had flown across the Pacific to deliver the presentation, and wasted much of the first hour with a sales pitch before the Product Manager got his turn to do a demo. Therefore, the latter was shocked when his audience looked at their watches and began to leave before the demo had finished.
The sales guy lost his job soon after and although we did not win the account, the recovery attempt was based on asking the internal champion to reassemble a smaller presentation for the demo, with no sales pitch. We never managed to get the senior audience again.
In hindsight, logic suggests that if the target company really needed the solution, then their champion would have done the sales job for us before the big demo. But being a million $ product that could potentially save them some millions, he wasn't convinced enough to pre-sell it.
So find the internal champion and work on him/her.
Private Reply to Ash Nallawalla |
| Mar 14, 2005 12:27 pm | | re: Recovering from a BOMBED demo | # |
Douglas Karr | | If you feel the demo bombed from the view of the attendees, you may want to contact each of the folks individually. I would call each and every one, ensure I speak to them in person, thank them for taking their time out, and then try to open a conversation with them regarding the demo.
I believe that it is in these moments that a company has an opportunity to show its worth. Think about your own experiences with companies. Rarely do we remember the successes - more often we remember the 'bombs' and what that company did about them. If you can recover from a bombed demo, most likely you will recover from a bombed implementation or bombed version release.
I would rather work with imperfect companies that admit their mistakes and work hard to satisfy their clients than work with a perfect company.
Mostly because I've don't believe in the perfect company!
DougPrivate Reply to Douglas Karr |
| Mar 14, 2005 1:06 pm | | re: Recovering from a BOMBED demo | # |
paul ghezzi | | had a similar experience a number of years ago with respect to a planning process we were pitching to a large corporation.
within your question lies the answer....some ideas
take apart your presentation and view it from the perspective of what worked (for your audience) and what did not...
take a fresh look at the audience you presented to - is this the market you are after? and if so how do you present in a manner that is relevant to the core needs of your audience and not you?
every chaotic situation brings about the seeds of an equivalent benefit - the key is discovering that benefit and puttin into action
p.s. the initial presentation I bombed never did work out with that corporation but a few months ago we were engaged by them for something completely different than what we had presented.
Private Reply to paul ghezzi |
| Mar 14, 2005 9:03 pm | | re: Recovering from a BOMBED demo | # |
Teddy Towncrier | | James.
I can't add too much to the preceding comments except ....
YOU DIDN'T FLOP !! but rather had not yet discovered a way to rivet their attention and excite them enough for them to say "Let's GO"!
On the plus side; By posting here, you have now opened your door to some great brains who I'm sure, will be delighted to share their expertise and possibly some collaborations.
Best to all.
Teddy. ~~><###@>
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Private Reply to Teddy Towncrier |
| Mar 14, 2005 11:03 pm | | re: Recovering from a BOMBED demo | # |
Brian Ward | | Rarely do you bomb as bad as you think as we are always more critical of ourselves than those who might purchase an item from us. When in the past I felt like I "Bombed" a presentation I usually give it a few days then make a return call and ask for an additional appointment for another demonstration. I have always been up front in telling my client that I didn't give the presentation that I felt like they deserved and I believe it would be in everyones best interest to go over the product one more time since so much has been invested by everyone up to this point. You will be suprised how many times you will get that "Second Chance"! Corporate America is ruthless when it comes to money but very very gracious when it comes to second chances. "I KNOW" :)
BrianPrivate Reply to Brian Ward |
| Mar 15, 2005 4:44 am | | re: Recovering from a BOMBED demo | # |
punya pally | | Hi James,
Accepted the Demo bombed, but that's not end.See it as a new opportunity for learning. Iam sure by now you might have a fairer picture of why it went wrong. Define the objective of the entire exercise and chalk out a game plan and also a an appraisal mechanism to gauge your progress. Either have a personal dialogue with each of the decision maker(if possible) or mail a presentation to them nad keep them abreast of the progress at regular intervals. If feasible invite their suggestions to improvise your game plan , so that they can feel a part of the whole exercise.
All the best.
PunyaPrivate Reply to punya pally |
| Mar 17, 2005 5:44 pm | | re: Recovering from a BOMBED demo | # |
Where The MIND is Without FEAR | | practise makes a man perfect, is the answer for any bombed demo, any external presentation/demo should be only after the
exercise is carried out thoroughly inhouse.....else the loss is enormous.....but then a bombed demo is a great experience to have........you get wisdom faster....all the bestPrivate Reply to Where The MIND is Without FEAR |
| May 09, 2005 11:04 pm | | re: Recovering from a BOMBED demo | # |
Dan B | | If you worked for me, I'd tell you to forget it and go find another opportunity. DON'T CARRY THE BAGGAGE OF TRYING TO BRING A LOST THING BACK TO LIFE. If the girl breaks up with you, let it go -- you're probably not going to get her back by begging. With that said in the future just remember: No demo at all is better than a stinker. If you have any doubt going in -- reschedule it. Private Reply to Dan B |
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