Product demonstration skills

Our presentation courses are planned to significantly improve presentation skills to allow delegates of all levels to be able to make powerful presentations.  The presentation seminars that we provide are packed full of presentation tips and techniques that demonstrate strategies which will show delegates how to reduce nerves in presentations and to allow them to present confidently when presenting to clients or colleagues. Our presentation skills workshops are designed not just to show delegates how to make a simple presentation: they are designed to show delegates how to create a successful presentation also maximising the applications of PowerPoint to make great presentationsPresentation training will allow delegates to build on their presenting skills; make better presentations; enjoy making presentations and teach delegates how to present successfully.  Delegates who have taken our Presentation Courses have expressed how much they enjoyed the variety in our presentation skills training and now feel confident to present in any situation.

Product demonstrations enable the audience to not only see and hear how well the product produces gains, but also to experience it in realistic conditions. The value of a well presented and relevant demonstration cannot be underestimated. The key points below will help you to manage and communicate your product or software effectively.

1. Keep it relevant – the audience want to know how the software will make their lives easier (and their organisations more profitable), they really don’t want to spend time looking at arcane capabilities that have nothing to do with their day to day jobs or don’t relate to them. The length of demonstration depends on the product. But remember audiences tend to lose interest after about 8-10 minutes if it is not relevant to them. Try to limit your major points to no more than two or three key points. Make sure they are benefits, not features e.g. increases productivity because ………., it reduces operating costs by ……….. etc.

2. Differentiate – one of the key purposes of the software demonstration should be to explain “why should you choose us?” Most demonstrations are used to explain why the software is just the same as everyone else’s. If the average person can’t readily see that your product is better, rewrite the script to make it so. Focus on solution; if the prospect isn’t readily seeing the solution, something is wrong with the script, the demonstrator or the product.

3. Interact – the most effective demonstrators build a dialogue with their audience. They get people involved and talking, and when they are involved they are actively listening, and when they are actively listening they are open to the key messages you are looking to convey.

4. Go as slow as the audience needs –some of the best software demonstrations recognise that audiences need time to take in and reflect on the information being delivered. Presentations that outpace their audience’s ability to keep up can lose their attention and ultimately, the sale.

5. Cut the ‘about us’ presentation right down –your credentials should be a two to five minute exercise, not an hour. This is the opportunity for vendors to succinctly set out why they are different, but lots of presenters go on far longer in this area and end up boring the audience.

6. Keep to the time allowed – there will be a finite duration for the demonstration, be sure you know what this is and stick to it. Unfortunately, some presenters, once in full flow, fail to register that their audience has mentally ‘left the room’.

7. Check it all works – every demonstrator will suffer some sort of technical breakdown that badly disrupts the flow of the presentation in their careers. These things happen, but better preparation reduces these incidents considerably, and if it does happen the impact is considerably mitigated if the presenter keeps the audience updated as to what’s happening rather than staring manically at the lap-top screen muttering over and over ‘but it was working earlier, but it was working earlier’.

8. Don’t answer a question with a demonstration – if someone asks ‘does your software do X?’ the reflex response is to show them just how well it does X – which generally dissuades other people from asking any other questions for fear of landing up with an equally long-winded response. The better answer is ‘yes, would you like me to show you?’

9. Have knowledge or bring it with you – too many demonstrations founder on the rocks of “I’ll have to get back you on that one”. You may get away with it once or twice, but after that your credibility is reduced. If the presenter is weak on in-depth knowledge, or the audience is likely to be demanding, it’s wise to bring back up information. If you do however, make a promise to come back to people, keep that promise.

Excellent presentation skills give you a platform to demonstrate your sales skills, leadership qualities, communication skills, influencing abilities and promotion potential. Our objective over the two days is to teach you the skills and techniques that will give you both the confidence and competence to enjoy making presentations in all situations. We will be giving action points to sharpen your image; reduce nerves; allow you to appear both confident and competent and increase your credibility in the eyes of colleagues and clients.

PowerPoint presentation skills, Advanced Presentation skills and Presentation skills are three of the courses trained by Total Success Training, a training consultancy specialising in communication training and management skills in London and throughout the UK. Other related courses include sales presentation skills, training the trainer, assertiveness skills, selling skills, negotiation skills and communication skills for managers. Click here if you need more information regarding presentation skills course information or contact Total Success who will be delighted to talk to you via e-mail.