“Demo Day” for Remote Demo Practice

Posted by Peter Cohan on April 27, 2010

0 comments | 1295 reads

In nearly every Great Demo! Workshop, participants ask for a session on best practices, tips and methods for delivering demos and presentations remotely, over the web, using tools such as GoToMeeting, WebEx, and Adobe Connect. While a few folks are skilled at using these tools, most of us simply start a remote session and present our demo and/or PowerPoint slides using very few of the available tools or techniques.

Given that people won’t try anything new in a live session with a real customer, here is a strategy to help yourself and your team become more effective at operating via the web: A Remote “Demo Day” session. Here’s the process I recommend:

1. Organize to have an internal expert present specific tips and operation of the web collaboration software you use, in a live, web delivery, so you can see the examples in action – and learn how they are done in your specific environment.

2. Next, have the team pair-up to explore and practice using the software’s specific tools and capabilities in one-on-one sessions. A 30 minute session is typically sufficient for each person to try out and practice using the tools (screen size/resolution, annotation tools, selective sharing, giving/taking control, whiteboard, private chat, etc.).

3. Finally, organize a 1 or 2-hour Remote Demo Day session where each team member presents a 6-8 minute demo or presentation to the balance of the group to practice and take feedback. Participants should be encouraged to use a range of tools in their demo/presentation.

4. These sessions can be done non-consecutively, but I would recommend completing them within a single week. At the end of this process, everyone should be comfortable and ready to use the tools in live remote meetings with prospects and customers.

Republished with author's permission from original post by Peter Cohan.

Peter Cohan

Peter Cohan is the founder and principal of The Second Derivative, focused on helping software organizations improve the success rates of their demos. In 2004, he enabled and began moderating DemoGurus®, a community web exchange on software demonstrations. He is the author of the book Great Demo! - how to prepare and deliver surprisingly compelling software demonstrations.

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