Simple Sales Process Metrics for Demos

Posted by Peter Cohan on October 10, 2011

0 comments | 585 reads

Here are a few sales process metrics to consider tracking that will enable managers and individuals to understand where there are problems or challenges (e.g., with the process overall and/or individual sales or presales staff). These same can be used to help drive implementation of Great Demo! methods after initial training has been completed:

For each sales opportunity:

- Was the opportunity the result of receiving an RFP? (If “Yes”, then treat these separately – see below.)

- Was Discovery done?
• Was a complete Situation Slide generated for each key player?
- Was a Great Demo! done?
• Or was the demo a “Harbor Tour”?
- What was the outcome (close, loss, no decision)? (A “no decision” could be defined, for example, as an opportunity that did not close in the forecasted quarter…)

Tracking these over each quarter will enable teams to determine, very rapidly:

1. The impact of completing Discovery (vs. not), with respect to closed business.

2. The impact of Great Demo! demonstrations vs. Harbor Tours on achieving closed business.
3. Who is or who is not doing Discovery.
4. Who is or who is not doing Great Demos! vs. Harbor Tours.

For opportunities from RFP’s:

1. Were we “Column A” (were we first or the favored vendor)?
2. Were we able to perform Discovery?
3. Were we able to change the order of a resulting Scripted Demo?
4. If “No” to 2 and/or 3, did we “Pull Back”?

Similarly, tracking these will enable teams to determine, very rapidly:

1. When to say “Yes” vs. “No” to RFP response requests.

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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