The Presentation – Product Demo
The single greatest close is a fantastic, enthusiastic presentation. It is within the presentation that you can make or break a product’s reception. Your company is BANKING on you to wow the dealers with their product–as a professional, that is exactly what you should do.
Knowledge Is The Key
No amount of showmanship can cover up for not knowing the product. Part of what a rep gets paid for, amortized over the product launch is to LEARN THE PRODUCT. A field rep is required to spend as much time as necessary to learn the prescribed script, read the literature, and then master each product they rep. If it is a technical program, and you can’t learn it all during the training, then learn what is required and at least know the number to call for help. Who knows, you may be called on, at a moment’s notice, to demo at Comdex or Softeach–if you know your product.
Persuasive Demos
Knowing the product is essential but you still need to “sell” what you know to your dealers. A professional rep understands that all persuasive presentations follow a specific format:
- Get the dealer’s attention
- Establish credibility
- Demonstrate a need
- Show how the product fills that need
- Detail how it is the BEST product to fill the need
- Overcome all objections to the product
- Help the dealer visualize the benefits the product will bring
- Actuate the dealer to order the evaluation & stock the product
The TempRep Video
The TempReps Video is an excellent example of a persuasive format (TempReps is a division of Technology Advancement Corporation (now MarketStar) that trains resellers on new products):
I. Attention
- An animated character enters, introduces TempReps, and skips off the screen
II. Need/Problem: “Can’t get resellers attention”
- Dealer mailings are unseen
- Ad campaigns are expensive
- Distributors only stock, they don’t sell
III. Solution
- Send in the TempReps
IV. Credibility
- TempReps has worked with over 150 major manufactures
- Lotus, HP, Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Adobe, and others
V. The BEST Solution
- The one-on-one approach is the Best Method
- You must see the dealers
- Dealers respond to reps coming in
- TempReps is Cost Effective & Efficient
- Less expensive than full-time reps
- See more dealers quicker
- Can do roadshows
- The Best Representatives
- Honorable, hard workers
- Good track record
- Screened and tested
VI. Visualization / Expectations
- Helped Digital Research become #3 industry-wide
- Dealers sell what they know
- TempReps get “results”
VII. Action/Conclusion
- Benefit summary
- An appeal for vendors to call TempReps
- Invitation to rise with us
Because most product launches are fast-paced, the Channel Rep needs to know how to intuitively fashion his own demo by using this persuasive format. Some of the software scripts you get from marketing follow the basic guidelines–most do not. Regardless, you need to be aware of and follow the persuasive format to create maximum interest in your products. If you can master these principles, the close “happens” as a natural part of your demo.
At the beginning of each new product launch, it is recommended that you take five minutes with each product and plug it into the seven-step persuasive formula. With this small amount of preparation, you will find an organization to your demo that adds pep and power. You will find that you don’t have to spend much time on the close because the product was “bought” during the presentation.
Exercise
Make a brief script outlining one of your current products–apply the eight steps to a persuasive demo:
- Attention
- Credibility
- Need/Problem
- Solution
- Best Solution
- Overcome objections
- Visualize benefits
- Actuate the dealer
Presentation Review Questions
- What is the single greatest close?
- Some field reps may try to slide by, learning as little as is necessary to rep a product. Is this a good idea? Why ?
- How does this affect the company as a whole?
- Review and then list the seven steps of a persuasive demo–from memory.
- When should you devise a persuasive demo for each product on your current launch?
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