Thursday, April 30, 2009

Dead End Sentences for demo

Yesterday in the evening I watched with my daughter Melisande a TV program dedicated on education best behavior practices and even though demoing is not like teaching there is a lot to learn from the educational side. In this TV program, a leadership and dynamic teacher listed many exemples of dead-end sentences that a teacher should never pronounce in his classroom and in front of his pupils:
  • "There is too much noise in this classroom" ( rather inpersonal, no one seems concerned personally)
  • "Where have you been educated ? " ( do not even indirectly critizise the way they are educated, they will try to protect and defend their parent... you are dead)
  • Anyway I will be paid at the end of the month ( most teachers do not think really that, they say it when they are exhausted and exasperated)
  • ...

All this sentences do not help the teaching purpose and on the contrary contribute to "add oil on the fire" (don't worry it is a french expression)
When it comes to the demo topics, it occurs to me that there is also a "not to pronounce list sentences" in this area :

  • "I am giving you a little demo on..." ( It is never a little demo)
  • "Of course this reference is not like you "( explain rather why this reference is like them)
  • Let me show you something I love in my software ( let me show you something that fit perfectly to your business requirements)
  • "Using our software, you will have to change your process, it's change management" ( never say that, don't talk about change management at the sale level if it is not asked )
  • "That's a feature our competitor do not have" ( you are wrong because it is not about feature and it is not about competition)
  • "Sorry about this bug, it was working perfectly well yesterday" ( don't worry about the bug, tell what the software usually does and move forward)
  • "And now the tool allow you .... " ( not bad but it is a solution not a tool)
  • "Take care on this because it is a little bit complicated" ( ban complicated of your vocabulary during demo)
  • What could I say more about this screen ? ( do not describe the software fields and features)
  • "I have brought you a glossary in order to help you to match your business vocabulary with our software jargon" ( may be a good idea from teaching point of view but a false one when it comes to demo because we are here to convince our prospect that we speak the same language )
  • ...

And from your point of view do you know any other bad testaments ? could you complete this not to pronounce list ? Thanks for your help

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