Stand Up and Toast! Let Me Demonstrate

If you are an avid reader, you have likely pictured a character or a scene based on the textual description in a book. And you may have been dismayed when a movie is made of the book that does not match your imagination of the story or its characters.

The same is true when you need to explain a product that you are trying to market, sell or support. Whether it is an architectural drawing, a work of art, or software, giving your customers and prospects a demonstration will make it real for them. 

Let’s take software as an example, whether it is enterprise software, personal computing software, or a tablet and smartphone app. If you explain the features and functions, your audience will imagine the software – but just like books, imagination may or may not be in sync with the actual product. 

Enter the software demo.

There are multiple options for demonstrating software, including:

• Screenshots. While this is not a live demo, screenshots allow you to choose only those screens and features that are most important, and mark them up to highlight the key feature you want to discuss.
• Online (“live”) demo. This is the most “true” demonstration, and is appreciated by the audience as such. You also have the flexibility to adjust your demo, for example if someone asks what happens when you “click here.”
• Offline demo. You may use a video or use software that allows you to record an online demo that you can show later. The benefits are that you do not run the risk of a network going down; you have the flexibility to pause to answer questions; and you have the reliability that there will be no surprises.

There are some technical considerations, especially when demonstrating software:

• Practice with the projection equipment. There are some colors on slides and screenshots that look washed out when projected. Plus, some tablet apps work only vertically or only horizontally – which may cause the display to be sideways when projected.
• Keep typing to a minimum. It is not necessary to type in a long textual description as part of your demo – you will potentially mis-type, or at minimum create a long, unneeded and awkward pause.
• Exit all other software – such as e-mail, instant messages and app notifications. Otherwise you run the risk of projecting personal information.

Finally, when if comes to explaining what the audience sees, know your demonstration and how long the response time may be. If you know that the system reacts quickly, explain the screens before you go to the next screen (usually by hitting <Enter>). Alternately, if you know that it may take a while for the system to respond, hit <Enter> first and then address your talking points while you wait for the next screen to come up, to avoid an awkward pause. 

And, of course, don’t abandon your normal presentation skills, just because your demo is on your computer – you are still the primary messenger!

Find out more about clubs in District 4 Toastmasters: http://www.d4tm.org