

How to Demo Your Software Product - Lessons from 2.5 Years of NY Tech Meetup - bproper
http://www.betabeat.com/2011/06/09/how-to-demo-your-software-product-lessons-from-200-ny-tech-meetups/

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ChuckFrank
Don't say it, show it. After years of presentations, I've found the following
to be key.

1\. Practice Early, Practice Often. Practice Everything. -- if you need to
plug the system in, and start it up. Do it all, step by step. There's nothing
worse than someone struggling with the overhead projector into the start time
of a presentation.

2\. Don't read it. Say it. Words on screens can be read in an instant, being
read to can feel patronizing.

3\. Review your images in thumbnail only. If you can't read it at 8 to a page,
then the back can't read it too.

4\. Bring some drama. Have reveals, or One more things hidden in the
presentation.

5\. Create visual uniformity. Same color palette, same fonts, some photo
tenor.

6\. Predict questions and concerns and prepare for those. Think of all the
problems and concerns that might come up, and if you still don't have an idea
as to how to address the problem, at least you can say "We've thought about
that carefully, and we are working on the problem as we speak."

7\. Slow down. Take your time. Older people and younger people share
information at different rates, find a middle ground for your speed.

8\. Answer the questions "Why am I wasting your time" and "What I would really
like you to do" in clear direct ways.

9\. No rhetorical questions, people's answers in their heads might not be the
ones you want. Just tell them your story.

10\. If you allow questions, take your time and answer each question
sincerely. Everyone is watching not just to see what you say, but how you
answer it.

11\. Have a partner on hand in case something goes wrong. Practice having then
switch in and out at the last minute. Think of it like theater with an
understudy.

12\. Be hydrated, -- public talking drains your mouth of water.

13 Use the restroom right before, to check yourself in the mirror, check your
dander, check your nose, check your tie.

14\. And have an espresso 1/2 hour before you go on. That touch of energy that
your bring to your presentation can be contagious to your audience.

I'm sure there's more, but those are just some suggestions from my humble
experience, that come off the top of my head.

~~~
ChuckFrank
"then the back can't read it too" what back? Oh the back of the room.

"Practice having then switch in and out at the last minute." Then what? Oh ..
them.

So sorry. (and generally, please excuse my dropped periods. I use periods like
commas. When infact I should use -- shudder -- semi colons.)

I really should play this more often..

<http://www.mrnussbaum.com/semicolonwars.htm>

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robobenjie
click the link to watch the Twillio demo. It was fantastic magic.

EDIT: here is the link:
[http://www.livestream.com/nytechmeetup/video?clipId=pla_8b03...](http://www.livestream.com/nytechmeetup/video?clipId=pla_8b03ead8-b68f-4f04-9744-2e0e85274b03)

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christopherslee
I think that one huge mistake that people often make is spending a lot of time
going through "This is how you create a contact", and then entering in fake
field data into forms. And you can edit that form, and then go edit and re-
save the data. And often that data is gibberish anyway.

Unless filling in this magical form is part of the core value prop, it's
really boring, and most people know how to fill out a form already.

A good demo should get to the meat of the problem, demonstrating the value
prop very quickly. If you really do add value, questions will come up around
the "whole product". But if you start with the "whole product" you could lose
them before you got to the really interesting parts.

Later, if people ask you mundane questions, "How do I change the create a
contact, or edit it", you can go back and show that just to satisfy them that
it really is just that easy, and that they could do it.

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johndbritton
The original post on Nate's site: <http://innonate.com/demo/>

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VB6_Foreverr
Memorize the keyword/phrase in each sentence you want to say so that you will
remember to make every point. Don't memorize the entire sentences or unless
you're very good you will-sound-like-someone-reading-a-script

