1 of 2 pages
How Is A Demo Like A Newspaper Article?
Pick up this morning’s newspaper and consider two things:
1. How you read the paper.
2. How the articles are written.
Consider organizing your demonstrations like a newspaper article. Here’s why:
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The Second Derivative
1538 Winding Way
Belmont, CA 94002
Phone: +1 650 631 3694
PCohan@SecondDerivative.com
www.SecondDerivative.com
www.DemoGurus.com
Peter E. Cohan, Principal
How Is A Demo Like A Newspaper Article?
Pick up this morning's newspaper and consider two things:
1. How you read the paper.
2. How the articles are written.
Consider organizing your demonstrations like a newspaper article. Here's why:
If you are like most people, you scan the newspaper for articles that catch your interest.
For many articles, you may only read the headline and move on rapidly - you're not
interested in the topic. Other articles engage your attention sufficiently to review the first
few paragraphs, after which you stop and move on. Some articles you read all the way
through, because they address a topic of real interest to you.
Journalists fill their newspapers every day with a broad range of articles and features -
and yet, only a fraction of the printed words are actually read by any one subscriber.
Does that cause readers to drop their subscriptions? Typically not - most readers don't
expect (or want!) to read their entire daily newspaper top-to-bottom. Instead, they want a
fast, easy method to access the specific information they want, be it sports, weather,
international news or style.
Newspapers organize the information they present in accord with their customers'
interest at two levels. The top level is organized by section - Front Page, Business,
Sports, etc., setting the context for all articles in these sections.
Within these sections, each individual article is cleverly and clearly organized to enable
readers to make rapid decisions about their depth of interest. The headline presents the
topic - providing a binary opportunity for readers to pursue it further or move on. The
first one or two paragraphs of the article summarize the story, concisely. Many readers
are completely satisfied with this level of information and read no further, and return to
scanning headlines.
The subsequent paragraphs often drill deeper and explore the story in more detail,
generally from a range of perspectives. Readers who are truly interested in the topic are
the typical consumers of this level of information.
Newspapers have evolved this "triage"-oriented organization over literally hundreds of
years. Why not take advantage of this learning?
Page 1 of 2 Copyright 2005 The Second Derivative. All Rights Reserved 6/16/2005Consider organizing your demonstrations like a newspaper article. Present a "headline"
succinctly and rapidly. Assuming your audience is interested, you should next present
the key capabilities using a minimum of mouse clicks - like reading the first couple of
paragraphs in a newspaper article. The audience just wants a summary at this point - not
all of the details! Finally, for audiences that are really interested, you can then dig deeper
and explore the breadth and depth of the relevant capabilities.
Follow this advice and you'll enjoy an increase in your software subscribers!
Copyright © 2005 The Second Derivative - All Rights Reserved.
For more on demonstration effectiveness skills and methods, visit
www.SecondDerivative.com. For other articles like this, as well as tips, best
practices, tools and techniques, join the DemoGurus Community Website at
www.DemoGurus.com. For more information go to www.SecondDerivative.com or
register at www.DemoGurus.com.
Page 2 of 2 Copyright 2005 The Second Derivative. All Rights Reserved 6/16/2005
1538 Winding Way
Belmont, CA 94002
Phone: +1 650 631 3694
PCohan@SecondDerivative.com
www.SecondDerivative.com
www.DemoGurus.com
Peter E. Cohan, Principal
How Is A Demo Like A Newspaper Article?
Pick up this morning's newspaper and consider two things:
1. How you read the paper.
2. How the articles are written.
Consider organizing your demonstrations like a newspaper article. Here's why:
If you are like most people, you scan the newspaper for articles that catch your interest.
For many articles, you may only read the headline and move on rapidly - you're not
interested in the topic. Other articles engage your attention sufficiently to review the first
few paragraphs, after which you stop and move on. Some articles you read all the way
through, because they address a topic of real interest to you.
Journalists fill their newspapers every day with a broad range of articles and features -
and yet, only a fraction of the printed words are actually read by any one subscriber.
Does that cause readers to drop their subscriptions? Typically not - most readers don't
expect (or want!) to read their entire daily newspaper top-to-bottom. Instead, they want a
fast, easy method to access the specific information they want, be it sports, weather,
international news or style.
Newspapers organize the information they present in accord with their customers'
interest at two levels. The top level is organized by section - Front Page, Business,
Sports, etc., setting the context for all articles in these sections.
Within these sections, each individual article is cleverly and clearly organized to enable
readers to make rapid decisions about their depth of interest. The headline presents the
topic - providing a binary opportunity for readers to pursue it further or move on. The
first one or two paragraphs of the article summarize the story, concisely. Many readers
are completely satisfied with this level of information and read no further, and return to
scanning headlines.
The subsequent paragraphs often drill deeper and explore the story in more detail,
generally from a range of perspectives. Readers who are truly interested in the topic are
the typical consumers of this level of information.
Newspapers have evolved this "triage"-oriented organization over literally hundreds of
years. Why not take advantage of this learning?
Page 1 of 2 Copyright 2005 The Second Derivative. All Rights Reserved 6/16/2005Consider organizing your demonstrations like a newspaper article. Present a "headline"
succinctly and rapidly. Assuming your audience is interested, you should next present
the key capabilities using a minimum of mouse clicks - like reading the first couple of
paragraphs in a newspaper article. The audience just wants a summary at this point - not
all of the details! Finally, for audiences that are really interested, you can then dig deeper
and explore the breadth and depth of the relevant capabilities.
Follow this advice and you'll enjoy an increase in your software subscribers!
Copyright © 2005 The Second Derivative - All Rights Reserved.
For more on demonstration effectiveness skills and methods, visit
www.SecondDerivative.com. For other articles like this, as well as tips, best
practices, tools and techniques, join the DemoGurus Community Website at
www.DemoGurus.com. For more information go to www.SecondDerivative.com or
register at www.DemoGurus.com.
Page 2 of 2 Copyright 2005 The Second Derivative. All Rights Reserved 6/16/2005
