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Why Don’t They “Get It” – Are They Stupid Or What?
Have you ever delivered a demo to a prospect that doesn’t seem to understand what you are offering them? Have you ever had a prospect say, at the end of a demo, “Um, hmmm, looks interesting; we’ll get back to you later…” (and you never hear from them again)?
Have you ever felt like the prospect just didn’t “get it” – that they didn’t appear to have a clue as to what earth-shattering game-changing breakthrough you’d just shown them? Are they stupid or what?
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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
Why Don't They "Get It" - Are They Stupid Or What?
Have you ever delivered a demo to a prospect that doesn't seem to understand what you are
offering them? Have you ever had a prospect say, at the end of a demo, "Um, hmmm, looks
interesting; we'll get back to you later" (and you never hear from them again)?
Have you ever felt like the prospect just didn't "get it" - that they didn't appear to have a clue
as to what earth-shattering game-changing breakthrough you'd just shown them? Are they
stupid or what?
But Things Were Going So Well
Here's what often happens: you create a dynamite new offering that will change the world (for
the better). You show it in early demos to some like-minded people who get really excited
about it - they see the promise implied; they see what amazing solutions it can provide to their
companies; they visualize a broad range applications and implementations. They "get it".
Even better, they may buy it - in its early stage of release, with warts, blemishes, future
promises and all. They support and nurture your product's initial uses in their companies - and
you have your first one or two customers for that product, as a result. Congratulations!
You're so excited, you take your offering on the road (and begin dreaming of sales forecasts
that need a log scale to plot). You expect that nearly every new prospect will be just as
visionary as your first few sales.
At the first new prospect you deliver the same presentation and demo you did earlier - but this
prospect doesn't get excited. They don't say much of anything, in fact. It is clear that they just
don't "get it".
"Well, maybe they're just stupid" you mutter to yourself, and move on to your next
prospect. Unfortunately (and frustratingly), the same thing happens again. And again, with the
next prospect. What's happening? Can they all be that clueless?
Welcome To the Chasm
It's time to dust off and re-read that Silicon Valley classic book Crossing the Chasm by
Geoffrey Moore. Sure, you remember the various categories from the book: Innovators, Early
Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority and Laggards.
Page 1 of 4 Copyright 2008 The Second Derivative. All Rights Reserved 4/8/2008It is likely that your first few enthusiastic customers were Innovators or Early Adopters - they
love your new technology, your novel application, and they understand what problems can be
addressed by your offering.
Interesting - and importantly - they understand this even though they were only shown the
solution your product provides. They make the leap from seeing solutions to the underlying
problems on their own. This is what makes them Innovators and Early Adopters - they "get
it".
The reason you failed to connect with your next wave of prospects is that they are likely
Majority people. You've presented a solution to people who don't even know they have a
problem. It is not that they are stupid, they just don't "get it" - yet
Why Are You Reaching For My Face?
Have you ever been sharing a meal with a colleague or family member and noted that they had
a bit of food stuck near their lips - just hanging there? You watch it (mesmerized!) for a
minute and then often reach out with a napkin to wipe it off their face. You see the problem
that they didn't even realize they have (chunk of cheesecake on their cheek) - and are offering
a solution (wiping the offending bit of food away).
It is perfectly obvious to you - but it may be totally unclear to your partner why you are
reaching towards their face with a napkin. Their first response will likely be confusion - or
even concern! ("What are you doing with that napkin?")
On the other hand, if you first let them know they have a problem, then they will be much more
willing to explore a solution:
"Bob, you have some cheesecake on your cheek"
"I do?" Bob wipes with his napkin, but misses.
"Bob, it's still there - would you like me to wipe it off for you?"
"Yes, please"
The same situation exists with Majority prospects. They often don't realize they have a
problem, to start with. In many cases, the solution your offering provides solves a problem that
they have been living with for years. They assume that life with this problem is simply the
status quo. They are victims of momentum.
Typical presentations and demos for new products (or from early-stage companies) often
assume that the prospect knows that they have a problem and that the prospect is interested in
solving it. That is the big disconnect. You show a terrific vision of a solution - but your
Page 2 of 4 Copyright 2008 The Second Derivative. All Rights Reserved 4/8/2008customer doesn't understand the context. They're thinking, "Why am I watching this? Where
is this going?"
How can you possibly show a solution when they don't even know they have a problem?
Step Zero: Let Them Know They Have a Problem
When presenting to Majority prospects, your first step is to let them know they have a problem
- and help them understand the value of solving it. A terrific way to do this is through the use
of informal success stories, often harvested from your interactions with your first few
customers.
Here's an example:
Let's say that you have an offering that can find, aggregate and deliver content from any
electronic source directly into a web portal, and automatically organize the order of delivery by
topic relevance. Further, it can track what a user consumes, including how long a user stays on
any particular piece of content and how far each user reviews it.
Sounds like a terrific piece of technology, right? Maybe. Let's explore what happens when
you present the solution first vs. presenting the problem first:
Solution First Approach for Majority Prospects [That worked well for Innovators and Early
Adopters] - let's say you are demonstrating your tool to the VP of Sales:
You say, "Look at this great tool It just collected a pile of content from your corporate
intranet and the external internet, organized it, sorted it according to relevance, and then
presented it through this web portal. Really cool, huh?"
VP of Sales Prospect says, "But I already use Google Why would I want another
Google-like tool?"
You think, "Clueless clone, you and your company are doomed to a dinosaur demise!"
Problem First Approach for Majority Prospects - again, you are in a conversation with the VP
of Sales:
You say, "Let me share how we helped other sales vice presidents achieve their quarterly
and annual numbers"
VP of Sales Prospect says, "I'm interested!"
You continue, "Other sales VP's told us it was taking far too long to bring new hires up-to-
speed. In many cases, it took months for new sales hires to become effective - yet these
new hires were carrying the same quota as those who were already up-to-speed. The result
Page 3 of 4 Copyright 2008 The Second Derivative. All Rights Reserved 4/8/2008was that these sales VP's were at risk of missing their numbers. How does this compare
with your situation?"
VP of Sales Prospect says, "I'm in a very similar situation. We just hired 12 new sales
staff and I assume that it'll take months for them to become effective "
You say, "Well, the sales VP's we've worked with said that they wanted some way to pull
together sales-relevant information - situation and business information, sales tools,
product information and internal best sales practices. They said this information was
scattered all around the company and outside - it was hard to bring together and even
harder to organize in context and present in a logical order."
VP of Sales Prospect says, "That sounds very familiar!"
You say, "Well, we provided those capabilities. Now, these sales VP's have reduced new
hire training time from months down to a few weeks - and now expect to achieve their
quarterly and annual numbers."
VP of Sales Prospect says, "Wow - it would be great to have that What does it look
like?"
You say, "Would you like to see a brief demo to give you an idea of how it could work for
you?"
VP of Sales Prospect says, "Yes, please!"
You are now well along your way to securing your first Majority customer - congratulations!
And the Moral Is
You can't show a solution to someone who doesn't perceive they have a problem. Your first
step when presenting your new offering to Majority prospects is to help them understand that
they have a problem - and that the problem is both important and can be solved. Informal
success stories, harvested from your Early Adopter or Innovator experiences, provide excellent
material to draw from.
Make sure your prospects know they have a problem (and want to solve it) before you offer a
solution!
Copyright © 2008 The Second Derivative - All Rights Reserved.
For more articles on demonstration effectiveness skills and methods, visit our website at
www.SecondDerivative.com. For demo tips, best practices, tools and techniques, join the
DemoGurus Community Website at www.DemoGurus.com or explore our blog at
http://greatdemo.blogspot.com/.
Page 4 of 4 Copyright 2008 The Second Derivative. All Rights Reserved 4/8/2008
1538 Winding Way
Belmont, CA 94002
Phone: +1 650 631 3694
PCohan@SecondDerivative.com
www.SecondDerivative.com
www.DemoGurus.com
Peter E. Cohan, Principal
Why Don't They "Get It" - Are They Stupid Or What?
Have you ever delivered a demo to a prospect that doesn't seem to understand what you are
offering them? Have you ever had a prospect say, at the end of a demo, "Um, hmmm, looks
interesting; we'll get back to you later" (and you never hear from them again)?
Have you ever felt like the prospect just didn't "get it" - that they didn't appear to have a clue
as to what earth-shattering game-changing breakthrough you'd just shown them? Are they
stupid or what?
But Things Were Going So Well
Here's what often happens: you create a dynamite new offering that will change the world (for
the better). You show it in early demos to some like-minded people who get really excited
about it - they see the promise implied; they see what amazing solutions it can provide to their
companies; they visualize a broad range applications and implementations. They "get it".
Even better, they may buy it - in its early stage of release, with warts, blemishes, future
promises and all. They support and nurture your product's initial uses in their companies - and
you have your first one or two customers for that product, as a result. Congratulations!
You're so excited, you take your offering on the road (and begin dreaming of sales forecasts
that need a log scale to plot). You expect that nearly every new prospect will be just as
visionary as your first few sales.
At the first new prospect you deliver the same presentation and demo you did earlier - but this
prospect doesn't get excited. They don't say much of anything, in fact. It is clear that they just
don't "get it".
"Well, maybe they're just stupid" you mutter to yourself, and move on to your next
prospect. Unfortunately (and frustratingly), the same thing happens again. And again, with the
next prospect. What's happening? Can they all be that clueless?
Welcome To the Chasm
It's time to dust off and re-read that Silicon Valley classic book Crossing the Chasm by
Geoffrey Moore. Sure, you remember the various categories from the book: Innovators, Early
Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority and Laggards.
Page 1 of 4 Copyright 2008 The Second Derivative. All Rights Reserved 4/8/2008It is likely that your first few enthusiastic customers were Innovators or Early Adopters - they
love your new technology, your novel application, and they understand what problems can be
addressed by your offering.
Interesting - and importantly - they understand this even though they were only shown the
solution your product provides. They make the leap from seeing solutions to the underlying
problems on their own. This is what makes them Innovators and Early Adopters - they "get
it".
The reason you failed to connect with your next wave of prospects is that they are likely
Majority people. You've presented a solution to people who don't even know they have a
problem. It is not that they are stupid, they just don't "get it" - yet
Why Are You Reaching For My Face?
Have you ever been sharing a meal with a colleague or family member and noted that they had
a bit of food stuck near their lips - just hanging there? You watch it (mesmerized!) for a
minute and then often reach out with a napkin to wipe it off their face. You see the problem
that they didn't even realize they have (chunk of cheesecake on their cheek) - and are offering
a solution (wiping the offending bit of food away).
It is perfectly obvious to you - but it may be totally unclear to your partner why you are
reaching towards their face with a napkin. Their first response will likely be confusion - or
even concern! ("What are you doing with that napkin?")
On the other hand, if you first let them know they have a problem, then they will be much more
willing to explore a solution:
"Bob, you have some cheesecake on your cheek"
"I do?" Bob wipes with his napkin, but misses.
"Bob, it's still there - would you like me to wipe it off for you?"
"Yes, please"
The same situation exists with Majority prospects. They often don't realize they have a
problem, to start with. In many cases, the solution your offering provides solves a problem that
they have been living with for years. They assume that life with this problem is simply the
status quo. They are victims of momentum.
Typical presentations and demos for new products (or from early-stage companies) often
assume that the prospect knows that they have a problem and that the prospect is interested in
solving it. That is the big disconnect. You show a terrific vision of a solution - but your
Page 2 of 4 Copyright 2008 The Second Derivative. All Rights Reserved 4/8/2008customer doesn't understand the context. They're thinking, "Why am I watching this? Where
is this going?"
How can you possibly show a solution when they don't even know they have a problem?
Step Zero: Let Them Know They Have a Problem
When presenting to Majority prospects, your first step is to let them know they have a problem
- and help them understand the value of solving it. A terrific way to do this is through the use
of informal success stories, often harvested from your interactions with your first few
customers.
Here's an example:
Let's say that you have an offering that can find, aggregate and deliver content from any
electronic source directly into a web portal, and automatically organize the order of delivery by
topic relevance. Further, it can track what a user consumes, including how long a user stays on
any particular piece of content and how far each user reviews it.
Sounds like a terrific piece of technology, right? Maybe. Let's explore what happens when
you present the solution first vs. presenting the problem first:
Solution First Approach for Majority Prospects [That worked well for Innovators and Early
Adopters] - let's say you are demonstrating your tool to the VP of Sales:
You say, "Look at this great tool It just collected a pile of content from your corporate
intranet and the external internet, organized it, sorted it according to relevance, and then
presented it through this web portal. Really cool, huh?"
VP of Sales Prospect says, "But I already use Google Why would I want another
Google-like tool?"
You think, "Clueless clone, you and your company are doomed to a dinosaur demise!"
Problem First Approach for Majority Prospects - again, you are in a conversation with the VP
of Sales:
You say, "Let me share how we helped other sales vice presidents achieve their quarterly
and annual numbers"
VP of Sales Prospect says, "I'm interested!"
You continue, "Other sales VP's told us it was taking far too long to bring new hires up-to-
speed. In many cases, it took months for new sales hires to become effective - yet these
new hires were carrying the same quota as those who were already up-to-speed. The result
Page 3 of 4 Copyright 2008 The Second Derivative. All Rights Reserved 4/8/2008was that these sales VP's were at risk of missing their numbers. How does this compare
with your situation?"
VP of Sales Prospect says, "I'm in a very similar situation. We just hired 12 new sales
staff and I assume that it'll take months for them to become effective "
You say, "Well, the sales VP's we've worked with said that they wanted some way to pull
together sales-relevant information - situation and business information, sales tools,
product information and internal best sales practices. They said this information was
scattered all around the company and outside - it was hard to bring together and even
harder to organize in context and present in a logical order."
VP of Sales Prospect says, "That sounds very familiar!"
You say, "Well, we provided those capabilities. Now, these sales VP's have reduced new
hire training time from months down to a few weeks - and now expect to achieve their
quarterly and annual numbers."
VP of Sales Prospect says, "Wow - it would be great to have that What does it look
like?"
You say, "Would you like to see a brief demo to give you an idea of how it could work for
you?"
VP of Sales Prospect says, "Yes, please!"
You are now well along your way to securing your first Majority customer - congratulations!
And the Moral Is
You can't show a solution to someone who doesn't perceive they have a problem. Your first
step when presenting your new offering to Majority prospects is to help them understand that
they have a problem - and that the problem is both important and can be solved. Informal
success stories, harvested from your Early Adopter or Innovator experiences, provide excellent
material to draw from.
Make sure your prospects know they have a problem (and want to solve it) before you offer a
solution!
Copyright © 2008 The Second Derivative - All Rights Reserved.
For more articles on demonstration effectiveness skills and methods, visit our website at
www.SecondDerivative.com. For demo tips, best practices, tools and techniques, join the
DemoGurus Community Website at www.DemoGurus.com or explore our blog at
http://greatdemo.blogspot.com/.
Page 4 of 4 Copyright 2008 The Second Derivative. All Rights Reserved 4/8/2008
