Demo Room Dummies

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy


Who loves demonstrations more, suppliers or prospects/customers?

I am not sure what you the reader is feeling right now, but I sit through a number of demos, which can frankly be a waste of time. Occasionally I am asked to organise a demo that I know for one reason or another, will be a fruitless errand.

Now most people who know me, understand that I take this stuff extremely seriously. Maybe too seriously.  As an ex-Catholic altar boy, I would probably be setting myself up for hundreds of ‘Our Fathers’ after a Saturday confession, or a fair few years toasting, at gas mark 9 (or they might crank it up to 11) in purgatory, if I set out from the start to undertake such a wicked consultancy sin.

However sometimes, organisations either have fixed ideas about demos, or cannot allocate sufficient resource to have the right staff in the demo, or sessions in it. While it’s said that ‘The Customer is always right’, maybe that needs to be taken into account, but it does not always follows that ‘The Customer is always correct’. If that were right, there would be no need to get a consultant in to organise ‘best practice’, now would there?

Suppliers and clients/prospects need to know why the demo is necessary and what duration is optimal. It’s an answer I can generally, easily navigate to and often suppliers do (at times), honestly flag it up. Sometimes a couple of hours is enough for some ‘standalone’ or ‘niche’ solutions. A supplementary hour might have to be tacked on for the ICT team to explore integration, definitely a subject you need to understand as early as possible.

More elaborate and complex solutions may warrant up to a day. A full housing management system, perhaps many days or even a week or more. (Yes really!).

I once spent six whole days helping demonstrate a module of a housing system each day, in a secret location in the West Midlands. The depth was intense. It was right that was that intense, on that occasion.

In many cases the more risk involved, perhaps the more intense and proscriptive the demos should be. Aside from the demo length, quality of attendees, really matter. I heard one story of a large supplier who suggested a minimum of three days of a particular demo might be optimum. The client pruned it down so much it was an extremely general overview, telescoped into less than one day, with nearly 80 of the wrong people sitting through it, wasting everyone’s time.

Guess what? It was a total waste of time, for managers who did not see it, users who attended to make up the numbers and the demo people, from the supplier, who did not manage to communicate much either.

So readers, take some lessons learnt from the above. Never mind getting the right content at your demos (which I must come back to another time!), at least start with who you have in the room. Fill it with the right staff, everyone will benefit. Fill it with just spare staff, you might as well wheel in the showroom dummies!

If you need  help to navigate the minefield of a particular demo with one or more suppliers, no problem, please be in touch.

Catch the blog monthly archive at https://archive.org/details/@housingitguy

Related Post: Sometimes in projects its useful to have a 'Plan A' up your sleeve... 

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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.

Kraftwerk – Showroom Dummies.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.
File Under: 360,1stTouch,4Js. , 07854655009 ,365Agile," """" ",,#UKHousing,#HousingDAY, #HomesForBritain,#InternetOfTenants, #Shout,1st Touch,3squared,Accuserv,Acutence,Aareon,Academy,ActiveH,AirWatch,Alignment,ALMO,Anite,Apex,ArchHouse,Archouse,asbestos, Asprey e-state pro,ActiveHousing,Asset Management,Aurora,Average IT Costs,App,Associates,ACL,Abritas,AMS,AX,aspireview,Agile365, BO,BPR,Browser Applications,Business Objects,Business Planning, Business Process Review,Business social networking, Blockwise, Block wise,BI,BancTec,BluTek,Bluebox, Castle,CBL,Cedar Open Accounts,Cx,Change,Cheaper Housing IT,Chics, CHR,Citrix,Civica,Clearview,CMS , CCS IT Keystone CCSIT,Civica Genero,Contractor Systems,CORE,CorVu,Cost Reductions,Covalent,CRM,Crystal Reports,CTI,CTX,Customer Relationship Management,Cashflow, COA,Coactiva,Codeman,Comino,Competitive Dialogue process,complex IT procurements,Component Accounting, Community Reward Services, Consilium, Consolidation, Consultancy,Consultant,Contact 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Local Boy in the Photograph

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy
or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy



In a chat last week with a very well known character in certain areas of social housing and now in a slightly different area, chat turned to demos. If I had £50 for every time I had sat through a poor demo, or had one described to me, I'd be way richer than I am today. Why do suppliers do this to us? It's a particular problem where existing suppliers demo, why would that be?

Incoming suppliers, no-doubt sensing the chance to grab a new customer, will characteristically be more hungry for new business. Of course they try harder. I used to be involved in tenders and coming from what was of the smaller of the big six suppliers, I understand that whole situation.

One thing in the discussion that came out, was that local thinking was needed in these demonstrations. I remember doing demos in Scotland and Ireland, exchanging images of English sterling notes, with Clydesdale tenners and Bank of Ireland fivers. it just seemed natural to me, the way to get into the heads of your audience.

The biggest trick is actually tailoring around the prospects schemes or projects. I have driven around estates, the evening before a demo to grab a few shots, that my audience might recognise. It's simple connection with your audience.

Why suppliers think mention of English Decent Homes or Welsh standards will hit the spot in Scotland, for example baffles me. a bit like mixing up a P1E and a Prevent1. I am sure you get the picture.

Also, another big bugbear of mine is a demo kit with poor or missing data in it. Blimey, that is the schoolboy error isn't it? Again if I had £50 for everyone who could say they were in a demo and someone said "It would be here, but I have not got anything set up" or similar.  Well as the late, great Victoria Wood might say "Beat me on the bottom with the Woman's weekly- Let's do it, let's do it tonight", these suppliers have got days, months to set this stuff up and do it. Its us poor end users who should have our rolled up mag' prepared, based on home, family and lives of grown-up women, of course (following the VW template).

Maybe sometimes, its lack of knowledge of the demo crew, or maybe lack of where the rich data is to be found in the demo database rig. I can remember still, all my data used to be in Stanley St, and although all my test surnames where based on classic cheeses, it was rich creamy and identifiable.

Selling does take effort and without it, someone else can be picking up the sale. Remember, it does take twenty times the effort to gain an initial customer, than keep them. Don't fall at the simple hurdles, to keeping them and selling more sensible relevant stuff.

So suppliers, don't forget the trick of getting the local boy in the photograph

Catch the blog monthly archive at https://archive.org/details/@housingitguy

Related Post: Asbestos is your hot potato, are you on top of it? 

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.


Stereophonics - Local boy in the photograph.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.
File Under: 360,1stTouch,4Js. , 07854655009 ,365Agile," """" ",,#UKHousing,#HousingDAY, #HomesForBritain,#InternetOfTenants, #Shout,1st Touch,3squared,Accuserv,Acutence,Aareon,Academy,ActiveH,AirWatch,Alignment,ALMO,Anite,Apex,ArchHouse,Archouse,asbestos, Asprey e-state pro,ActiveHousing,Asset Management,Aurora,Average IT Costs,App,Associates,ACL,Abritas,AMS,AX,aspireview,Agile365, BO,BPR,Browser Applications,Business Objects,Business Planning, Business Process Review,Business social networking, Blockwise, Block wise,BI,BancTec,BluTek,Bluebox, Castle,CBL,Cedar Open Accounts,Cx,Change,Cheaper Housing IT,Chics, CHR,Citrix,Civica,Clearview,CMS , CCS IT Keystone CCSIT,Civica Genero,Contractor Systems,CORE,CorVu,Cost Reductions,Covalent,CRM,Crystal Reports,CTI,CTX,Customer Relationship Management,Cashflow, COA,Coactiva,Codeman,Comino,Competitive Dialogue process,complex IT procurements,Component Accounting, Community Reward Services, Consilium, Consolidation, Consultancy,Consultant,Contact Manager,Context,CIH,Chartered Institute Of Housing,Cadcorp,Cerrus Saturn,convergeOne,CACI,CPL, CRS Director, Deeplake,Development Systems,Accuserve,Document Management,Documotive,datasystems , Microsoft dynamics GP 2013, DynamicAI, Dynamic AI, ECMK,EDRMS,England, English,EnterpriseBI,ERP Systems,ERP,Elmhurst,Estatecraft,EDM,ESRI,Exponential-e, Finance, Financial Systems, Financials, Factorwise,Facebook ,Footprint,Fusion, Getting best from,gotonysmith, Grasp,Grip,GeoSolveIT,GIS,GGP,Genero,GCloud,G-Cloud,HouSys,Housing software,HFI (Housing Financials interface),HG,Housemark survey,Housing Blueprint,Housemark, HRA,housingtITguy,Housing Support Pro,HousingSupportPro,Housing Options,Hometeam, Housing Group,hotpixuk, HousingIT,hotpix,Hardware,Hitex,Housing Contact Company,Impact Response,iPayPro,implementations,iRobot,In House,InHouse,In4,InMotion, InMotion2016, InMotion2015, InMotion2016 , Exhibition, conference,Housing Management Consultant,Housing Management Consultants, 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tender,OpenHousing,Opti-time,Oracle,Orchard,Optitime DRS,Outsource and outsourcing,OpenContractor,ORS,OneServe, PIMMS Data Systems, Paloma,performance management systems,PfH, Pick,PIMMS,pimms4communities, Planned maintenance,People Value,Plus, Peoplevalue, PM,Progress,Promaster,Proval,Pyramid,PRINCE2,prince,Pamwin,PlanForm, Propoints, Pro-Points QL,QLX,Quiss,Qlikview, QueryView,Queryview reporting,Registered Providers,Registered Social Landlord,Rent Increase Freezes,Repairfinder,Reporting,Reports,ROCC,RobotAutomation,Rave Technologies (India) PVT Limited, Rocket,RPs,RSL,Reality,ReAct,reidmark,RM865, Saffron,SAP,Scots, Scottish,Scenario, Scotland,SDM,sector,TonySmithHou,Safron,Server Virtualisation,servicing, Servitor,Sharepoint, Simdel,Simdell,SimPro,Sim Pro,Slash and Burn,Social Media,Software,SQL Open Housing,SQL Reporting Services,SQL reporting services,SQL Server,Star rating,Stores and Stock,Strategic Asset Management,Sunguard ,Surveys,Sx3,System alignment,Symatrix Human Capital 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