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It was 1854 and a raucous crowd had gathered to watch a young inventor named Elisha Otis who had jumped into an open elevator and was slowly rising to 50 feet above the ground. When he reached the top, the cable supporting the elevator was severed with an axe. The crowd gasped, fully expecting him to plummet to his death. But when the cable snapped he dropped only a few inches. “All safe” he assured the crowd.
Elisha was the inventor of the safety elevator. At first, his invention was ignored. Elevators carried the stigma that you risked life and limb every time you stepped in one. To prove to the public that his invention worked, he had to orchestrate something dramatic. A stunt so convincing people would believe his new elevator was safe.
Not only did Elisha get rich, but he had stumbled upon one of the most important lessons in marketing… Nothing beats the power of a dramatic demonstration.
A Good Demonstration Resolves Objections
When any advertising claim is made the first thought in your prospects mind is “OK you’ve got my attention, now show me this is worth buying…. Give me a reason why”.
No one cares about ads that offer “vague nothings”, pretty pictures and empty catch-phrases. There is a natural distrust of any claims made in Ads. It is not enough to have a great product and a great brand. You have to demonstrate to the prospect that the value of the product or service far outweighs the purchase price.
Resolving these objections builds confidence, inspires respect, and reflects your Integrity. A demonstration proves your claims. It resolves a conflict in the mind of the consumer that must be overcome to get a sale.
An ounce of demonstration beats a ton of bullshitDrayton Bird
Presenting Proof
A demonstration creates a picture of what future results will look like. It shows how your product works. If you are selling a food processor, you can show how quickly and easily it slices, dices, blends and mixes.
Demonstrations are also effective for comparing two products. On the left of the screen, you can show how sticky and dull most car waxes are. On the right, you show how easily you wax goes on, how brightly it shines, and how it repels water like a duck.
It convinces a customer in advance of purchase as to the qualities of the product. So when they start using the product they have advanced knowledge of, and belief in, the benefits of the product. If the product lives up to its promises you have a customer for life.
Not only that, but it also gives you a better chance with your follow up. If the prospect is not going to buy today you have at least encouraged them to look for the product in the future.
Example isn’t another way to teach, it is the only way to teachAlbert Einstein
Selling Through Demonstration
Demonstrations are a powerful sales builder. You will have seen plenty of Infomercials using this technique, and maybe, you’ve even picked up the phone or ordered online due to the power of the demonstration.
For most products, the most effective way to demonstrate is through video. It’s also cheap to produce. All you need a is a stand-up presenter and an in-studio product demonstration.
Here are a few examples:
Will it Blend
Purple
Transforma Ladder
HTH Pool Chlorine
Pepsi
OxiClean
Go Pro
How to Intensify Your Demonstration
A good demonstration reinforces in your customers mind that what you’re offering is a good fit for them. The goal? Make it impossible for them to think, “Ok, I get it. This thing is terrific… but is it for me?”
You can strengthen the desire for your product through a process known as “intensification”. Here are 7 techniques you may have noticed in the example videos:
- Put your claims into action. In other words “show” it working.
- Pull in the reader or viewer. This is a visual or verbal demonstration of what will happen when he prospect owns your products
- Stretch out benefits over time. Extend your prospects experience months and years later. Show what their life will be like over time as a result of owning your product. Show the before and after.
- Show experts approving. This is where you show credible experts giving it the thumbs up.
- Compare, contrast and prove superiority. When you do this you basically show the bad side of your competitor’s products, side by side with how cool yours is.
- Show how easy it is to get the benefits. This is where you demonstrate the “ease of use” of your product while talking about the tremendous benefits it gives at the same time.
- Use metaphor, analogy, imagination. That is drama, stories, creative ways to demonstrate the uniqueness of your product.
Don’t get wound up trying to include all of them in every product demonstration. Not all will be applicable to every product. Look at the ones that make sense for your market and product. Apply them to your next demonstration and see what happens.