Demo Crime: Why would you want to do that?

Demo Crimes for Modern Times: 2Win Demo Detectives Uncover Fresh Insights on Old Crimes 

In a sales and presales function, certain demo crimes are considered especially heinous. The dedicated demo detectives who investigate these presentation felonies are an elite squad of facilitators, executives, and presales leaders.

These are their stories. 

Cold Case Demo Crime:

Why Would You Want to Do That? 

"Alienating the Audience”, also known as “Why Would You Want to Do That?”, is the leading cause of death in demos. It occurs when a presenter dismisses, invalidates, or ignores a prospect’s question.

Presales professionals know their solutions inside and out; sometimes so well that they forget their audience typically doesn’t. This can lead to explanations that feel overly technical or even a bit condescending, leaving buyers confused or disconnected. When that happens, both you and your solution can come across as unapproachable and hard to work with.

Scene of the Crime:

A prospect asks, “Can we use the dashboard view for different teams?” And the presenter responds, “Why would you want to do that? The default view and customization structure is the most efficient use of the software. We designed it for a reason.” 

You have just witnessed the "Why would you want to do that?" crime.  

Repeat Offenders

Presales professionals carry the weight of deep product knowledge, which can be both a strength and a challenge. When you're juggling complex solutions and specific customer use cases, it’s easy for alignment to slip during a presentation.

For example, a common selling point across the SaaS industry is the ability to customize solutions. Where this selling point falls short is when a prospect doesn't value customization in the same way. In this scenario, a sales engineer might feel challenged or that their product isn’t appreciated as expected. 

While it's completely understandable to wonder why the value of your customization isn't aligned with your audience, it's essential to be mindful of how you seek clarity. Showing any level of dismissal or invalidation can lead to alienation, which will throw your presentation off track.

This crime is very common. Sellers can easily become attached to their solutions and lose sight of buyer objectives; we've all done it. The problem is that when a defensive posture is taken, there is a very narrow possibility of returning to a productive demo that highlights the features and benefits your buyer needs.

When this happens, you lose credibility, likeability, and by association, trust. We all know it's hard to buy from someone you don't trust.

Department of Corrections

Correcting an alienation crime requires embracing curiosity, conducting discovery on the fly, and, above all, being aware of one's perspective. If you can't fully listen and understand your prospect's problem, your solution will never solve it, no matter how good it is.

Instead of saying, “Why would you want to do that?” try, “That is interesting, can you tell me more about how that would help your team?” Another way to phrase this is, “where is the energy coming from for this question? I haven’t been asked that before. Can you help me understand what you are trying to accomplish?”

This approach validates the prospect’s perspective before providing guidance. Phrase your response to show you’re on their side: “Here’s how our dashboard customization works; let’s see if this can achieve what you’re looking for.”

Bonus Tip: Engage a prospect by encouraging feedback and acknowledging needs to help gain alignment, even if your solution does not fit perfectly. 

Final Verdict

The “Why would you want to do that?” crime is one of the deadliest for deal velocity, often stopping it in its tracks. However, by adjusting your tone to one of curiosity over condescension and matching your pace to that of the buyer, you can gain their trust and present new solutions. A buyer may be unaware of a more effective solution, but it is crucial to understand where this person falls on the adoption curve. 

Business Moves at the Speed of Trust. If you haven’t built credibility, your buyer is skeptical, and there is no foundation of trust, you must make sure they feel heard. Always respect your buyer's perspective and remember: if they feel heard, they will be more likely to be receptive to your solution.

If you are looking to modernize your SaaS software demos, contact 2Win to learn more about our latest offerings for Demo2Win.