I’ve been working with a new Comcate sales guy and we’ve been talking through how to keep the prospect engaged through the duration of the demo if it’s being conducted via web conference.
It’s great if someone responds to the legendary: "Do you have any questions?" but many times prospects do not. It can be too much effort to respond to such an open ended statement. So one technique I’ve used with decent success is to ask a very specific question that they can answer (about their existing processes, staffing, needs, etc). Once they open their mouth, I often get: "Oh yeah, we have that. But I was wondering about…."
Bingo. An easy question, easy answer, and while they’re talking, they bring up what’s really on their mind.
What other strategies have you used effectively to engage prospects during demo’s on the web and phone?