In our 5th episode of #NutsAboutPreSales, we chatted with the delightful Rachel Tilghman, Solutions Consulting Leader at Braze.
Don’t miss this interview with one of the presales industry leaders as she discusses the funniest thing a client ever told her, why a silent audience is the enemy of a good sales demo and how to include engaging content in a software demo presentation.
Watch the video now or read the transcript below:
What’s your name and where do you work?
My name is Rachel Tilghman and I work at Braze.
What’s the funniest thing a prospect or client told you?
We typically try to understand where a client is on a maturation or sophistication schedule, so we were talking about “walk, crawling, and running” with our technology. And the client said “I am well-before walk. I’m at, like, potato.” And now I can’t think of potatoes in the same way.
What’s your biggest challenge when demoing?
I have to make sure I take a lot of pauses. It’s a challenge for me. Sometimes I get so excited, to make sure I slow down and really make sure everyone is tracking. Especially if we are virtually, it’s really hard to read the room and make sure you’re getting those head nods.
What’s the worst mistake to avoid in presales?
You should never have a demo where no one asks a single question. If no one is asking questions it’s a really bad sign. It either means that you’re not making sense, or they already made up their mind, or they’re not following. So if no one’s asking a question it’s bad, and if they do ask a question, the best thing to do is answer a question with a question so that you can keep them talking.
What’s your best presentation hack?
Tactically, I like to use the least amount of words on a slide possible. I love a good visual and sometimes I’ll even see if the visual can be a little out of left field so it perks people’s interest.
What makes a good presales pro?
Someone who is good at presales is going to be curious and always learning. Because the technology is always going to be changing, the industry is always going to be changing, and if it’s our job to be the expert, it’s also our job to always be learning.
Sell me a walnut!
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