Post Demo Questionnaire

Here’s something I was reminded of recently from my software days. I think it holds worthy application for any product that leads to a full-on presentation in front of an audience of more than two.

It comes from my time creating a need from a standing start. Where a radically new way of doing something was being promoted. But I also used it successfully when part of an ITT response beauty pageant.

You’ve done the main show, then the Q&A and are now wondering how to affect a decent close. Before your prospects all bolt for the door, you can get documented feedback. Hardly anyone ever does this. Which is amazing as it can be a real winner.

The tactic is to hand out a questionnaire, give them a few moments to fill it in and collect it on the spot. You then have invaluable insight into how you must progress.

The overall drill encompasses the following;

Deployment
It works best after a forum early in the campaign, not necessarily the first, but one where there are multiple attendees whom are receiving their first exposure to the detail.

Positioning
You should signpost it so they know it’s coming as part of your opening remarks, so that when you come to produce the paper at the end they’re reminded that feedback was mentioned from the off.

Structure
Ruthlessly limit your questions – I ended up finding just four that gave me what I wanted – although having ‘name’ & ‘date’ at the top are acceptable extras!

Mechanics
I originally gave out the questionnaire on a sheet of A4, but settled on A5 as I thought with less white space it felt more ‘matter-of-fact’ and less daunting.

Questions
The queries that really got me going revolved around;

• how something might have been done differently in the past,
• which upcoming project would be best improved from what I offered,
• what applied best to their situation from what they’d seen, and
• what they’d like to do most by way of investigation if we moved further.

I’ve never had anyone refuse to complete one, and the answers can give you fascinating insight into who ‘gets’ it as a potential man-on-the-inside. You can also easily test which types of questions work best for you. For instance, if you ask for a top-three of issues they’d like to work on, you’ve got a ready-made list of priorities that can immeasurably set you ahead of any competition.