One of the most effective ways to sell a product, particularly something like global knives or a power saw, is to provide a demonstration. Nothing supports even the most ridiculous claims of product capabilities better than a demonstration to show that, yes, it can do whatever it says it can. Is the product so simple than even a child could figure out how to use it? Then show exactly why it’s so simple, though there’s generally no need to go so far as to have a child actually do the demonstration. Can the knife supposedly cut bread without causing it to collapse under the weight of the blade? Then grab a loaf and start slicing. However, why is it that demonstrations work so well anyway?
One of the crucial keys to its success is the sense of involvement it brings. A good demonstration takes the person’s mind off of its natural focus on the day-to-day things he needs to manage and worry about, shifting his attention to the product at hand and what it can’t do. This sense of involvement is one of the reasons that late night infomercials seem to be so hypnotic, to the point that even the most strong-willed individuals can’t look away. They’re specifically designed to make the viewers – all potential customers – feel like they’re “part” of the process, while at the same time, the product’s virtues and features are being extolled in a visual manner.
Demonstrations – and test runs – are a good tool for salesmen since it eases the “burden of proof” off their shoulders. A demo will show that their claims are legitimate with proper use of the product, which means that there’s a lot less pressure on them to convince the customer. In most cases, once the demo is done and the capabilities shown off, the most demanding part of the process ends up being convincing the potential customer that what they just saw is worth the asking price.
However, not every product can be demonstrated. Some items can only be tested to see if they “start up,” but their full capabilities can’t really be shown to the customer unless they make a purchase. For example, while most salesmen will always turn on a laptop computer just to show that it isn’t defective in that regard, other problems can’t really be checked until the user tries to do something that involves them. For example, there’s no real way to test whether or not the battery charges properly without draining it and then attempting to charge – that’s an extremely long process to do in the store.