I know I’ve mentioned this before ad nauseam, but I still can’t wrap my head around the concept of product “demos”. I never met a demo I didn’t hate. Maybe it’s because I’m completely impervious to instructions. I never read instructions. I don’t care how idiot-proof they try to make them (Dell and HP have awesome instruction designs). I just can’t stand a set of instructions for over ten seconds.  It’s the same for product demos. “Register for a Demo” is guaranteed to chase me away. First of all, why would I need to register? I want to start driving right now don’t you get it? That’s why I’m here! Second, what do you care what I do or what company I’m with? Let’s not put the cart before the horse please. But fundamentally. Honestly. If I need a “demo” for your product, chances are it’s too hard to use. I never watched a demo or read any instructions to use any of my Apple devices. I never needed a demo or instructions to onboard Tumblr. Or ifttt. Or Twitter or Facebook. Or TeamSupport. Or Google Analytics for that matter. You just sign in and start using the thing. Forget the training wheels! Demos are either convenient to sales people - must pre-qualify that prospect! Or necessary because the product or service is just too damn hard to use. In which case it’s best to either update your sales people or re-design your product. 
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I know I’ve mentioned this before ad nauseam, but I still can’t wrap my head around the concept of product “demos”. I never met a demo I didn’t hate.

Maybe it’s because I’m completely impervious to instructions. I never read instructions. I don’t care how idiot-proof they try to make them (Dell and HP have awesome instruction designs). I just can’t stand a set of instructions for over ten seconds. 

It’s the same for product demos. “Register for a Demo” is guaranteed to chase me away. First of all, why would I need to register? I want to start driving right now don’t you get it? That’s why I’m here!

Second, what do you care what I do or what company I’m with? Let’s not put the cart before the horse please.

But fundamentally. Honestly. If I need a “demo” for your product, chances are it’s too hard to use. I never watched a demo or read any instructions to use any of my Apple devices. I never needed a demo or instructions to onboard Tumblr. Or ifttt. Or Twitter or Facebook. Or TeamSupport. Or Google Analytics for that matter. You just sign in and start using the thing. Forget the training wheels!

Demos are either convenient to sales people - must pre-qualify that prospect! Or necessary because the product or service is just too damn hard to use. In which case it’s best to either update your sales people or re-design your product. 

I’m visual retentive and cant’ resist word clouds. This one comes from this very blog here. It would seem I talk a lot about social, customers, people, needs, product, and media. Hummm….Imagine that! :)
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I’m visual retentive and cant’ resist word clouds. This one comes from this very blog here. It would seem I talk a lot about social, customers, people, needs, product, and media.

Hummm….Imagine that! :)

According to this Luxury Daily post, we have breaking news. Making customers happy is good for business! “Brands must put consumer needs, ease of transaction and joy from the purchase at the center of their business model to compete in today’s market and to raise profits, according to an executive at Forrester’s Customer Experience Forum 2012.” You’re kidding me. You need an official “Customer Experience Forum” to figure that one out? Okay, okay, snarky = bad, but I mean come on :) Because every so often you hear about research and analysis having produced such groundbreaking discoveries: The product or service must meet the needs that the consumer has The product or service needs to be easy to obtain and use The experience needs to be enjoyable for the consumers In other words, don’t sell people junk and treat them like crap in the process. Humm. What a concept. Frank Eliason once put it best when describing Apple’s success: “People like their product, they like their customer experience. It’s as simple as that.” Social media won’t magically improve your product or your customers’ experience. It’s just a bunch of tools with creative, passionate people at the helm. And if you don’t have the basics, you just don’t got ‘em. Social media doesn’t replace common sense and the old “Don’t do unto others…” adage.
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According to this Luxury Daily post, we have breaking news. Making customers happy is good for business!

“Brands must put consumer needs, ease of transaction and joy from the purchase at the center of their business model to compete in today’s market and to raise profits, according to an executive at Forrester’s Customer Experience Forum 2012.”

You’re kidding me. You need an official “Customer Experience Forum” to figure that one out? Okay, okay, snarky = bad, but I mean come on :) Because every so often you hear about research and analysis having produced such groundbreaking discoveries:

  1. The product or service must meet the needs that the consumer has
  2. The product or service needs to be easy to obtain and use
  3. The experience needs to be enjoyable for the consumers

In other words, don’t sell people junk and treat them like crap in the process. Humm. What a concept.

Frank Eliason once put it best when describing Apple’s success: “People like their product, they like their customer experience. It’s as simple as that.”

Social media won’t magically improve your product or your customers’ experience. It’s just a bunch of tools with creative, passionate people at the helm. And if you don’t have the basics, you just don’t got ‘em.

Social media doesn’t replace common sense and the old “Don’t do unto others…” adage.