The Demo Coach

Exactly 14 days until DEMOspring 2010

Nathan Gold — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:37:53 +0000

It may be hard to believe for those preparing for their 6 minutes on stage at DEMOspring 2010, but there are only 14 days left before the first company takes the stage in Palm Desert. It’s crunch time. It’s time to get really serious about committing your scripts to memory so you have enough time to practice and ultimately deliver your demo with emotion and tremendous enthusiasm.

I still have time in my calendar for those of you who want a review of your scripts or 90 second Alpha pitches. Please go here to schedule a review session: https://my.timedriver.com/HGQ3R

And remember, after your full dress rehearsal in Palm Desert on Saturday or Sunday, The Demo Coach station will be available for you to review the recording of your rehearsal. This will be a perfect time to get some last minute coaching for your time on stage or in front of the mic for your Alpha pitch.

DEMOspring 2010 workshops and webinars – taking registrations now

Nathan Gold — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 04:05:37 +0000

This year’s DEMOspring 2010 conference is approaching quickly. It will be here sooner than you think. Once you have been accepted and make the decision to announce at DEMO, it is only the beginning of a journey to one of the most important presentations and demos in your life. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you and your company. Get ready for an amazing experience.

As the official DEMO demo coach, I am excited to offer a complete set of programs that will help you get prepared for your time on stage or in front of the mic for an Alpha pitch. Check out the calendar below for scheduled workshops and for a complete description of all programs, go here.

DEMO Spring 2010 is in the final stages of picking companies

Nathan Gold — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:36:35 +0000

The DEMO Spring 2010 conference is approaching quickly. If you haven’t heard of this conference, it is an amazing stage to announce your product, service, and company to the world. All eyes are on Matt Marshall, DEMO’s new Executive Producer, to see that he and his team put up a dais of companies that match or exceed the quality of the past. I look forward to being in the audience in March along side Chris Shipley.

Here’s a recent note from the DEMO team:

Important Upcoming Deadlines for Demonstrating or Attending at DEMO Spring 2010

March 21-23, JW Marriott Resort, Palm Desert, CA

Demonstrator/AlphaPitch Application Deadline- January 18, 2010

Jan. 18 is the deadline to apply to launch or pitch at DEMO Spring 2010. If you have a product in any stage of development (or represent a company who does), in any of the following vertical segments, we want to hear from you! DEMO Spring 2010 gives you or your clients a first-of-its-kind opportunity to present in one of seven industry-specific launch categories:

• Social and Media
• Health and Life Science
• Clean and Sustaining Technologies
• Cloud
• Enterprise
• Mobile
• Consumer

DEMO is interested in market-ready products, alpha-stage products as well as business plan only initiatives. Please contact Matt Marshall, DEMO Executive Producer at mmarshall@venturebeat.com or go to www.demo.com for complete information and application forms. Take advantage of our quality programming, quality attendance and quality marketing support that yields the most credible launch opportunities.

Early Preferred Attendee Pricing Deadline Extended until January 8, 2010

We’re happy to offer an additional week on our early preferred DEMO attendee registration rates.

Register now to be one of the first to see DEMO Spring 2010 industry-specific launches. Each segment will feature product launches, product pitches by early stage entrepreneurs and dedicated, focused discussions on the funding challenges and opportunities within each DEMO tech segment. You won’t find a better opportunity to explore products from every stage of development—and get in on the ground floor of some of the most innovative new technology we’ve seen in years.

NEW! Save Money with VIP Pricing on DEMO Spring and Fall 2010 Events

Register by Jan. 8, 2010 to attend DEMO Spring and DEMO Fall 2010 and as DEMO VIP member, pay only $1,945 for both shows. That’s a $2,550 savings over paying for each event separately. Here’s your chance to secure the biggest savings on this premier launch event while enjoying a full year of DEMO VIP Membership Benefits.

Or, if DEMO Spring 2010 fits your schedule now, sign-up by January 8 for $1495, a 50% savings off the standard single-show DEMO conference rate.

We look forward to seeing you at DEMO Spring in March either on stage or in the audience!

The DEMO Team

Giving Memorable Product Demos – Praise for the Book

Nathan Gold — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:49:29 +0000

Did you know, our book Giving Memorable Product Demos is now available on Amazon.com? Although local Amazon stores do not carry the title, people abroad can order it on Amazon.com for worldwide delivery.

We are especially proud of the feedback we have received from our early readers. Here are a few of the kind words we were sent:

“Giving Memorable Product Demos is the difference between being forgotten and generating raving fans and profits through every word and action.”
Joel Bauer, Author and Infotainer

“The authors have given a career’s worth of memorable product demos and generously shared their expertise with hundreds of product pitchmen. This book captures all that experience in a concise, valuable, highly-useful text. Giving Memorable Product Demos is a Must Read for every product manager, no matter what your industry.”
Chris Shipley, Executive Producer, The DEMO Conferences

“ANY salesperson will profit from this wonderful book. It talks not only about Product Demos but how to put ideas and feelings in the head of the customer to make them want. Great job done Nathan and Claudio!”
Chris Mulzer, CEO kikidan media, Berlin

“In all things, your growth is limited by the quality of the experts you choose to learn from. To give powerful and compelling demos, you can do no better than learning from Sennhauser & Gold. This is it; this is the pinnacle. If you don’t want to leave your future demos to chance, get this book!”
Jonathan Altfeld, Trainer of targeted uses of NLP, & author of NLP & Hypnosis home-study programs such as “Finding Your Irresistible Voice” and “The Metaphor Machine.”

“Finally a book dedicated to the art of giving successful product demos. The advice given by the authors is right on and will make even the most seasoned presenter more effective while planning, preparing, and executing their demo.”
Kate Purmal, President, Kate Purmal Consulting

“If giving technological demos is important to your business, then ‘Giving Memorable Product Demos’ is a lifesaver. In it, Nathan and Claudio arm you with all the strategies you need to educate, entertain, and influence your audience, so that they’re excited to do business with you.”
Mark Levy, Founder of Levy Innovation LLC, and author or co-creator of four books, including “How to Persuade People Who Don’t Want to be Persuaded”

“This is a bible for all people who think they understand how to demo products. It shows you exactly how to KISS!”
J. Dennis Wolfe, Insurance Broker-Owner and Author

“Open this book and you’ll find that it’s much more than a primer for young entrepreneurs. It starts out with a simple idea: inventory and critique your presentation skills using a video camera in one continuous take. From that point on, Gold and Sennhauser show entrepreneurs and other presenters how to build and deliver effective live product demonstrations using basic and proven techniques.”
Jim Forbes, Executive Producer of the DEMO Conference

If you have read the book already, we would love to hear from you. Please comment below. We want to hear it all… the good, the bad, and the ugly.

We coached 4 out of 5 DEMOgod Award Winners at DEMOfall 09

Nathan Gold — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:52:09 +0000

If DEMOfall 09 was any indicator, the economy has truly taken a turn for the better. This year’s DEMOfall was packed with innovation. 70 companies launched their product in an environment that was buzzing with entrepreneurial spirit. At each conference, a select few companies are awarded the prestigious DEMOgod Award for their outstanding presentation. Out of the 5 winners of a DEMOgod Award for their on stage demo, 4 were coached by The Demo Coach. They are Hevva, TwirlTV, Emo Labs, and Zorap.

Barry Spencer, the CEO of Zorap, was already a 2 time winner of the DEMOgod Award. When I asked him why he needed a coach, he told me that he wanted to make sure he did his best and that having a coach boosted his confidence while helping make the script more memorable.

But wait… It gets even better. This year, a very special award was up for grabs: $1 Million People’s Choice Media Prize. Guess what? Both of the winners were coached by The Demo Coach as well. The Enterprise winner was: Liaise, Inc. and the consumer winner was Emo Labs. Emo Labs won a DEMOgod Award and the $1 Million prize!

We congratulate each and every winner. You have shown that it does pay to hire a coach, no matter how experienced you already are.

DEMOfall 09 DEMOgod Award winners coached by The Demo Coach

Nathan Gold — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:14:41 +0000

At DEMOfall 09, 4 out of 5 on stage DEMOgod Award winners were coached by us. Here they are:

Emo Labs – EMO invisible speaker systems (with Edge Motion audio technology)
Emo Labs has changed the way you experience multimedia content with invisible, zero-footprint speaker systems.

Hevva, LLC – The first nationally integrated platform for buying, selling, and finding local food.

TwirlTV – a browser gateway that brings the virtual living room to the YouTube on-demand generation via a four-foot social TV experience.

Zorap – Zorap monetizes social networks by enabling live social interaction around content. You and your friends can share and simultaneously experience almost any type of audio or visual media in our private, customizable group chat environments.

Five new reasons to attend DEMOfall 09

Nathan Gold — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:24:24 +0000

Chris Shipley and her team at DEMO are locked and loaded for DEMOfall 09 in exactly two weeks. They have assembled an amazing group of companies, judges, and panelists that will make every minute of the conference worth their weight in gold. Here is an email I received today about the conference:

Five new reasons to attend DEMOfall 09

DEMOfall 09 is only a few week away and here are five new reasons not to miss all the action taking place on Sept. 21-23 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina!

DEMOfall 09 Class Finalized | DEMO Judges Announced | New Panel on Successful Fundraising in a Downturn

1. DEMOfall 09 class finalized

Attend DEMO to get an up-close/hands-on view of today’s most-promising technology innovations. This fall, sixty companies from five continents will launch new products at DEMOfall. You’ll have an opportunity for the first time to see an array of early stage companies as well as a number of large and returning companies that prove that growing a big business isn’t incompatible with fresh innovation.

2. Judges selected to evaluate DEMOfall 09 product launches as part of $1M IDG Media Award

“These judges, representing the perspective of both investors and veteran entrepreneurs, bring an important new dynamic to the DEMO stage: real-time engagement with the demonstrating companies as they bring their new products to market,” said Chris Shipley, Executive Producer of DEMO. Gain their insight on the companies launching at DEMOfall.

Current judges include:
-Larry M. Augustin, CEO, SugarCRM, Inc.
-Satish Dharmaraj, Partner, Redpoint Ventures
-Russell Fradin, President, Adify
-John Gilmore, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Sling Media
-Omar Hamoui, Founder & CEO, AdMob
-Scott L. Kauffman, President & CEO, SourceForge, Inc.
-Mark Pincus, Founder & CEO, Zynga
-Shervin Pishevar, Co-founder & CEO, SGN
-Phil Sanderson, Managing Director, IDG Ventures
-Anu Shukla, Founder & CEO, Offerpal Media
-Nirav Tolia, Co-founder & CEO, Fanbase
-Jennifer Zeszut, CEO, Scout Labs

3. Entrepreneurs Succeed in Raising Capital in a Downturn

On Monday, Sept. 21, we’ve organized a special networking dinner for investors, corporate buyers and CEO’s from the demonstrating companies. DEMO Co-Executive Producer, Matt Marshall and Mark Heesen, President of the NVCA will lead a panel, “The good, bad and ugly of raising venture capital in the downturn.” Shanna Tellerman, Chief Executive of Sim Ops Studios (DEMO class of 2008) and Mike Olson, a veteran entrepreneur and CEO of Cloudera share their recent successes in raising capital.

4. DEMO Jam Session is Back!

The ever-popular DEMO Jam Session returns to DEMOfall! Bring your instrument,vocal talent or even just your dancing shoes. Barry Rosenbaum from Bluenote Capital and his band will take the stage and all are welcome to join in! The Jam Session is sponsored by DEMO alum, Cc: Betty, Inc (DEMOSpring class of 2009) and CEO Michael Cerda who will play bass.

5. This is the last DEMO event for Chris Shipley, our esteemed executive producer for the past 13 years… join us while we toast her years of success and honor the achievements of some of the top companies she has chosen to launch on the DEMO stage.

Beyond the incredible group of innovators you will meet throughout the 2 1/2 days at DEMOfall, this event offers you tremendous networking opportunities with corporate buyers, investors and the press. Extend your network, source new deals and meet new partners when you attend DEMOfall 09.

Be part of the exclusive unveiling of the most promising new products and prototypes of 2009. DEMOfall 09 provides a window into technology’s future and introduces you to the people and companies who are paving the way.

The DEMO Team

Connect with DEMO
Stay connected and invite your friends and colleagues to join the DEMO community:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DEMOconference

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/demotweets
Include DEMO in your posts:#DEMO09

Amazon.com has our book listed!!!

Nathan Gold — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:00:14 +0000

Claudio and I are even more excited about our new book now because it is available on Amazon.com.

However, in addition to listing it on Amazon.com, we are trying something new and fun to get the word out. When you tell 5 people about our book using RumbaFish, you get a free copy as a thank you. Just click on the widget below.

Only 4 weeks until DEMOfall 09

Nathan Gold — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:26:14 +0000

With only 4 weeks between now and DEMOfall 09, there is still available help out there for you while preparing for your 6 minutes on stage or for your 90 second Alpha talk. If you missed the page in the handbook that details the programs that The Demo Coach offers, it’s all right here or at http://democoach.com/demofall-09/.

There are still openings available in the DEMOFall Boot Camp coming up this Wednesday. It’s a 90 minute webinar that will give you the tools and knowledge to make DEMOfall 09 a peak experience for your company. It is free. Sign up here or at http://democoach.com/demofall-09/.

In addition, Nathan Gold has graciously offered a script and plan review session for anyone presenting on stage or at the microphone. This speed review session is being provided at no charge and with no obligations. To schedule your time with a 2-time DEMOgod Award winner, go here or http://my.timedriver.com/XYWQK.

DEMOfall 09 Coaching Programs and Services

Nathan Gold — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:06:32 +0000

Claudio and I are all geared up and ready to accept new clients for DEMOfall 09. We have expanded our offerings this year in anticipation of a sold out show! If you are one of the fortunate companies to be invited to demo on stage in San Diego in September, you might want to take a moment and read over the various programs, workshops, webinars, and other coaching help we can give you. Seating and registrations are limited in all cases to give attendees personal attention. Here is a complete list of programs and services for DEMOfall 09.