Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to actually educate with useful information, but it’s worth it to cut down on content and put more effort into being creative. Examples of successes I’ve seen:

* Over-the-top game show format. Use stupid game show music and some buzzers, dress like a game show host, and have lots of tchochkes to give away.
* Over-the-top competitive bake-off. Use costumes (cave man for competitor and Star Trek for your product) and use lots of bad puns.

See a trend? Over-the-top gets the job done while a sober discourse on the new streaming XML translator widget will lead to the above-mentioned suicide pact.

I know, sounds like a lot of effort, and it is compared to a typical customer presentation/demo. But this is something you maybe do once a year at the global sales kick-off (or maybe a few more times).

Of course 8 times out of 10 the MVP award will go to the wrong player – but you don’t mind that; it’s recognition for the team after all…

I would LOVE to leave them in the dust, manage them out, get them rotated to other product lines, etc, but unfortunately, the agenda is largely defined by the sales management and they want it all. The remedial training for the laggards, the latest and greatest for the high performers, and as much of the future development as they can stand.

My presentations are NEVER slow and boring, as I am great at getting the audience to participate (willingly). If I could get our sales management to start thinning the weak members from the herd, then our life would be much better.

Of course the recent RIF’s that have impacted the field (and my team as well) thinned out some of our best people (WTF is up with that?!?!?)

I guess I am doomed.

Gander

A slow/boring presentation will not catch the attention of those who have proven they don’t pay attention, and it will inflict pain on the very people you want on your side.

But, alas, there is a pretty wide chasm, and unfortunately, in my case at least, I MUST present to the lowest common denominator.

It really isn’t helpful to have a heckler or two in the audience who is bored to tears, and trading barbs.

Of course, when we actually TEST the competence of the sales engineers, even the veterans come out poorly, hence the remedial agenda…

Gander

However, despite best efforts, you can find yourself stuck in this kind of preso. Take heart – this is exactly why the Blackberry was invented: get your email taken care of and then polish up on your brick-out skills.

- Dr. Jim Anderson
The Accidental PM Blog
“Home Of The Billion Dollar Product Manager”