Presentation & Demo Skills

February 2026 · 16 min

Why Demo Skills Are Critical for FCs

A functional consultant's credibility is built or broken during demos. Doctors and hospital administrators form their opinion of the entire ERP system based on a 30-minute demonstration. A well-run demo converts sceptics into champions; a fumbled demo triggers scope disputes and vendor distrust. Unlike software engineers who can iterate in private, FCs perform live -- every keystroke is watched by stakeholders who are evaluating whether to trust their hospital's operations to your system.

Key demo situations:

• Discovery demo -- 'Show us what the system can do' (sales-support / scoping)
• CRP session -- 'Let us walk through our real scenarios together' (validation)
• UAT facilitation -- 'Let the end-users try it themselves' (sign-off)
• Steering committee -- 'Show the board our progress' (executive presentation)
• Training session -- 'Teach 30 nurses to use this by Friday' (knowledge transfer)

Preparing for a Demo

Preparation is 80% of a successful demo. Never walk into a demo hoping the system will work.

Pre-demo checklist:

• Know your audience -- Who will be in the room? Doctors care about clinical speed; management cares about revenue; IT cares about security
• Create demo data -- Realistic patient names (never 'Test Patient'), realistic appointment slots, sample prescriptions, populated inventory
• Script your click-path -- Write down every screen, every click, every data entry in sequence
• Rehearse twice -- Once solo, once with a colleague who plays the sceptic
• Test connectivity -- Projector, Wi-Fi, browser zoom level (125% for readability), Supabase connection
• Prepare fallback -- Screenshots or a recorded video in case of live system failure
• Pre-load all tabs -- Open the key screens in advance so you never wait for page loads during the demo
• Clear browser data -- No embarrassing autofill suggestions or bookmarks visible

The Demo Storytelling Framework

The best demos tell a patient's story, not a feature list. Audiences remember narratives, not menus.

The Patient Journey Framework:

1. Introduce the persona -- 'Meet Rajesh, a 45-year-old diabetic who walks into our hospital for a routine check-up'
2. Walk through registration -- Show how Rajesh gets registered, ABHA linked, token issued
3. Show the consultation -- Doctor views history, records findings, orders labs and meds
4. Follow the orders -- Lab receives the order, processes the sample, results auto-appear in EMR
5. Complete the visit -- Billing auto-calculates, insurance claim generated, Rajesh checks out
6. Show the impact -- Dashboard shows today's OPD count increased, revenue tracked, no manual paper involved

This framework works for any module -- just change the persona and journey:

Conference Room Pilot (CRP) Facilitation

A CRP is the most intensive demo format -- users bring real scenarios and validate the system against their actual workflows. This is where gaps are discovered and trust is built.

CRP facilitation rules:

1. Define scope per session -- 'Today we cover OPD + Pharmacy only. IPD is Thursday.' Don't try to cover everything.
2. Assign roles -- One FC operates the system, one takes notes, one manages the clock
3. Use the user's language -- If the head nurse says 'Sister Station', use that term, not 'Nursing Console'
4. Capture every gap live -- Maintain a visible gap log (projected on screen) with columns: Gap ID, Description, Severity, Workaround, Owner
5. Timebox discussions -- If a topic exceeds 10 minutes without resolution, park it with an action item
6. End with a summary -- Read back all decisions and gaps captured, get verbal confirmation
7. Send minutes within 4 hours -- CRP memory fades fast; same-day circulation is non-negotiable

CRP session plan template:

Steering Committee Presentations

Executive presentations require a completely different approach. The audience is CXOs, medical directors, and trustees. They have 15-20 minutes of attention and care about outcomes, not features.

Structure for steering committee:

1. Slide 1: Executive Summary -- 3 bullet points: what's done, what's in progress, what needs a decision
2. Slide 2: Progress Dashboard -- Visual chart showing phase completion, milestones, and RAG (Red/Amber/Green) status
3. Slide 3: Key Achievements -- 2-3 wins with before/after metrics ('Registration time reduced from 8 min to 2 min')
4. Slide 4: Risks & Decisions Needed -- Maximum 3 items, each with a clear recommendation
5. Slide 5: Next 30 Days -- Timeline with milestones and dependencies

Presentation rules:

• No live demo to executives -- use polished screenshots or a 90-second recorded video
• Speak in business outcomes -- 'Revenue leakage reduced by 12%', not 'We integrated the billing API'
• Anticipate questions -- prepare 2 backup slides for 'What if we delay go-live?' and 'What's the total cost?'
• Dress formally -- even if the hospital culture is casual, steering committees expect it

Handling Tough Questions During Demos

Hospital stakeholders are direct and sometimes confrontational. Doctors especially will challenge you if the system slows their workflow.

Common tough questions and how to handle them:

Golden rule: Never argue. Acknowledge, note, and follow up. Your credibility comes from responsiveness, not from winning debates.

Training Session Delivery

Training hospital staff is different from training IT teams. Most users are time-poor, non-technical, and sceptical of change.

Training delivery principles:

1. Maximum 90 minutes per session -- beyond that, attention drops sharply in clinical staff
2. Hands-on from minute 10 -- brief intro, then 'Now you try it'
3. Use their real data -- train with actual department names, real drug lists, realistic patient scenarios
4. Pair learners -- a fast learner with a slow one reduces your support load
5. Provide a QRG (Quick Reference Guide) -- laminated, pocket-sized, with the 5 most common tasks
6. Collect sign-off -- attendance sheet with 'I have been trained on [module]' + signature (NABH requirement)
7. Schedule refresher -- 1 week post-go-live, a 30-minute 'any questions?' session

Training batch sizing:

Post-Demo Follow-Up

The demo isn't over when the projector turns off. Follow-up determines whether your demo had impact.

Post-demo actions:

1. Send demo summary email within 24 hours -- key features shown, gaps identified, decisions made
2. Update the gap/action tracker -- assign owners and deadlines
3. Share recording (if recorded) -- useful for absent stakeholders and for your own review
4. Log feedback -- what went well, what confused the audience, what features excited them
5. Schedule next session -- always end with a clear next step

Notes

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