PDF: Vendor Beauty Parade Guide, v1.3 - free download

Following my post earlier this week on the topic of creating Vendor Beauty Parades, I have just updated the 18-page PDF guide that I routinely share with clients. I thought you might be interested to browse through it. Please feel free to share with colleagues.

A brief overview:

What is a 'Beauty Parade' in Conversational AI?

A 'beauty parade' in business terminology refers to a process where multiple vendors are invited to present their oZerings to help inspire and educate. In the context of Conversational AI, it involves inviting several AI vendors to demonstrate their chatbots, virtual assistants, or other conversational AI solutions to your team.

Key Points:

• Not to be mistaken for an RFP (Request for Proposal)
• Occurs before you know exactly what you want to achieve
• An essential stage in the discovery process

I've put the download link at the bottom. If you need any help arranging your vendor beauty parades, drop me a note – I can help.

Here are the chapter headings from the table of contents:

Executive Summary

• What is a Vendor Beauty Parade?
• Key Benefits
• Why You Need This Guide
• Who Should Read This

Introduction

• What is a 'Beauty Parade' in Conversational AI?
• Discovering What's Possible
• An Essential Stage in The Discovery Process
• Don't Do Your Learning and Discovery During RFP
  - The Pitfalls of Learning During RFP
  - Overcoming Executive Resistance
  - Reframing The Conversation

The Benefits of Arranging a Beauty Parade

• Discover What You Don't Know
• Compare & Contrast
• Engage With Startups
• Engage With 'Adjacent' Vendors
• Hands-on Experience
• Customisation Insights
• Team Involvement
• Business Model Discussion
• Technical Compatibility
• Cultural Fit

How to Conduct an Effective Beauty Parade

• Set Clear Internal Objectives
• Be Clear with Vendors
• Diverse Selection
• Real-World Scenarios
• Q&A Sessions
• Post-presentation Discussions

Potential Challenges and How to Overcome Them

• Time Consumption
• Information Overload
• Vendor Fatigue
• Bias Towards Flashy Presentations
• Executive Attention

Example Beauty Parade Internal Objectives

Example Beauty Parade Methodology

• Get Executive Buy-in
• Internal Team Alignment
• Identify The Vendors
• Reach Out To Vendors
• Insist On Senior Vendor Participants
• Send The Agenda
• Book The Beauty Parade Meetings
• Appoint A Note-Taker
• Brief Each Vendor
• Strictly Manage Each Meeting
• Debrief The Vendors
• Beauty Parade Review Meeting

Sample Meeting Agenda

• Your organisation introduction
• Introduce the meeting purpose
• Vendor introduction
• Vendor Presentation
• Questions & Answers
• Thank you & close

Next Steps After The Beauty Parade

• The Beauty Parade Review Meeting

Do you need any help?

PDF Download Link

Here's the download link: