Positive sprint reviews increase customer confidence in the team and the team’s confidence in itself. If the review goes badly, the trust will degrade, just as we saw in the story. At the same time, don’t forget that the main purpose of the sprint review is not a round of applause for a job well done. The real goal of a sprint review is to stop and ascertain whether the project is on the right track.
[…] Because a positive review experience is so important to the project’s success, take a little time to plan the review so that you feel prepared and confident, especially if you are a new team or a team new to Scrum. It’s perfectly acceptable to use a script or follow the slide outline.
In addition, the team should take the time to prepare the demo environment. Set it up so that the customers can put their hands on the new features and experience it first-hand. You’ll find that the team also learns more about how the end user might interact with the product. Allow time not only for the meeting but for some casual chat-time between the customer and the team after the meeting. I allow 30 minutes between the sprint review and the retrospective so that the team and the customer feel free to interact informally.
Source: “The Scrum Field Guide : Practical Advice for your First Year”, Mitch Lacey, Addison-Wesley, 364 pages, IBSN 978-0321554154