One of the biggest problems I have seen presales professionals struggle with in demonstrations is how to make a demo simple and compelling.
This isn’t a surprise when you think about it. We are VERY familiar with our technologies that we are selling. It’s our job to be an expert, and as the expert we also fully understand all of the ways to solve our customers’ problems.
In most cases, it’s the many different ways that you can do something that is exciting … to you. However, a demonstration or presentation is not the time to get into all of the possibilities with what you are selling.
Your goal when demoing is to convey a sense of being able to address someone’s problems in the most easy to understand and simple way possible. Complexity doesn’t demo well, even if you think someone will appreciate the complexity.
For your demonstration, start with having a clear and easy to understand scenario or problem you need to solve (shoot for something you can demo in 5 minutes or less if possible). Then, once you begin, take the shortest, simplest path with the fewest clicks to demonstrate your scenario. Choose the most logical path and demonstrate it simply, with the fewest required clicks along the way. Yes, options exist, but only discuss them if asked.
Shift from “Here’s what you CAN do” to “Here’s what I AM doing.”
In order to keep you on the right path, shift your language from “Here’s what you CAN do” to “Here’s what I AM doing.”
When you stop explaining all of the ways that a task can be accomplished and are instead discussing the path that YOU choose in this moment you don’t diminish the things you didn’t show, you just didn’t show them. Again, if someone want to know more, they will ask you about it! And isn’t that what we’re shooting for after all? We want them to ask us!
Showcasing flexibility isn’t really showing how adaptable you are. It’s just demonstrating complexity. Showing me all of the ways that I can listen to music in Spotify (as an example) via playlists, artist discovery, search, and more doesn’t fill me with confidence … it makes it seem like there’s not an easy way to find the music I want to listen to.
Keep it simple. Your audiences/prospects/customers will thank you!
It’s interesting how demos, often seen as essential, might not be as impactful as we think. The perspective that demos are overrated challenges the conventional approach many professionals take. Sharing insights from experienced guests on the podcast adds depth to this discussion. It makes me wonder if focusing less on perfect demos and more on understanding customer needs could be a better strategy. What do you think is the most effective way to align demos with customer expectations?
Creating effective product demonstrations is indeed a challenge that many presales professionals face. It’s interesting how demos can often miss the mark despite careful preparation. The insights shared in this text highlight the need to focus more on customer needs rather than sticking to standard procedures. I wonder if there’s a way to make demos more adaptable to real-time customer feedback? How can we ensure that demos truly resonate with prospects?