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How do you create a demo that sells your product? Just show the features and benefits! Here are script examples, templates, and resources to help you give demos.
Demonstrations (demos) are an important part of the sales process since they allow a lead to see a product in action. To be successful, they need lead qualification, official invitations, a well-organized agenda, and an emphasis on the value and applications of your product.
Follow these nine steps to obtain the greatest product demo outcomes when you start filling your funnel with leads and leading them to this stage.
1. Determine the Lead’s Quality
Make sure this prospective client is a good match for what you’re offering even before asking them to a product demo. Ask detailed questions during your introduction calls or email exchanges to understand their circumstances and buy timing as part of the lead qualifying process. This ensures you don’t waste time giving demos to customers who don’t have a demand (or the financial means) for your items.
Pre-demo questions can assist you in tailoring your demonstration to the needs of your leads. You may use these sample questions as a guide to find vital information before a product demo to better understand their requirements and priorities:
Questions about Qualifications
- What is your budget for a solution like this?
- Should other people be engaged in the purchasing process if you are the principal decision-maker for this solution?
- What particular issues do you want to address?
- Do you have any particular features or product aspects in mind for this solution?
- When would you wish to put this solution into action?
If any of the answers to these questions don’t match your price, product or brand qualities, or preferred timetable, don’t proceed with the demo right now.
Questions about the Product Demo
- What product or service do you currently use (if any)?
- Is there anything about this product or supplier that you really enjoy?
- Is there anything about this product or supplier that you’d want to see improved?
- Do you have any reservations about making such a change?
Concentrate your presentation on answering these questions. This will be very useful later in the product demonstration, namely in step six.
2. Send invitations to a detailed demo meeting
Send out the invites after the lead has consented to let you demonstrate your product and you’re convinced they’re a good match. Anyone engaged in the purchasing decision must be present at the meeting. When you asked for “other decision-makers” or “other persons engaged” in step one, you should have gotten this information.
In addition to the actual invitation (which will almost certainly be a Zoom or other video conferencing session), you should send an email thanking them for taking the time and expressing interest in a demo. Include instructions on how to join the call as well as a quick overview of what will happen. Here’s an example of how to put this email together:
Thank you for your interest in our product, [lead name].
Hello, [lead name]
Thank you for your willingness to participate in a product demonstration. Please feel free to invite any additional members of your company to the presentation, whether or not you are the only decision-maker for a purchase.
The following are the login instructions for the meeting:
[Include meeting directions, links, and other pertinent information.]
The product demonstration will concentrate on [aspects of the product you want to display and solves the lead’s pain points] based on the information you’ve supplied. If you have any queries before our meeting, please let me know.
I really forward to chatting with you soon!
Thanks,
[Your name here]
Rather than include directions in your meeting, ask if there is any information they need to know about parking, entry, security, and so on if you’re meeting with them in person at their workplace. If you’re holding the meeting in person, your instructions should include basic directions to your office building as well as any other information they’ll need once they arrive.
Pro tip: Using scheduling automation solutions like Calendly, arranging a product demo may be simple. Calendly allows you to customize a system to meet your specific requirements and work around your schedule. Users may also send a link to their leads through email or an online button that directs them to a scheduling gateway where they can choose a time that is convenient for everyone. The participants’ calendars are instantly synchronized with the Calendly event when you create a meeting.
Calendly is a scheduling tool (Source: HubSpot)
3. Start With Expectations & an Agenda
Begin with quick introductions after all of the guests have arrived. Some teams prefer to bring in a company product or software specialist to assist clarify some of the technical issues; the sales representative should introduce that individual. This is also the opportunity to go through the agenda and reassure everyone that you will keep to the time limit set before the meeting.
Some video conferencing software, such as Zoom, provides a note-taking tool that you may use to display your agenda before the conference begins. You may also take notes during the meeting and email them to the attendees afterward.
Zoom function for taking notes (Image courtesy of UXDesign)
4. Boost Your Business’s Credibility
To establish brand credibility, the initial portion of your product demo presentation should be an introduction to your company. Go through your company’s history, the goods and services you provide, and the sorts of customers and clients you deal with in a few sentences. This is also an excellent moment to discuss any honors or accreditations acquired by your firm, product, or significant employees, such as your CEO.
You may also include customer success stories or testimonials. These assist you to develop credibility and trust by allowing your consumers and the value they’ve received to speak for you rather than you promoting your brand without proof or context. You may use the following script template:
In line with the agenda, I’ll provide a quick overview of our firm. We were established in [year founded] for the sake of [mission or other stated purpose]. We can help you with [other goods or services you provide] in addition to [the product you’re demoing].
We’ve assisted a wide range of [clients or customers], including [list clientele], over the period of [years active]. Our high-quality work has [earned us prizes, aided our company’s growth, and kept our clients satisfied].
Enough about us—get let’s to the point of why you’re here.
It’s critical to keep this part short so you can concentrate on the product and consumer demands of your audience. Finally, the presentation isn’t for you to gloat about prior accomplishments, but rather to demonstrate how your product may assist clients in achieving their objectives.
Pro tip: You could require copywriting, graphic design, or video production services for product demos. Fiverr is a low-cost marketplace that links your company with skilled freelancers that can assist you in all of these areas. It’s simple to identify freelancers, assign assignments, and pay them all in one spot using the platform.
Fiverr offers a variety of freelance services. (Image courtesy of Fiverr)
5. Describe the worth of your product
Go straight to the product that leads want to see after you’ve created trust and credibility with them. If your product has a fascinating past, such as a unique manner it was built or an original purpose that differs from what it is now, tell them about it so they can better comprehend your product’s development history. Next, describe how the product operates, including its architecture, design, delivery, and hosting methods.
If you’re selling software, for example, explain how it’s cloud-based, which means the data isn’t housed on-premise and can be automatically backed up. Explain the chemical ingredient utilized in a physical product, such as a cleaning solution, and how it functions after it’s sprayed on.
After the basic product description, go through the product’s individual characteristics. On a software program, you might display the modules, such as the home dashboard, which displays the platform’s button selections. You may even go a step further and demonstrate how data is entered into the system, then discuss the advantages and benefits of your product’s design over others.
If you’re demonstrating a physical item, such as a multifunction printer, go through the unit’s sub-features to demonstrate printing, scanning, and faxing. When demonstrating a product’s features, concentrate on the final result rather than how to get there—they’ll figure it out after they’ve bought the item.
6. Include Use-Case Examples
From the viewpoint of your lead attendees, this phase is likely the most important. It’s your opportunity to put the features you just saw in action in real-life circumstances. Directly address a problem or a daily task that the leader or their personnel are dealing with. You may look back to the answers they provided in step one to your demo-related queries.
Let’s imagine you’re in the business of providing customer relationship management (CRM) software to marketing firms. As part of the capabilities crucial to an agency, your platform provides built-in project management and content management system (CMS).
You understand how marketing firms frequently find it tough to work on certain projects since you know your market well. This is because large-scale marketing campaigns need a wide range of professionals (search engine optimization specialists, content creators, digital advertising, project managers, and so on), some of whom aren’t actually agency employees but rather contractors for other businesses.
As a result, you’d display the project management module in action in your use-case scenario to highlight this pain point. Create projects, add staff, create and assign tasks, upload information, and resources, and then update the project status to show them how it works. The goal here is to expand on the “describe product” phase by providing important background.
7. Talk about the product’s implementation
Outline the implementation process once you’ve presented the product features and use cases. It might be as easy as a one-day installation and a one-week order to deliver, or it could be more complicated, such as a three-month subscription procedure followed by training. This is also a good opportunity to go through any infrastructure needs your product may have.
Your software, for example, may only function with particular operating systems, interface with certain tools, or be limited to the cloud or on-premise settings. If you’re installing an industrial printer, you may require precise room measurements and power channels. A cleaning spray, on the other hand, may need a certain temperature for proper storage. These specifics, as well as buying expenses, should be presented throughout your presentation.
Total cost, price methodology (a flat charge, per item, per user, etc. ), financing alternatives, warranties, free trials, and return policies should all be stated. If the lead wants to buy from you but has to keep under a set budget, you may offer customized alternatives or a tiered pricing structure to employ.
8. Provide answers to questions
While answering questions during a Q&A session seems simple, it’s best to anticipate what might be asked prior to the product demo. Be prepared to re-show the product in use as common demo questions involve going over a feature a lead wants to see. If a question is asked but you do not know the answer, include your response in the post-meeting plan to address it in a follow-up email.
You may also offer to schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss any questions or issues they had during the original presentation that you were unable to address. You may also film a video that answers their queries and send it in your follow-up email.
During this session, you may hear loud concerns about the expense, fear of change, or commitment. These are considered sales obstacles, which you can simply overcome by reading our sales objections how-to guide. You’ll discover how to transform all sorts of everyday issues into possibilities.
9. Create a post-meeting strategy
The last step in a product showcase is to devise a strategy for moving ahead. After the demo, the lead is likely to be unable to make a purchase choice and will need further time. You’ll want to pay attention to their current situation since they may need to include additional individuals in the purchasing process, present the concept to the board, or learn more about the product before making a choice.
Offer to submit anything related to their present position to maintain control of the process. Send a proposal or quotation information if they indicated an interest in price, for example. If they require senior management to examine anything first or want to learn more about the product, provide product material after the conversation. Also, mention that you’ll get back to them with solutions to any unresolved questions they had and that you’ll provide them next steps depending on their scenario.
The following is an example script that you can use to wrap up your product demonstration:
I hope we were able to solve all of your issues and “wow” you with what our product can achieve. In terms of the following steps, depending on where you are now, I’ll give you a follow-up email with [proposals, quotations, additional product information, an invitation to another call, and so on] for you [and/or senior management, other decision-makers, other users] to review.
I’ll also receive [answers or confirmation] to those [unanswered queries] that you had. In the meanwhile, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need any more assistance.
Even if the lead is unsure about making a purchase, delivering further information after the demo keeps you front of mind. It might take months or even a year for a decision to be made after a rally. Don’t be disheartened; despite a lot of interest, time might be an issue. Follow up with the lead on a regular basis to see if there’s anything you can do to expedite the process.
Use CRM software to track these phases since a sales lead’s mentality alters depending on where they are after a presentation. Pipeline management features in CRMs like Pipedrive, for example, display the status of each lead on a Kanban-style board with drag-and-drop capabilities. This puts your whole sales team on the same page and allows you to remain on top of each opportunity.
Pipedrive is a pipeline management system (Source: Pipedrive)
What Is a Product Demo & Why They Matter
A product demo is a live or prepared presentation of a physical product or software program. It may be done in person, through video conferencing, or via a prerecorded video.
Product demonstrations are a key step in the sales funnel for firms providing these sorts of solutions, such as software as a service (SaaS) companies, industrial or office equipment sellers, or retail shops with a unique or novel solutions.
Because a great product demo may make the difference between winning and losing a contract, new representatives should get intensive product demo training. Experienced salespeople should also maintain their skills and technical understanding of your product on a regular basis.
Statistics on Product Demonstrations
These data indicate how useful product demonstrations are and objective methods to improve them, whether you’re giving a live presentation or filming a demonstration video:
- To comprehend items, 71% of buyers choose video above any other sort of material.
- After a demo, top sales performers get 28 percent more inquiries than ordinary performers, indicating a high level of interest in your product.
- Shorter demonstrations are much more successful, with research indicating that 9 minutes is the ideal length for discussing product aspects.
- Using questions to answer concerns during demonstrations has an obvious benefit. When compared to ordinary performance, top achievers ask 23.3 percent more inquiries.
- When you discuss return on investment (ROI) during a product demo, your chances of completing the business drop by 27%.
- When salespeople don’t discuss the next actions at the conclusion of a demo, closing rates drop by 71%.
Conclusion
To convert interested leads into prospective purchasers, business owners and sales management professionals must build an enthralling product demo technique. This step of the pipeline allows prospects to acquire trust in your brand and realize how your product may assist them in achieving their objectives.
