If you read our previous blogs, we always mentioned and defined product demos as the most critical piece in the sales process. A successful product demo is more than giving a walkthrough, creating a value proposition, and positioning your product against the ongoing competition. So, it is crucial to adapt to your prospect’s needs and show how your software helps them solve their pain points.
But the question is – how can you host an effective product demo that convinces your prospects and eventually boost your sales? Find out all the answers in this blog. Let’s dive in!
Common Variations of Product Demo
Product demos can be pre-recorded and delivered in real-time and are typically employed by salespeople to give prospects an overview of the many features, communicate value, and highlight use cases. Here are some common variations of a product demo:
- One-to-Many product demo: This demo is often a scheduled presentation in which one or more sales representatives will give a general overview of their product to a group of prospects. The prospects have to register online to be present during the demos. The demos can be done live, pre-recorded, or a mix of both.
- One-to-one demo: This is a live presentation where the sales rep shows off specific product features based on the prospect’s individual needs.
- Technical demo: This is a one-on-one demo where prospects get a personalized and hands-on experience with your software solution. They will use it firsthand within a structured setting.
The Many Benefits of Demoing Your Products
Three advantages can make your product demo an essential tool for your target prospects – Proof, excitement, and personalization. Let us take a closer look at each of these.
1. Proof
The most common benefit of perfectly hosting an effective product demo is the capacity to provide proof of your claims. Your website can say and post anything it wants, showcase customer testimonials, list product features, share screenshots, and more – all of which are beneficial.
But until a potential prospect wants to see what your software solution can do, they will not be convinced that your product offering can deliver the type of user experience and value that you claim they can. To put it simply, demoing your product provides concrete proof that your software can deliver what it promises.
2. Excitement
While it is crucial to show off what your product exactly does, you have to get people to be thrilled about what you are marketing or selling. A great product demo will ultimately give you that opportunity. So, make sure you understand that focusing on the solid benefits of the product rather than listing its features is a great way to build up anticipation and enthusiasm for anything your company sells.
3. Personalization
Finally, a product demo, particularly one that is often conducted in live and real-time – enables you and your team to personalize the software sales presentation to your prospects. It enables you to customize a one-to-one product demo you are hosting to show off features and benefits your prospects will find helpful to their business.
Know that personalization in sales is crucial. And only product demos can make integrating this philosophy into your selling practices easier.
How to Perfect Your Product Demo?
A product demo provides software proof, creates excitement for your company’s offering, and significantly increases sales via personalization – but only if the product demo is hosted perfectly and effectively. In this part of the blog, we will detail a four-step process that can help you prepare and host a stellar demo, regardless of the software solution you sell.
1. Get prepared
Preparation comes first, and you should start researching anything about your prospects to be able to tailor the overall demo specifically to them. There are a few things you need to know when you tailor your demo to your prospects.
See below:
- Who will be viewing your product demo?
- What specific role do each of the prospects have?
- The day-to-day challenges they often face
- The specific goals they aim to accomplish
- How can your software assist them?
Answering the five questions we cited above will give you a better position to host a great product demo for your prospects. However, there is one important thing you should consider as well – to take advantage of sales demo tools. As you know, this is an important part of the preparation process, and it helps deliver a perfect demo to your prospects while ensuring you stay on track during the presentation.
2. Describe the value
To entice a prospect to purchase something, you must first make them understand how your software will benefit them. In other words, you have to describe the value your product will bring to the table. When crafting content for your demo, always search for ways to explain the value behind your products rather than focusing on features.
Remember that your product’s value is greater than its features.
3. Use sales demo software
Invest in the latest software demo tool to host a more effective product demo. You can experience many benefits when you deploy such software to your sales process, and your demo effectiveness and your transactions will also boost. On top of that, you can show off the true value of your product and its best features.
Ultimately, demo software helps you in closing more deals with your prospects. As a result, your sales are bound to increase consistently.
4. Answer questions
Great product demos focus on the personal needs of your prospects. But to fully understand what your prospect needs from your software, you must ask them first. That is why we suggest starting every demo with a quick Q&A session.
To start, you can ask questions like:
- It is my understanding that you want to achieve A, B, and C. Is that right?
- Right now, you are looking for ways to overcome challenge X, right?
- What specific capacities or features are you exactly looking for in this type of product?
Once you know the information, you can now customize your demo to suit your prospect’s needs and provide a more personalized demo experience for them. But do not stop there! Ask questions during and after the demo presentation to get more clarification.
Perfect Your Demo with Demostory.io
We already mentioned the need to invest in the latest demo tools. And we mean it. Many options are available in the market today, and one of the leading choices is Demostory.io. This interactive demo software integrates all of the best and most convenient features that aid a great live demo experience.
This demo tool helps you deliver your products through flawless live demos, resulting in more closed deals and improved sales. It is packed with technical features you can use to host an excellent demo, delight your prospects, and build a solid customer base.
Look no further than Demostory.io. Get started with a 30-day free trial.