A new year is fast approaching, and exciting things are coming. And as a SaaS business leader, how do you see the future? As you continue to create and deliver SaaS products, we hope you take a more demo-centric approach. And while there are challenging times in the SaaS world, there are amazing things in the demo space you can look forward to.
If you are someone who takes software demo presentations seriously, here are the top seven demo trends you can look forward to in 2023. The following trends are proven to benefit the future of the SaaS market, especially the expansion of product demonstrations.
1. Request for Demos comes Earlier
Today’s buyers want to see your product and know more about it. The request for a demo continuously increases in the years ahead. In 2023, you will notice that requests for software demos are coming much earlier during the sales process.
Moreover, these early-stage demos will be more important as they become a differentiator in the increasingly competitive and crowded SaaS marketplace. Be aware that buyers are becoming increasingly educated about the products they want. Apart from being educated, they become technical, and their growing interest in early demos reflects that fact.
Your company may not be set up yet to make early demos happen. Still, if you use interactive demo software, you can effortlessly deliver a great demo in the sales cycle at any time when a prospect demands.
2. The B2B buying journey becomes even more important
One of the major trends that will surely be prevalent in 2023 is that purchasers will become even more educated. They will have a growing interest, as we mentioned in the previous trend, and surely, they will conduct a lot of research independently.
So, if your buyer journey is making it harder for them, from knowing your pricing details to seeing your product, you will stay caught up. It will be 2023 soon, so make sure to have changes on your buyer journey to stand out to your target prospects.
There is so much competition in the SaaS marketplace today and in the years ahead. Below are some of the changes you can make for your buyer journey:
- There should be pricing transparency: Today, buyers do not want to guess the price of your software – they care more about the pricing upfront.
- Deliver a product demo presentation: Demos are part of the sales cycle and buying journey. So, perfect a demo for today’s potential buyers of your product.
3. Solutions Engineers resources continuously become a high-demand
Solutions engineers, and every single one in the sales field, are extremely sought-after and will probably become scarce this year. That is the trend that is expected to grow in 2023.
Below are some reasons for this shortage:
- Solutions engineers have a unique skill set. These experts have a combined set of skills and expertise in sales, which is difficult to find in one person.
- Buyers demand more time with pre-sales resources. Today’s potential purchases are interested in technical details and demand straightforward answers from experts (SEs). They are less interested in everything other than the product’s technical specifications and pricing details.
4. The demand for interactive product demos increases
A simple demo is not enough anymore for today’s buyers, even if how much you prepare a bunch of slides or screengrabs. By 2023, expect that sales content will increasingly matter and personalized demos will be in demand. No more excuses for deadly demos because buyers expect more. And as a SaaS company, your overall sales process, of which demos are a part, must have a decent tech behind it. If you want to gain the trust of your prospects, this is one of the many important steps you should take.
Truly, interactive experiences will be a top priority by 2023 and the many years ahead. And the best part is that there are already top product demo tools in the market that are proven to make the overall demo experience personalized and interactive.
Take Demostory.io as a top choice. This is the first-ever browser made for live product demos and uniquely built on Chrome. It has the best technical features that enable you and your sales team to deliver flawless, spot-on, and interactive software demos to your qualified leads.
5. Product-Led Growth Takes Off
By 2023, it is projected that most of the leaders and innovators in the SaaS industry will focus and invest more in Product-led growth (PLG) motions. This latest trend is absolutely one you must be aware of.
So, what is driving this increased interest in PLG? Some of it is heavy pressure from investors who focus on PLG companies and find the low-cost path to growth and profit promising. However, another single reason is that PLG incredibly aligns with the ways how purchasers want to buy.
6. Your Tech Stack Matters More than Ever
In 2021, the average SaaS company had a staggering 242 SaaS applications, and less than half of the employees consistently used the available apps. As clear as water, there is some room for improvement here. Focusing on technologies that can be used across different departments instead of just one single purpose can help.
For demo purposes, try a browser platform like Demostory.io that can support multiple users simultaneously. With this demo software, demo collaboration between users is seamless. Your sales reps can easily bounce different personas without confusing your prospects during a demo.
7. Budgets will continue to tighten
Yes, marketing expenses will likely continue to increase. With today’s slow economy, your marketing efforts should be more effective, especially in increasing conversations, not just traffic and users. This particular trend is somehow a big change regarding how SaaS companies have operated in the past years.
Speaking of the slugging and slow economy we are experiencing right now; there is going to be a wider focus on needs versus wants. So, create a list of your goals and what your business needs to ensure a budget. Your budget is one important thing you should focus on because it can either break you or make you.
Finally, aligning your product, sales, marketing, and budget, all at once drives positive results over time. And that positive, greater outcome is exactly what you should aim for.
Introducing Demostory.io
The significance of interactive product demos will boom in 2023 and the next years ahead. So, is your company ready for change and growth?
If you feel completely unprepared, feel free because Demostory.io is here to help you scale up your demo process. Given that purchasers will become increasingly demanding in the next years, this demo software solution helps you build connections and trust with your prospects instantly. To put it simply, it allows you to go above and beyond your usual live demo presentation.
With a web-based demonstration software like Demostory.io, you can:
- Deliver demos flawlessly on a more interactive and personalized level
- Logged into multiple instances with the same application in just one browser window.
- Build and save multiple live demos in one click
- Tailor your demos to your prospect’s use cases
Explore Demostory.io now and discover how it perfectly fits your demo process.
Get started with a 30-day trial for free and see how it works. No credit card is required.
