During my long software career, some of the most memorable experiences have been in pre-sales role. I enjoy talking to prospects and the new challenges that keep you on toes all the time. One of the critical elements of successful pre-sales/sales cycle is a good sales demo. At Bluepineapple, I have been involved in multiple demos and every one of them is a great learning experience. Based on my learning, would like to share 4 easy steps that can help you create and deliver great demos.
Know your Customer
A good demo is not about listing your product features. It is mainly about establishing how the product solves your customer’s problems. Understand the industry they operate in and some key challenges and nuances. Have a discovery meeting and try to understand the current process and what are the shortcomings. This will give you the right background to fine tune your scenarios. Make sure to address the concerns of all key stakeholders.
Preparation is the key
Script an end to end scenario story line based on the knowledge gathered. List down the key personas to be depicted. Write down a script and rehearse it in advance. Reciting from a script gets very monotonous, and an impromptu demo will lack finesse. The demo data and product branding should be customized to give a flavor of how it would look after the product has been implemented. Test thoroughly as even small bugs leave a negative impression.
Mind the Attention span
The demo flow should cover your product flow with a brisk pace. Limit the presentation at the start to a maximum of four slides highlighting your key features and differentiators. The last slide should depict the key personas and the story line. Once in the demo, avoid switching to the presentation again as it just distracts attention. Be mindful of your pace, ask for feedback to ensure you still have the customer’s attention.
Rules of engagement
The most important aspect of the demo is to have a healthy discussion with the customer. Keep enough time to clarify queries and have the right experts from your team ready at hand. There could be a lot of requirements which may not be covered due to limited time. Make sure to talk through them during the discussion. If required, schedule a follow-on meeting to cover some aspects in more depth. Also use this opportunity to ask insightful questions and deepen your understanding of the business challenges. You should also try and glean information about your competitors and highlight your differentiators.
The hallmarks of a great sales demo are, it should be crisp, engaging and customer-centric. Engage the customer and build a strong rapport with all the key stakeholders. Remember, this is not just about your product capabilities, but also about how you are the right fit to solve their business problems.
Do comment and share your own experiences.
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