Sales demos can get tricky, even for the most experienced sales reps. That has even more so been the case since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the remote shift it caused across the board in the workforce.
So what’s the best way to go about demos? Should you start by jumping right into it in complete sales mode? Maybe start by painting out the big picture? Perhaps a good chunk of time should be spent towards going over key features, or the tech components that make your product unique?
There are many schools of thought when it comes to how the ideal sales demo should be structured and ultimately pan out. Of course, there is much context to consider for each call, to make your product that much more appealing for your prospect. But in this new age of virtual demos, there are some fundamentals to keep in mind.
For starters, you best make the demo be less about your product, and more about your prospect. Instead of going all out talking about the obvious pain points and features of your product, we recommend you create a vision of what your product will specifically do for them. Allow us to elaborate through three main points.
Learn To Speak Their Language
We all like conversing with people we can relate with on some level. As such, do some research prior to your call, to ensure you will be able to relate with them and speak their language.
You don’t need us to tell you to go through their website and learn more about what they are selling, who the leaders of their company are, and their competitors. However, in addition to that, dig a little deeper into who they might be targeting, and which industries they are looking into. Do they target companies of a particular size, or in a particular location? What’s the department or the role of your prospect’s prospect? What are some obstacles your prospect may be facing, and how can your product help overcome them?
Having a good sense of these insights will help you take on the most ideal approach in demonstrating (in a well-rounded manner) that your product is the best solution to their pain points, and that you and your team are really on top of things. Tailor the path of the demo by emphasising the elements they will actually be most excited about.
Structure The Sales Demo
Once you’re comfortable with the approach you’re going to take, email your prospect to let them know of the structure of the presentation itself. We recommend this, so they can know what to expect beforehand. In the email, be sure to confirm the date, time, and duration of the call (try to stick around 30 minutes.)
While writing out the structure, we highly recommend you spend more time listening to them, and less time talking. So if your demo is set to be for 30 minutes, you can spend the first five minutes going over introductions and initial questions they might have, then another five minutes introducing the product itself.
After that, spend about ten minutes going over the most interesting product highlights that would be of interest for your prospect, followed by the application. Last but not least, spend the rest of the time doing a Q&A, a quick wrap-up, and going over next steps.
Make An Impact
There are two important points you must always remember for sales demos:
- You must be naturally conversational, so you don’t come off as a salesy robot in your delivery..
- Your prospect isn’t in it to buy your features or your tech. They are in it to buy a solution for their woes, from a company and contact they can trust.
Make your mark by showing your prospect all that you learned about them, their company and their industry pain points. By demonstrating your fluency in their industry trends, vocabulary, titles, competitors, etc- you will further establish your credibility and strengthen the connection.
Also, bear in mind that you do not have to succumb to the pressure of completing the planned demo path, or even ultimately following it at all for that matter. Detours happen. Your virtual demo is meant to serve as a professional supplemental aid and backdrop, but your prospect’s sales experience remains the primary focus.
When push comes to shove, let the natural flow of the conversation ultimately lead the way, to ensure the most impactful and meaningful call for both you and your prospect.
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