In the fast-paced and competitive world of sales, it’s essential to stand out from the crowd and ensure that your product or service is presented in the best possible light. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by conducting engaging and impactful product demos that win clients. As a Sales Engineer, your role is to create an unforgettable experience for your prospective clients, leaving them with no doubt that your offering is the solution they need and will deliver value to their business.
In this blog post, we will share ten tips to help you create product demos that captivate and convert prospects into long-term clients.
1. Understand Your Audience
Before you begin crafting your product demo, it’s crucial to understand who your audience is and what their specific needs and pain points are. Research your target market, industry trends, and the unique challenges your prospects face. This will allow you to tailor your demo to address their concerns and showcase how your product or service can solve their problems.
If possible, it’s always a great idea to find out who will be attending the meeting and learning as much as you can about them from their online profiles and from talking to your Account Executive (AE).
2. Create a Compelling Story
A captivating story will make your product demo more engaging and memorable. Start by outlining the problems your clients face and demonstrate how your product or service can provide the solution. Ensure that your story is relatable, relevant, and resonates with your audience. Remember to highlight the value and the benefits of your offering, rather than simply listing features.
3. Keep It Simple and Focused
It’s essential to keep your product demo concise and focused on the key aspects that will resonate with your audience. Avoid overwhelming your prospects with too much information. Instead, concentrate on showcasing the most valuable features and functionalities of your product or service that directly address the needs of your target audience. If you only need to show one key point that delivers massive value to your prospect, only show that one key point!
4. Make It Interactive
Interactive product demos are more engaging and memorable, as they allow your prospects to experience the product or service first-hand. Encourage your audience to participate in the demo by asking questions, requesting feedback, or involving them in hands-on activities. This will help build rapport and increase their understanding of your offering.
I’ve been known to give control of my computer to non-technical audience members in order to demonstrate how easy our relatively technical product was to use. If you do this, just make sure you coach them through every action! 😎
5. Leverage Visuals
Visual aids are a powerful tool in product demos, as they can help your audience better understand complex concepts and functionalities. Use images, graphics, videos, or animations to enhance your presentation and make it more dynamic. Ensure that your visuals are clear, relevant, and easy to understand.
There’s nothing more boring for a prospect than to sit through 40+ minutes of PowerPoint slides though, so try to keep your AE in check! If time is running too tight to do your demo justice, be ready with links to videos on YouTube that show what the prospect needs to see.
6. Prepare for Technical Issues
Technical glitches can detract from the overall impact of your product demo. To avoid this, test your equipment and software thoroughly before the demo, and have a backup plan in place in case of any issues. Familiarise yourself with common technical problems and their solutions to ensure a smooth and seamless presentation.
For this, it also helps considerably to have a strong relationship with your AE. If they are familiar with your demo flow, they should be able to tell if something is going wrong and step in to distract the audience. There’s nothing worse than watching the SE try to fix something!
[Top tip: Have Slack or whatever your organisation uses open on an external screen to be able to ping the AE in an emergency!]
7. Handle Objections with Confidence
It’s natural for your prospects to have concerns or objections about your product or service. Be prepared to address these professionally and confidently. Listen carefully to their concerns, empathise with their situation, and provide clear, evidence-based solutions to alleviate their doubts.
It’s worth carrying out an exercise where you prepare for every objection that you’re likely to face. Start by creating a list of everything you can think of, then collaborate with the rest of your team, as well as the wider company. Professional Services Consultants can offer great insight here.
8. Be Adaptable
Every client is unique, and their needs may differ from those of your previous audience. Be ready to adapt your product demo to accommodate the specific needs and preferences of each client. This may involve adjusting the pacing, content, or even the format of your presentation to better cater to their requirements.
Good preparation can help avoid having to pivot mid-demo, but you can always get caught out—especially if somebody unexpected shows up to the demo.
9. Follow Up After the Demo
A well-executed product demo is just the beginning of the sales process. After your presentation, be sure to follow up with your prospects promptly to answer any further questions they may have and to maintain their interest in your offering. This can be achieved through a combination of phone calls, emails, videos, or even face-to-face meetings.
I find it helpful to add these items onto my todo list as soon as they crop up so that nothing gets overlooked.
Continuously Improve
Finally, remember that there is always room for improvement. After each product demo, take the time to reflect on the experience, and identify areas where you can enhance your presentation. Seek feedback from your prospects, colleagues, and even your clients to gain insights into how you can make your next demo even more impactful and engaging.
For me, having a 5-10 minute review call with my AE the moment a demo finishes is the most impactful. You can get the feedback immediately, and if there is something that comes up that you missed, didn’t cover well enough or simply ran out of time, you can add these things to your follow-up with the prospect.
Conclusion
Creating engaging and impactful product demos that win clients is an essential skill for any Sales Engineer. By understanding your audience, crafting a compelling story, keeping the demo focused, and being adaptable, you can create an unforgettable experience for your prospects. Remember to leverage visuals, make your presentation interactive, and prepare for any technical issues that may arise. Additionally, handle objections with confidence, follow up with your prospects, and continuously seek improvement in your demo techniques. By incorporating these ten tips into your product demo strategy, you’ll be well on your way to winning more clients and driving long-term success for your business.
Happy demo-ing!
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