A sales demo allows you to demonstrate how your product will alleviate your prospect’s problems.
It’s where you can tailor your solution to zero in on the important issues your prospect is dealing with without being distracted.
The finest sales demos are also an excellent technique for you to gain trust and confidence as a salesperson. You’re not demonstrating your abilities, but rather what your product can achieve for your prospect – how it can benefit their department, colleagues, suppliers, and customers?
Which begs the question: what makes a good sales demonstration?
We’ll go over all you need to know about selling a solution in this crucial guide to remote sales demos.
What exactly is a sales demonstration?
A sales demo is a presentation given to potential customers and stakeholders within an organization, either remotely or on-site.
The demo’s goal is to show off useful features while focusing on the value they will provide to this particular situation.
A fantastic sales demo will always be built around the following:
- An in-depth awareness of a company’s problems
- Adapting the presentation to the organization’s goals and objectives
- Highlighting the methods for resolving various issues
Identify and resolve your prospect’s problems
There isn’t such a thing as an off-the-shelf sales demonstration. Each demo, by definition, is designed to show a product in a certain use-case and setting.
Different industries, companies, departments, and clients will face various obstacles and seek to capitalize on various possibilities.
Simply reeling off the benefits of your product without adapting your presentation to the pain points of your prospect is the greatest way to come off as a salesperson rather than a trusted counsel.
As a result, you should avoid holding group demos that is, showing your product to a diverse group of prospects from various companies.
You must personalize and customize your demo. It should never come before a qualification call and should be scheduled later in the sales cycle, once your grasp of specific requirements has been fine-tuned. Using a comprehensive inside sales software can help you.
Understanding your prospect’s individual demands requires research and planning. Your demo will instill confidence and bring you one step closer to closing the deal once you’ve accomplished this.
Bring decision-makers together
It is extremely rare for a single person to make a B2B purchasing decision. Chances are, multiple decision-makers will be involved. This means you’ll need to consider how you’ll meet the needs of a diverse collection of stakeholders, some of whom may have competing expectations.
You’ll need to gather all of the decision-makers together before scheduling your demo.
You can figure out who you need to present to by asking your sales contact leading questions.
Consider the following questions:
- Who will be the target market for this product?
- Who will be the one to approve the expenditure?
- From whose budget would the funds be drawn?
- Is this anything that a committee or task force is working on?
You must comprehend each person’s stake and part in the buy – and make certain that there is anything that exhibits genuine worth to everyone present.
Choose a date and set the environment
Now that you know who has to be there, you need to schedule everyone’s arrival. This task of appointment setting can be quite challenging when you’re dealing with multiple stakeholders.
If you’re doing a video conference presentation, make sure to include any log-in or dial-in information. Everything that will be needed should ideally be in this email – nothing ensures confusion like a series of emails that iteratively offer details and information.
If you haven’t met any of the guests yet, send them a small, personalized video introducing yourself, your company, and your solution.
Keep in mind to:
- Allow plenty of time for your squad to practice and prepare.
- Make contact with your prospect the day before the demo to ensure that everyone is still available.
- If key decision-makers are unable to attend, offer to reschedule.
- Make sure you’re taking care of everyone’s needs, not just those of the senior team.
- Prepare a summary – perhaps a short video – so that any buyers who were unable to attend can be contacted.
Add personality to your presentation
It cannot be stressed enough that the purpose of a sales demo is not to demonstrate the capabilities of your product.
That is only the beginning. Showing your prospect how your product can meet their wants is the true meat on the bone.
You must emphasize that you understand your prospect’s predicament, and you must structure your presentation such that everything is focused on eliminating these pain points in the most straightforward manner possible. People rarely purchase something they don’t fully comprehend.
With this in mind, structuring your remote demo with storytelling may really help the audience follow along and understand everything. Find methods to incorporate features and benefits into stories about how they’ve assisted clients with comparable issues.
It’s also vital to remember that you’re not only giving out information throughout the demo; you’re also gathering it.
Make sure to schedule time for the following:
- A short question and answer section.
- Determining the next step in the decision-making procedure.
- Following up with a quick review of the points presented and an offer to answer any further questions following the presentation.
How long should your demonstration last?
For most demos, 1 hour will allow you to cover enough material and answer questions without losing the attention of the audience.
Your demo should begin with a friendly greeting and a clear summary of what you’ll cover in the time allotted.
As you continue through your presentation, try to let your audience know what’s coming up next and keep them updated on your progress.
While it’s necessary to keep an open mind and respond to criticisms and questions as they arise, it’s also crucial to stay on track. The easiest approach to achieve this is to emphasize that there will be plenty of time for more thorough inquiries at the end of the demo.
Put your solution on display
To present your product, use screen sharing during your demo. This allows your audience to follow along in real-time with you and see how your product can help them.
To ensure smooth transitions, make sure any movies or slides you want to use are easy to access and submit. You can use customizable slide deck templates to present all the important talking points you want to cover.
When utilizing your screen to present, clean up the viewing environment to remove everything that can distract you, such as unrelated apps and icons, programs, or open but not needed web pages. Also, for instant messaging or emails, remember to switch off audio and on-screen notifications.
Get ready for tough questions
Certain inquiries will invariably and definitely arise that you would rather not answer. It can’t be avoided.
Rather than fooling yourself into thinking things won’t happen, it’s important to be prepared. The more prepared you are to respond quickly and effectively, the more likely you are to gain trust.
One question you should anticipate is one about the expense. Make a decision ahead of time if you’re willing to discuss the price or whether you’ll follow up with a full sales proposal following the demo.
If you’re going to talk about money, here are some conversation starters:
- Put your price into perspective by emphasizing the value in terms of cost savings or revenue gain.
- Prepare an estimate of the return on investment your prospect can expect.
- Discuss higher-priced options to help you choose your price.
Wrapping up
Finally, here’s a checklist you can go over before sharing that screen to make sure you’re ready for your next sales demo.
- Make sure that all of the important decision-makers will be in attendance
- Figure out what each guest is most eager to learn about
- Customize your demo to meet the demands of each audience member
- Practice your demonstration
- Get ready for the inevitable questions that will inevitably arise
By following this guide to remote sales demos, you can successfully demonstrate your solution, establish trust, and increase your closing ratio.