Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is a complex and powerful tool that can help businesses manage their core processes and data. But how can you showcase its benefits and features to potential customers in a demo that is engaging, relevant, and persuasive? Here are some tips to help you plan and deliver a successful ERP software demo.
Before you start your demo, you need to understand who you are talking to and what they are looking for. What are their pain points, goals, expectations, and priorities? What are their roles, responsibilities, and decision-making power? How familiar are they with ERP software and your solution? You can gather this information by conducting research, asking questions, and listening to their feedback. This will help you tailor your demo to their specific needs and interests, and avoid wasting time on irrelevant or technical details.
Identifica y destaca las funciones clave del ERP que son más relevantes para la audiencia. Enfócate en características que aborden los problemas específicos o necesidades de los usuarios. Adapta la demostración según los requisitos específicos del cliente o la empresa. Muestra cómo el ERP puede ser personalizado para satisfacer sus necesidades particulares. Configura el entorno de la demostración para que refleje situaciones del mundo real.
Audience Understanding: Before starting your demo, gather insights into your audience's pain points, goals, expectations, and priorities to tailor your presentation effectively. Role and Decision-Making Assessment: Understand your audience's roles, responsibilities, and decision-making power to align your demo with their specific needs and influence areas. Level of Familiarity: Gauge their familiarity with ERP software and your solution through research, questions, and feedback, ensuring a balanced and relevant presentation. Tailored Presentation: Customize your demo to address their needs and interests, avoiding unnecessary or overly technical details that may not align with their priorities.
At the beginning of your demo, you should set the agenda and explain what you are going to cover and how long it will take. This will help you create a clear structure and a logical flow for your presentation, and avoid confusion or interruptions. You should also state the objectives and benefits of your demo, and how they align with your audience's goals and challenges. This will help you establish rapport and credibility, and motivate them to pay attention and participate.
?? The Power of an Agenda in Sales Meetings Remember John, a seasoned sales pro who walked into a key client meeting without a set agenda? He quickly realized he was navigating in the dark. Lessons learned: ? Clarity & Focus: Setting an agenda provides a clear roadmap. It keeps the meeting focused and on track, ensuring all critical points are covered. ? Respect for Time: An agenda respects everyone's time, signaling that you value efficiency and purposefulness. ? Preparation & Confidence: It prepares you and your clients for what's to come, fostering a sense of readiness and confidence. From that day on, John never underestimated an agenda's power. It's a simple tool that transforms meetings into productive discussions.
Agenda Setting: Clearly outline the agenda at the beginning of your demo, specifying what you'll cover and the expected duration to establish a structured and organized presentation. Objectives and Benefits Alignment: State the objectives and benefits of your demo, aligning them with your audience's goals and challenges. This helps build rapport, credibility, and encourages active participation. Logical Flow Establishment: Create a logical flow for your presentation by setting the agenda, minimizing confusion, and avoiding interruptions during the demo. Motivation for Attention: Motivate your audience to pay attention and participate by highlighting how the objectives and benefits of the demo directly address their needs and challenges.
One of the most important aspects of your demo is to demonstrate the value of your ERP software, not just its features. You should show how your solution can solve their problems, improve their performance, and achieve their desired outcomes. You should also highlight the unique advantages and differentiators of your solution, and how it compares to other options or alternatives. You should use concrete examples, scenarios, and stories that relate to your audience's situation, and show them the before-and-after effects of using your software.
ERP systems have appropriate functions and features by design. If a potential client focuses on features, the supplier should ask himself whether the client is ready for implementation. Therefore, the suppliers often choose the option: "let's sell it and worry about it later."
Whenever possible, you should use a live environment to demo your ERP software, rather than a static slide deck or a recorded video. A live environment allows you to show your software in action, and interact with it in real time. You can also customize it to reflect your audience's data, processes, and preferences, and make it more relevant and realistic. A live environment also gives you the opportunity to answer questions, address objections, and handle feedback on the spot, and show your audience how flexible and adaptable your software is.
Yes, live demos can be powerful, but they're a double-edged sword. Here’s why judicious use of a live environment is key: ? Show, Don't Tell: A live demo brings your ERP software to life. It's interactive, allowing clients to see real-time functionalities. ??? Customization is Crucial: Tailor the live environment to mirror your audience's data and processes. This makes the demo relevant and impactful. ?? Limit, Don’t Overwhelm: Avoid going overboard. A focused, concise live demo is more effective than an exhaustive, detailed tour. ?? Flexibility in Action: Use the live environment to demonstrate adaptability. ?? Balance is Key: Blend the live environment with prepared materials. Remember, a live demo is a tool, not a crutch.
A good demo is not a one-way lecture, but a two-way conversation. You should involve your audience in your demo, and encourage them to ask questions, share their opinions, and provide feedback. You should also check their understanding, interest, and satisfaction throughout the demo, and adjust your pace, tone, and content accordingly. You can use various techniques to engage your audience, such as asking open-ended questions, soliciting feedback, using polls or quizzes, or inviting them to try out your software themselves.
Remember, a great demo isn't a monologue; it's a conversation. If you're speaking more than half the time, you might be missing the mark. Here's why engaging your audience is crucial: ? Encourage Interaction: Prompt your audience to ask questions, share thoughts, and give feedback. Their involvement turns a standard demo into an insightful exchange. ?? Check & Adapt: Regularly gauge their understanding and interest. Adjust your pace and content to keep them engaged and satisfied. ?? Engagement Techniques: Use open-ended questions, and better yet, let them experience the software firsthand. ?? 50% Rule: Aim for a balance where your talk time doesn't exceed 50%. This ensures a dynamic, participative experience for your audience.
After you finish your demo, you should not just end the session and walk away. You should follow up with your audience, and thank them for their time, attention, and participation. You should also summarize the key points and benefits of your demo, and restate how your ERP software can help them achieve their goals and overcome their challenges. You should also ask for their feedback, and find out what they liked, disliked, or were unsure about your demo and your solution. You should also discuss the next steps, and set a clear timeline and action plan for moving forward with the sales process.