What are the best ways to demonstrate software product features and benefits?

1 Know your audience

Before you start preparing your product demonstration, you need to understand who you are talking to and what they care about. Research your target market, segment your audience, and tailor your message and tone to their needs, goals, challenges, and preferences. For example, if you are demonstrating your software to technical users, you might want to focus more on the functionality, performance, and integrations of your product, while if you are talking to business decision-makers, you might want to emphasize the outcomes, benefits, and ROI of your solution.

2 Plan your story

A product demonstration is not just a list of features and functions, it's a story that connects your product to your customers' problems and aspirations. To craft a compelling story, you need to have a clear structure, a logical flow, and a strong hook. Start with a brief introduction that sets the context, captures the attention, and states the main value proposition of your product. Then, present the core features and benefits of your product, using relevant scenarios, examples, and use cases that illustrate how your product solves your customers' pain points and helps them achieve their desired results. Finally, end with a clear call to action that invites your customers to take the next step, whether it's signing up for a free trial, scheduling a follow-up call, or requesting a quote.

3 Use visuals and interactivity

One of the best ways to demonstrate your software product's features and benefits is to show them, not just tell them. Use visuals and interactivity to make your product demonstration more engaging, memorable, and persuasive. For example, you can use screenshots, videos, animations, graphs, charts, or infographics to highlight the key aspects of your product, or you can use live demos, simulations, or quizzes to let your customers see and experience your product in action. Visuals and interactivity can also help you simplify complex concepts, illustrate comparisons, or showcase testimonials and social proof.

4 Anticipate and address objections

No matter how great your product is, you will likely face some objections or questions from your customers during or after your product demonstration. Objections are not necessarily a bad thing, they can indicate interest and curiosity, but you need to be prepared to handle them effectively and confidently. To anticipate and address objections, you need to do your homework, research common pain points and barriers, and have ready answers and evidence to overcome them. For example, if your customers are concerned about the price, you can show them how your product can save them money, time, or resources in the long run, or if they are worried about the implementation, you can explain how easy and fast it is to set up and use your product.