What are the best ways to use product demos to stand out in a crowded market?

1 Know your audience

Before you start your demo, you need to know who you're talking to, what their pain points are, and what they want to achieve. This will help you tailor your demo to their specific needs, goals, and expectations. You can use various sources of information, such as your CRM, social media, surveys, or pre-demo calls, to gather insights about your audience. Then, you can use these insights to craft a personalized story that resonates with them and shows how your product can solve their problems.

2 Focus on benefits, not features

One of the most common mistakes that salespeople make in product demos is to focus too much on the features of their product, rather than the benefits that they provide. Features are what your product does, but benefits are what your product does for your customer. Benefits are more relevant, emotional, and persuasive than features. They show how your product can improve your customer's situation, save them time or money, or make them happier. To focus on benefits, you need to use the "so what?" test. For every feature that you mention, ask yourself "so what?" and explain how it helps your customer.

3 Use interactive elements

Another way to make your product demos stand out is to use interactive elements that engage your audience and invite them to participate. Interactive elements can include polls, quizzes, Q&A sessions, live chat, feedback forms, or even gamification. These elements can help you capture your audience's attention, increase their retention, and generate valuable feedback. They can also make your demo more fun, memorable, and human. To use interactive elements effectively, you need to plan them ahead, choose the right tools and platforms, and make sure they align with your objectives and message.

4 Show social proof

Social proof is the phenomenon where people tend to follow the actions or opinions of others, especially when they are uncertain or unfamiliar with something. In product demos, you can use social proof to boost your credibility, trustworthiness, and authority. You can use various types of social proof, such as testimonials, reviews, ratings, case studies, logos, or statistics, to show how your product has helped other customers like your audience. You can also use social proof to address common objections, overcome doubts, or highlight your competitive advantages.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?