What are the most effective ways to manage time during a product demo?

Before even planning an agenda, you need to understand the various motivations the users of your products have. By understanding this, it helps you create stories around your product's functionality that then can be mixed and matched, added or removed depending on a prospect's initial interests, and then tailored to the tangents you go on during the demo. Once you have these stories, it's your job to understand your specific prospect's pain points. Why are they coming to you? Based on that information you can create your initial flow to make sure you not only present the features of your product, but how the product will improve the lives of the people you are demoing it to.

Start your presentation or demo with the most important topic for the key stakeholder in the audience. Work your way down to lesser important topics and go from strategic to tactical, to operational levels. If you run out of time schedule a new meeting for the remaining topics (you have covered the most important stuff).

Don’t show too much. Keep your demos brief and to the point. Don't pre-answer questions with a detailed demo script. Let the customer ask for the information they need instead of showing everything.

Share the agenda in advance with clear line items to streamline the process. Advantage of keeping engaging demo will help to effectively understand client perspectives. One way is to try to gather feedback after every functionality/feature while giving demo. This helps to dynamically prioritize focus areas. Keep the scope walkthrough aligned with client requirements, avoiding overwhelming them with unnecessary information.

Engaging your audience transforms a monologue into a dialogue, making your presentation more effective and tailored to your audience's needs. Ask open-ended questions to understand their interests and challenges. This helps you focus on relevant features and benefits. Encourage feedback and check for understanding regularly. This not only keeps them involved but also allows you to adjust your demo in real-time based on their responses. Use stories and examples to illustrate how your software solves real problems. This approach helps in identifying their pain points and objections, and demonstrates the practical value of your product. Build trust through engagement for a more impactful demo increasing the chances of a successful sale.

Effective product demos go beyond merely presenting features; they link these features directly to your prospect's needs and the benefits they offer. Engage your audience by highlighting your product's unique features, contrasting them with common issues they might face. This approach shifts the focus from what the product is to what the product does for them. Use metrics or data to illustrate how your product can increase efficiency, reduce costs, or improve quality. Incorporate testimonials or real-world case studies. Demonstrate how your product stands out against competitors or the status quo. This not only demonstrates its value but also positions it as the superior choice.

Objections aren't roadblocks; they're stepping stones towards understanding. Rather than seeing objections as hurdles to overcome, consider them as opportunities to delve deeper into your prospect's needs. Yes, preparing for common objections is crucial, but it's equally vital to view objections as cues for better comprehension. Listening actively and acknowledging concerns shows empathy and builds trust. Embracing objections not only overcomes resistance but also reveals crucial insights that can refine your approach and foster a more informed decision-making process for your prospect.

Objections should always be seen as an opportunity to collect valuable information. The prospect is giving you free insight into their challenges, their processes and market needs. Accept objections not as a negative, but as an opportunity to learn and communicate honestly with your prospect. This can make for a powerful interaction, and also avoid any confusion in the future.

It's good to to inquire about the next steps and schedule a follow-up discussion. Determine the timelines for setting up the next meeting by asking about their availability before closing the call.

The demo should be centered around the requirements of the prospect. A lot of sales folks start and tell everything they can till the product is covered fully which not just makes it boring for the buyer but also creates a lot of confusion. It's important to ask your prospect about what are the key things he/she wants to explore as priority. It helps you identify the needs and do your homework around what you want to show and pitch for. Remaining features can be shown as an add on value if time and interest allows. You can never sell a product if you just sell the product, you will sell it all if you sell solutions.

The Product Demo meeting can be managed using the ACE model. Make your meetings "ACE". Appreciate - Appreciate the prospect or customer for taking the time to meet with you today. Check Time - Check that the time you've scheduled still works, "We've pencilled in 30 minutes today, I don't plan on going over but just in case, do you have a hard stop?". Expectations - Set the expectations at both sides of the table upfront. "Today I'd like to cover X, Y and Z. Does that align to what you are keen to explore?".

Consider sending materials ahead of time. An agenda containing the use case order you intend to use is a nice example. Allows people who are unable to attend the entire session to 'drop-in' on the one that is most important to them.

I like to use my team mates to help out as well. When you're demo focused it's nice to have someone else taking notes, watching the time and watching the room (physical or virtual).

Personalize your approach; each client's business environment is unique. Share a story where customization made a significant difference. Consider the after-demo support. Discussing post-demo resources and available support can reassure clients about long-term partnership and service quality. Highlight the software's adaptability. Showcase how it evolves with changing business needs, emphasizing its long-term value. Finally, remember the power of simplicity. Complex technical jargon can be overwhelming. Use clear, concise language to ensure your message is accessible to all attendees, regardless of their technical expertise.