What are the key elements to prepare for a product demo?

A product demo should highlight your key differentiator and ensure that differentiator is applicable to the target audience. A demo is only as effective as what it leaves with it's audience. I've had way too many sales people demo things to me that show me that their products work, but "so what"? So does your competitor's product. Give me the "so what" so that I can understand how you do it better or different and how it concerns me.

A demo should be customised and always focus to cover the differentiated features that will be most valuable to the customer. Knowing your customers challenges and pain points is important before your demo preparation.

A demo should be customer-centric, about pains and value. Start with the most compelling part of your software. The customer needs to see the solution, in 1-2 software screens, to their problem. Stop the monologue of features and turn your demo into a conversation where the customers feel they are leading.

A research idea that is too often overlooked: call up your demo attendees individually a few days before the demo to confirm what is important to them. Hint - it won't always be the same as the main buyer or the stated company requirements.

Timing of a product or solution demonstration is critical. Showing a solution too early in the sales cycle can be harmful to the process. In my experience, this depends on the complexity and customization of the product solution. In the case of a complex solution, it is helpful to start with a high-level overview demonstration to facilitate discussion, with a deeper dive at a later date.

Whenever possible, include and address known customer requirements and pains. A demo agenda that includes the customer resonates better and also engage the prospect for further activities.

Try to have as much small talk before the meeting as possible, and ask many questions during the meeting; the best demo is the one you do not deliver; the more you understand the customer, their culture, and their need, the more you can articulate how your solution addresses their requirements, pain points, and fits into their organization's need and culture.

To me, a demo agenda is guided by the output of discovery. Highlight the key areas already identified where your solution can have real tangible impact. Then, refer back to those points throughout your demo in an interactive way.....literally show those points on screen and tick them off as you go along..."I have shown how we we can have a really significant impact on A...now let me show you the solution to problem B". In addition, be sure to make efforts to uncover any additional items which did not come to light during initial discovery...the last thing you want to hear with 1 minute left in your demi is "I saw X, which was great, but I was hoping to see Y"

Setting a clear and concise agenda is key to a good demo as it helps sets the expectations. But, in my experience sharing the agenda to the meeting attendees at least 24h before the demo works wonders as it not only helps people to raise any difference in expectation but also allows them to be better prepared and think over a few use cases/pain points which will make the demonstration even more valuable.

There is no way better way to sync on Agenda but to review it with the customer/audience. In rare cases you have to judge the agenda based on the “given” information you do have. In such cases, you also plan for tangent topics and review the Agenda with the customer before jumping in to the demo and presentation.

Never underestimate the power of a good annotate tool. It's doesn't have to be expensive, even the annotate tool in zoom is good. It beats circling your mouse any day and adds a polish to your demos. It also highlights what you are talking to so your points are clear and obvious. Also, the immense versatility of the pause button – zoom has a pause where you can freeze the screen in case there is a “glitch” or if you want to move to other screens without excessive clicking. It makes magic! Just don’t forget to unpause.

Choose your weapons wisely! It severely depends on the situation what weapons/tools you utilize. Sometimes the best demonstration of performed on a prepared mobile device. Sometimes you need a WebEx - meeting that comes fully connected to OBS to perform a powerful digital demo. And in some cases you just need to be trustworthy by effectively using your words and bodylanguage.

Very very important to follow the KIS rule here! Don’t get fancy and focus on showing the value of the product all the while achieving the goals of the agenda.

The number of times technical issues have affected a product demo is well known. It’s always good to have a trial run a day before or arrive early and set up to avoid any problems during the demo. Using tools that will support you and not create problems by their unreliability. It might be prudent to stick to the tried and tested tools.

i found poly useful to have clear voice reception and broadcasting including team inside the room by avoiding mic-off-on for each.

Discovery is key here. The ability to show your solution delivering value in a context that is familiar to the customer/prospect is a powerful tool at your disposal and, actually, makes the life of the sales engineer so much easier. No ad-hoc 'shoe-horning' your solution or 'harbour tour' demonstrations in the hope you hit on something useful. Talk their language and show them only what is valuable to them.

A great demo is one where the customer/prospect can imagine themselves. So it is very important to customise the demo, there could be various ways to do it: by using "their" data (partially if not fully), show how the solution can solve their challenges and bring value. I would recommend to do a "Day in Life" which helps them really visualise themselves in the demo and makes a personalised experience.

Personalizing the demo is highly critical as it comforts the customer on translation of that product into their environment, all the while giving some perspective to how it will look once live at the customer site or customers cloud.

customizing in software may add upfront cost without buy-in. go for piloting on paid basis if the prospect is indeed interested and have strong requirement clarity. configuration with data to meet their demand is acceptable and shall be focused.

Starting with the right screen that directly solves the issue the prospect is having is key. You don't start every demo in the same place because each prospect has different needs. Start where they are going to lean in and go "ohhh, that is what I have been looking for all this time and you have it right here!"

This is the most important part - rehearse! The first try at a demo can not be in front of your customer! I can always tell when my engineers are 'winging' it, and so can the customer. No one likes critiquing themselves but it's part of the job and there's no better feeling than nailing a demo!

There’s a quote “Don’t play it until you get it right, play it until you can’t play it wrong.” Rehearse and practice till you can’t get it wrong. You’ll appear comfortable and confident both qualities that will be mirrored by your prospect during the demo.

Nothing beats cookie cutter approach. Every iteration of practice reveals “something” new and relevant for the customer that you can choose to or NOT choose to incorporate depending on the value of that “something”. There also comes a balance of how much you practice, as, too much practice, can at times take away from the passion and human touch making the demo very robotic! Maintain balance while focusing on their drivers for the product/tech

Feedback from peers and colleagues is critical. Even the most experienced sales engineers can get stuck in familiar demo patterns and habits...make a conscious effort to freshen up the talk track, demo use cases, messaging, etc based on new learnings, feedback, etc.

remember that rehearse doesn't remain fixed during the pitch and it changes real-time during the changing demand in the meeting.

During a demo, it happens sometimes that the customer places some questions, and we need the answers. The sales engineer needs to collect these questions, and in the follow-up, these questions must be answered with all available details and even show some real cases about them. This behavior will give the customer the impression that we are very interested in solving their problems and finding a solution to their needs. Also, it will recreate the positive atmosphere of the demo. When possible, it is also suggested to propose a Proof Of Concept.

Always share the value which was shared in the demo and follow up with asking for testimonial/feedback, which will help to understand if the demo was received well or not?

Following with Why our product, proposed solution highlights, why our company and benefits should bring more clarity to them in case of prospect is still doubting. information like presentations, report sets or technical plans shall be submitted if asked for. commercial should be submitted promptly as discussed during the meeting, a follow on meeting to clarity proposal and terms shall be planned and clarified.

If the product we are demoing can be customized with the customer's logos, email notifications, pictures, maps, or use cases, it is a good practice to do it. The customer will be involved and will feel personally involved and part of the demo itself. Corresponds to create a comfort zone where communication will be more accessible, and attention will be improved.

It's not enough to just solve their problem there is an element of storytelling, how they will use it. What they will see on the other side of useing it. How it can change, improve, better their business is key. You have to weave a story so they remember you. And I stole this from Gong, if you can describe their problem better than they can they will assume you have the better product. Extra points if you describe it better and then show them the solve with a story - SOLID GOLD!

Develop your own story that you tell during the demo. You may start with a script to get comfortable with the flow but then add your experience, customer stories and, most important, your own wording to it. A story sticks to the memory much better than simple facts and an authentically told story creates confidence in you.

The relationship between account exec and sales engineer is critical. The importance of collaboration, interplay, preparation, and teamwork between these roles cannot and should not be understated.