Is it Time to Automate Sales Demos
How "Automated" Should Sales Be?
Despite CRM, there isn't much automation in selling.
That's a shame because the Sales department is, drum-roll, where revenue is generated. When you automate sales tasks, you can generate revenue more efficiently.
Sales automation is taking hold now, in more and more areas. We're automating scheduling, sales development, forecasting, and now, demos. Demo Automation is a new approach that lets each prospect get a personalized video demo, without a salesperson.
In my recent interview with Consensus CEO, Garin Hess, he describes Demo Automation this way, "It's an attempt to do what an excellent sales engineer, or salesperson, would do: discover what the customer needs then tailor the demo to their unique needs. Instead of doing this manually, Demo Automation uses technology to automate the process by querying the prospect with brief discovery questions, then automatically customizing the product education experience to the customer’s unique interests."
To benefit from any kind of automation, organizations must get over their concerns about the need for human involvement (or rather the need for "control"). That is, after-all, what automation does - reduces the need for human involvement at certain points in a process - which in turn, is what generates efficiencies.
Uber was successful because it made the process of ride-sharing efficient, something the taxi cab industry had plenty of time to figure out and make available. Consumers like efficiency. They like, and demand, speed.
This desire for instant gratification has seeped into the B2B buying environment now as well. Since B2B buyers conduct so much of their purchase research without a human already, doesn't it make sense to eliminate the barrier of having to go through a human for a demo? That's the big (and scary to think about) question. We don't like to give up control. On the other-hand, offering a better customer experience could be a distinct competitive advantage, while not offering it could make you extinct.
On the other-hand, offering a better customer experience could be a distinct competitive advantage, while not offering it could make you extinct.
With demo automation in place, you'd capture more leads, identify more people who are in-purchase, provide more meaningful content faster, and ultimately, get to meaningful conversations with prospects faster. Those are all good things.
If the idea of demo automation intrigues you, read the interview with Garrin Hess. You'll learn how it works, why it makes sense, and how to move beyond fears of giving up control.
Get the link to the article in the comments section.
Brand Manager of Sayem Group | Merchant Bay | 22 Digitals | Ek Nojor App | Sneaker Squad BD | Hot Ryde
4 年Great. Thank you for sharing.
Test Automation Strategist
5 年A live demo and a recorded video demo are two completely different things.? Users want something different from each -- even if the content is verbatim.?? When a user asks for a product demo and gets a recording, they're put off, and won't bother watching it.? They want to ask questions and have a conversation. But if they want to explore features, they don't want someone interrupting or pressuring them.? They want to take time and back up and explore -- several short targeted videos with a table of contents works good here. There is a third category, the automated interactive demo sometimes built into an app that users can access during a trial is a third category, and fits a different scenario -- when people want to jump in and get their feet wet by doing.? All are great tactics but they serve different purposes and have different psychological expectations. ?
Helping companies manage energy, improve process, and save money.
6 年Wasn't there a company called DemoChimp that does this SaaS?
Serial Software Tech Founder, Author, Keynote Speaker, Buyer Enablement Guru, Music Producer, Father of Three, Private Pilot, Tennis Freak
6 年Nancy, I like your emphasis on the customer experience and demo automation. I have found that a lot of people hesitate on demo automation because they want to control the customer experience in person. What they don't realize is that by trying to control it themselves, they have already downgraded the customer experience compared to someone who can get exactly (and only) what they need right when they want it. Not to mention the engagement analytics that help the sales team as well as the customer further promote the solution internally.
Co-Founder at SocialHP
6 年Literally working on this right now. I'm finding that breaking the demo into sections has helped. I've taken the sections and turned it into a drip. It helps build trust and at the same time I've taken an educational slant with the overall content.