Maximizing Demo Impact

𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝟵𝟲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 5 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗹𝘆. I’ve said every single one of these. And lost deals because of it. When I started as an AE, I thought demos were about 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 people. So I’d over-explain. Show too much. Talk way too fast. Now? I treat demos like conversations—not performances. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟱 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱: 𝟭. “𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼…” Why it’s bad: It’s not about 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. It’s about 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. Say this instead: “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 [𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯]—𝘭𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.” 𝟮. “𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹—𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁.” Why it’s bad: You don’t know that. Focus on value, not hype. Say this instead: “𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 [𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺] 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 [𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦]. 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘰?” 𝟯. “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀!” Why it’s bad: Vague. Sounds like a pitch, not a solution. Say this instead: “𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 6+ 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴/𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬. 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘰𝘸.” 𝟰. “𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀?” Why it’s bad: It puts all the pressure on them. Often leads to silence. Say this instead: “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺?” 𝟱. “𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸.” Why it’s bad: Passive = no next step. Say this instead: “𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮?” 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁: — More engaged prospects — Clearer business value — Higher conversion to next step 𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲: Good demos don’t wow. They align, simplify, and move the deal forward. What’s one demo mistake you’ve stopped making—and what did you say instead? 𝗣𝗦. I share my demo prep in the comment below. #sdr #ae #coldcalling SDRs of Germany

I just watched an AE lose a $1.2M deal after running a "successful" product trial that the prospect LOVED. After 8 weeks of work, the CFO killed it with five words: "Let's try our current vendor." This happens because most reps treat trials as product demos instead of what they actually are: RISK ELIMINATION EXERCISES. After analyzing 200+ enterprise sales cycles at companies like Salesforce, HubSpot, Thomson Reuters, and Workday, I've identified the exact framework that separates 80%+ trial conversion rates from the industry average of 30%. Here's what most reps get wrong: They skip qualification and jump straight into the trial. Big mistake. Before any trial, ask these 3 questions: → "What happens if you don't solve this problem in the next 90 days?" → "How have you tried solving this before?" → "Who else is affected by this problem?" These eliminate 68% of unqualified trials before they start. Next, define success upfront: → Technical requirements that must work → Business metrics they expect to see → Timeline for implementation → User adoption patterns needed Get confirmation: "Just to confirm, if we demonstrate these criteria, you'd be ready to move forward with purchase by [date]. Correct?" Map every stakeholder: → Technical buyers (include every trial user) → Economic buyers (CFO/budget holder) → Political influencers (who can kill deals) → Current solution advocates (who benefits from status quo) For each person, document their personal win/loss scenarios. Have legal review agreements BEFORE starting trials. "We typically have legal review the agreement structure ahead of time so there are no surprises later. Would you be open to having them review a blank agreement while the trial is running?" Finally, handle the current vendor objection upfront: → "Have you discussed these challenges with your current vendor?" → "What was their response?" → "What specific capabilities do they lack?" Document these answers to build your business case. Results from this approach: ✅ Trial conversion: 32% to 83% in 60 days ✅ Deal size increased 40% ✅ Sales cycle shortened 37% ✅ Forecast accuracy improved 92% ✅ 43% less time on unsuccessful trials Stop running trials. Start running risk elimination exercises. — P.S. Sales Leaders, want to ACTUALLY move the needle in your org and find an extra $2 to $10 million of hidden revenue? Go here: https://lnkd.in/gDexefD5

From 2017 to 2021, Gong grew from $200k ARR to nine figures. During that window of time, I spent dozens of cycles with our VP Sales on crafting demos that sell. Here's 6 elements of insanely persuasive sales demos I learned (trial and error): 1. Flip Your Demo Upside Down Most salespeople save the best thing for last. Wrong move. By that time, buyers have checked out. Some have even left the room. Start your demo with the most impactful thing. Save dessert for the beginning. Not end. 2. Give Them A Taste, Not A Drowning You eat, sleep, breathe your product. So you want to show EVERYTHING. You believe that the MORE you show, the more VALUE you build. Wrong move. Your just diluting your message. Show exactly what solves your buyer's problem. Nothing less. But also, nothing more. 3. Focus Your Demo On The Status Quo’s Pain It’s  tempting to focus on benefits. They’re positive and easy to talk about. But focusing your message on the pain of the status quo is more persuasive than focusing on benefits. If your buyer believes the status quo is no longer an option, they’re a step closer to investing in a new resource. Your new resource. People are more motivated to NOT lose than they are motivated to gain something new. Use this psychological bias to your advantage. 4. Avoid Generic Social Proof We're all trained to use social proof. Whether it works is not so simple. Using endorsements from big customers might win credibility with a few buyers, but it'll work against you if your buyer doesn't "identify" with the customer you're name-dropping. It alienates them. If you cite a bunch of your customers who DO NOT LOOK like your buyer? They’ll think “This product isn’t designed for clients like me.” Only name drop customers they can identify with. 5. Frame the problem at the beginning of the demo. Start with a "What We've Heard" slide. Center your buyer on the problem. And get new people in the room up to speed. Then show a "Desired Outcome" slide. Do those two things, and now your demo is a bridge between the two. Easy for your buyer to "sell themselves" when you do that. 6. Frame the pain each feature solves. This is the "micro" version of the previous tip. For EVERY NEW FEATURE you showcase: You HAVE to frame the problem it solves. Otherwise, it's meaningless. At best, your buyers write it off. At worst, it triggers objections. That's all for now. This is nowhere near the last thing to be said about demos that sell. So what would you add? P.S. After watching 3,000+ discovery call recordings, I picked out the best 39 questions that sell. Here’s the free list: https://go.pclub.io/list

most b2b marketers are A/B testing button colours and CTA copy... meanwhile, only 5% are testing the one thing that could increase their conversion rates: interactive demos as CTAs. for the companies that use interactive demos as CTAs, they're seeing increased average conversion rates, such as Flagsmith, who saw signups increase by 1.7x with HowdyGo’s interactive demo platform as a CTA. but how do you do it? 3 ways you can do it this quarter: 𝟭/ 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗕 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 add a secondary CTA that says "try interactive demo" next to your main CTA. run it for 2-4 weeks and measure engagement vs your primary CTA. Flagsmith did exactly this with HowdyGo and saw signups increase by 1.7x. low(er) risk, immediate data. 𝟮/ 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 as good marketers do, set that success metrics early. my rec: engagement rate (who's clicking through the demo) and conversion rate (who's booking demos or signing up after). with HowdyGo, you can achieved this through Google Analytics by configuring an audience for people who have either (1) visited the /demo page or (2) linked to a howdygo_demo_engagement event (which is available on all tiers). 𝟯/ 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 once you've validated it on your homepage, your product pages are next. show prospects exactly how your product solves the problem they're reading about. tools like HowdyGo make this stupidly easy - no dev resources, no waiting on engineering. the psychology here is simple: prospects want hands-on experience before committing to a sales call or configuring everything. give them that and watch your qualified pipeline increase (and depending on your sales motion, you could be sending more leads to sales) which page are you A/B testing this on first?

I'm so tired of these "perfect demo framework" posts on LinkedIn. They're ruining deals left and right. Look, there's no magic demo script that works for everyone. What works in the boardroom bombs with end users. What gets IT excited puts executives to sleep. The truth is there are 8 different types of demos, and most reps are doing them all wrong. 1) Inbound first calls: Stop assuming you know why they booked time. Maybe they're comparing vendors. Maybe their boss told them to "check you out." Maybe they're just curious. Find out first, then demo accordingly. 2) Outbound first calls: They didn't ask for this. Don't dive into features. Build credibility first. Show them a problem they didn't know existed. 3) C-suite meetings: Executives don't want to see your product. They want to understand the strategic opportunity. Frame the big picture, not the buttons. 4) End-user sessions: These people have to use your tool every day. They're asking one question: "Will this make my life easier or harder?" Show workflows, not features. 5) Technical validation calls: IT and security teams speak a different language. They care about risk, compliance, integrations. If you're talking ROI to them, you've already lost. 6) Competitive bake-offs: Don't show everything you can do. Show what the other guys can't do. Focus on differentiation, not demonstration. 7) Pilot reviews: This isn't training. Half these people don't want to be there. Your job is proving success criteria and handling objections before they test your product alone. 8) Executive reviews: Skip the deep dive. Executives want to know: Why now? Why us? Why should I put my reputation on the line? Most AEs treat every demo like a product tour. That's why deals die. CFOs don't care about usability. End users don't care about ROI. IT doesn't care about revenue impact. Match your demo to your audience, or watch your deal disappear into "we'll circle back next quarter" purgatory. The best reps don't have perfect demos. They have the right demo for the right room. Follow me Andy Mewborn for more content like this.

Are Automated Demos Getting the Job Done? Sadly, not enough! Most focus on the LEAST important idea: HOW the software works. And they ignore WHAT problems need to be addressed, WHY it is important, and the VALUE of making the change. Use these attributes and assess - Setting Context: Who is this for (who should watch it and why)? Problem Identification: What problems are being addressed (or need to be addressed)? Solution Presentation: What solutions are offered? Value Communication: What is the tangible value of making the change? Length: Is the length consistent with the objective of the demo? (E.g., Vision Generation vs Technical Proof vs Training) Call to Action: What do you want your prospect to do? Simplicity: Does it communicate a message that can be easily retold? Clarity: Is it easy to understand? Engagement: Are prospects focusing on the demo or multi-tasking?

𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. They rely on the product to do the heavy lifting. “If they see it, they’ll get it,” they say. 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐞. The problem is that demos often showcase capability, not relevance. Buyers leave impressed but unmoved. The product that works is adaptive demonstration: workflows and examples tailored not just to the industry, but to the buyer’s actual day-to-day frustrations. Modern demo tools allow this, but it still requires a seller who knows how to turn functionality into personal value. The solution is a demo that feels like a preview of their future success. 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬. 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 When a buyer can picture themselves winning, the deal accelerates........

Picture this. You go to a restaurant. The server walks up and says, “Let me tell you about our menu.” Then they launch into a full tour. The meats. The seafood. The pasta. The salads. The appetizers. The problem? You’re vegan. Sometimes demos feel just like that. Someone walking you through their menu without knowing anything about you. Instead of giving a menu demo, start by understanding what your prospect cares about. Like this: “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about your food preferences so I can make the best recommendation?” Then explore three areas: Current way Are you vegetarian, more keto, seafood? Tell me what you usually eat for dinner. Desired way What’s one of the best meals you’ve ever had? Obstacles What don’t you like? Spicy? Mild? Now translate that to software. For example, if you’re showing Descript: “Do you mind if I ask you about your current podcast production process so I can make the demo more relevant?” Current way How are you editing your podcast today? How long does it take? Who’s involved? Desired way “Six months from now, how would you know the new software was making a difference?” Obstacles What’s the hardest part of your current process? Then, after the “meal”: “What did you like best about what you saw/ate?” “How so?” And if it feels right, gently guide to the next step: “Since we book up fast, some people like to make a reservation before they leave. Would you like to do that?” Or for software: “Sometimes people want to try Descript in their environment. Would you like to do that?” If not, that’s okay. “Where would you like to go from here?” Because great demos, like great dining experiences, aren’t about showing everything on the menu. They’re about serving what matters most to the person sitting in front of you.

Your AEs are giving demos to people who can't buy And wondering why deals stall after "great" presentations. Here's what I see constantly AE gets excited about demo request from enthusiastic contact Delivers amazing 60-minute presentation Contact loves everything Then... radio silence for 6 weeks The problem is they demoed to an evaluator, not a decision maker. This is 100% fine IF you know how to demo in a way that gets them excited to bring you to the people on their team or up a level who can buy But let’s be honest…most people don’t architect the demo to do that. Instead it’s an info dump and then a 🤞 Evaluators gather information. Decision makers allocate resources. Different roles. Different needs. Different demo approaches. Before your next demo, ask these questions: 1)Who else would be involved in evaluating a solution like this if we need to tailor a walkthrough for them? 2)It will be great to talk your team through this, do you have a group meeting already on the books we should join to talk them through this? 3)If you love what you see today, what happened the last time you made an investment in technology? The answers tell you whether you're talking to someone who can say yes or someone who just says maybe. Don’t sleep on the downstream “decision makers” as well. The team can just as easily veto as the VP can. Demo strategy should match audience authority. For evaluators focus on gathering requirements and building internal advocacy. For team level decision makers, paint the picture of their new day to day For VP level decision makers, focus on business impact and implementation confidence. Stop giving the same demo to different roles and wondering why conversion rates are inconsistent. Match your demo to their decision authority.

Stop Boring Prospects with Feature Demos Want prospects tuning out during demos? Keep focusing on features vs. value. Here's how to excite them instead: 1. Ask about their pain points. Don't assume you know their goals. 2. Show how you solve those pains. Explain how step-by-step you address their issues. 3. Use real examples. "Company X increased sales by 15% in 6 months with our platform." 4. Demo only relevant parts. Don't distract with nice-to-haves. 5. Quantify the impact. "You'll reduce customer churn by 10% with this feature." Example: "Your sales team spends 5 hours/week manually entering data. Our integration with your CRM cuts that to 30 min - giving them more selling time and increasing productivity 20%." Want prospects to close? Make your demos about them, not you. What's your best tip for value-focused demos? Share below!