Would you like to deliver a convincing product demo? Start with the Discovery Call!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DELIVER A CONVINCING PRODUCT DEMO? START WITH THE DISCOVERY CALL!
The setting for the product demo is clear: you demonstrate your product or service to interested people. The focus is not on details or nice-to-haves. In order for your counterpart to make a positive purchasing decision, you need to present them with convincing added value. Ideally, this should be quantifiable. How much does Pain Point X cost the company each year? How many promising leads do you fail to convince because software solution Y does not optimally support the process?
In the demo, you show interest groups that you have the optimal solution for precisely these problems. However, sales teams that sell complex products need the valuable input of the previous discovery call. If you skip this process step and start directly with the product demo, you will simply lack the starting points for the argumentation. Therefore: Never Discodemo! Best-of show or relevant features with individual reference? Customers have a clear preference. Only with a good understanding of the problem from the discovery can you make it from the product demo to the next phase of the sales process.
Takeaway
Discovery creates the necessary understanding of the problem for the product demo
In the sales process, successful sales teams argue on the basis of the specific problems of interested organizations. To do this, they embark on a joint journey with their lead. Starting point: discovery call. They use the touchpoints to establish a level of partnership for cooperation. In exchange for information, they check whether their own offer can deliver added value. At the same time, they tailor the positioning of their product ever more precisely to the users. In their perception, they create a step-by-step transition from selling to solving the problem.
Once you have sufficiently prepared the next step via discovery according to this pattern, it's time to secure the participation of everyone involved in the internal decision-making process for the product demo. The aim is to create the conviction that your offer is the best solution for the defining challenges. Build your arguments for the product demo according to the following scheme.
Problem
Enter a brief description of the problem in the words of your counterpart from Discovery.
Problem
Enter a brief description of the problem in the words of your counterpart from Discovery.
Function
What does your solution look like? Without going into too much detail, you should give an impression of how the product solves the task.
Benefit
This is your answer to the problem. Emphasize what makes your solution different and make a clear reference to the problem.
FUNCTION
What does your solution look like? Without going into too much detail, you should give an impression of how the product solves the task.
BENEFIT
This is your answer to the problem. Emphasize what makes your solution different and make a clear reference to the problem.
During the demo, you as a salesperson also pick up valuable information from the participants' objections and questions. This allows you to fine-tune your message as you go along. After all, the path from the demo does not always lead directly to closing the deal.
Extensive sales discoveries and individually prepared product demos tie up valuable resources in the sales team. The question of how specifically they need to respond to their counterparts therefore concerns almost all managers in sales teams.
How much personalization does the product demo require?
Sure: in an ideal world, the team takes time for extensive qualification before a product demo takes place. But in practice, there are many disruptive factors. Small or medium expected order volumes only justify a limited amount of time. The availability and willingness to cooperate on the customer side can also be a limiting factor for discovery. How specific are the problems that your product solves? In less diversified environments, your team can draw valid conclusions about customer challenges from experience. Then they can still address the most important pain points with a manageable discovery effort. But what about new employees in the sales team? They need more detailed information in order to organize convincing product demos.
A product demo ties up capacity on both sides: Sales employees want to take an important step towards closing the deal. Customers expect approaches that solve their biggest challenges in the area of application. In order for the appointment to offer this added value, the problem must be understood on the sales side. The challenge for sales teams is to find the right level of personalization. The topic remains topical as customers want an increasingly personalized customer experience. Ultimately, your business determines the optimal level of personalization. Through efficient information management, especially call documentation, you can increase the ROI of personalization.
4 best practices to turn your product demo into a home run
The product demo is a critical step in the sales process. This makes preparation all the more important: in previous meetings, you have built up an understanding of your counterpart's business, challenges and needs. You also know the decision-making processes and interest groups in the company. Based on the pain points, you can now show how you can tackle the problems with your solution. If you are convincing here, you have taken a big step towards closing the deal. Our best practices for the product demo will guide you to success.
Gather knowledge about the interested persons
All internal stakeholders have their own perspective on the problems and challenges that you solve with your offer. Depending on the role, the understanding of the process also differs. For the product demo, you should involve all decision-makers. This way, everyone involved can voice their questions and concerns. For this to succeed, you need a good relationship with your direct contact person. They will not only provide you with reliable information about the pain points. They are also your link to the relevant internal contacts through whom you can drive the purchasing decision forward. You start building a relationship with your contact with the discovery call. It should be more than just ticking off your most important questions. Also give your contact what they need. By responding to questions and sharing case studies, you build trust.
Ensure greater relevance with individual
focal points
Use the discovery to get to know pain points and interest groups. Align the product demo accordingly. Yes, this takes time. But without this preparation, you are taking a high risk with the product demo. You can read about the unfavourable scenarios that a poorly organized appointment can lead to in the article Never Discodemo. Just this much: in none of the cases described will you convince the participants that you are offering the right solution. Successful sales teams build product demos by starting with the pain points from discovery. Everything else is guesswork.
Provide proof that your product
is the problem solver you are looking for
This section should take up the main part of your presentation. Describe the three to four main problems in the words of your counterpart and translate them into your system. Starting from the customer's perspective, show what your solution changes. What functions and features do users leave their problems in the past behind? Only that is interesting. Do you offer a particularly comprehensive product that can also improve work in other areas? All the more reason to focus on the essentials in the product demo.
Leave room for feedback
With the product demo, you claim to be able to offer considerable added value. You must also be able to defend this position against queries and objections. You should therefore actively seek feedback from participants. Did you meet the expectations of the product demo? Or are there still doubts about the suitability of your offer? Now is the time to record the attitudes of interested parties. This is also valuable input that you can use to prepare for the next touchpoint. Use this opportunity to improve your understanding of the relevant problems from time to time.
Conversation documentation creates consistency from the discovery call to the product demo
Two steps forward, one step back: this is a tiring pattern for sales staff. But ask your counterpart first. If the results of the conversation are not properly followed up by the sales team, this can quickly happen. Then you have built up an opportunity with Discovery, but you are not converting it. Instead of presenting convincing solutions to the other party's core problems in the product demo, you will dwell on topics that are too general. You will bore decision-makers with product features without added value.
The ideal looks different: From cold call to qualification and product demo to closing the deal, you should demonstrate an ever better understanding of potential customers. This allows you to position yourself as a solution-oriented advisor and gain the necessary trust. Use discussion guidelines for your touchpoints and document the content so that you can strengthen your understanding of the pressing problems. Because if you want to sell, you need to see your offer through the eyes of your counterpart.
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