Demo done right:
How to make the most of the sales demo!

Demo done right: How to make the most of the sales demo!

Never Discodemo revisited

Never disco demo! We've been preaching this for a long time. Never mix a discovery call and a comprehensive sales demo in one appointment and let this take away your own persuasive power. After all, it is crucial to focus on really relevant use cases in the product demo that immediately make the potential of your offer clear to the other party. This can hardly work without a preparation phase after the discovery call. Especially as the usually short first meeting also causes time pressure - a hectic pace in which the core messages can easily fall by the wayside.

Why we are adding a new perspective to the sales demo

But here's the but: successful sales professionals know that what works is what works in customer contact. And complementing successful methods with a flexible approach is what distinguishes outstanding sales teams. In short: we stick to the separation of discovery call and full sales demo. At the same time, however, our team decides on a case-by-case basis whether to turn a pure discovery call into a kind of light demo from time to time.

Discodemo light - why, why, why

The success of a comprehensive product demo depends on a number of factors that usually require some planning and cannot be produced spontaneously:

Integrating a state-of-the-art demo into a discovery session scheduled for 30 or 45 minutes? Sounds pretty utopian - and it is. In most cases, however, you will need this one, maybe even several detailed sessions to fully demonstrate the product in order to convince interested parties to sign up. So don't rush it!

Disco demo = first look & feel

Don't rush things, however, does not mean that salespeople should put their feet up at this point. Is there a basic fit and is your counterpart curious about your offer? Then give a preview of your product at the end of the appointment. Don't go into too much detail and build up the suspense for the detailed product demo. This approach allows you to get an initial reaction from the other person - valuable feedback for the next touchpoint. This is the form of discodemo with which we are successful in our sales practice.

Accelerate the sales cycle with Discodemo

Qualification is not a process step, but a task that spans the entire sales process. Only those who continuously ask the right questions can drive the opportunity forward in a targeted manner - and avoid negative surprises at the same time. Our white paper Asking the wrong questions sells nothing provides you with the decisive questions for every phase and every success factor. For the disco demo, this means spending a lot of time preparing an individual sales demo, even though the chances of success are modest? That's not how efficient sales work works! It's better to know where you stand beforehand thanks to consistent qualification and to be able to allocate resources better.

When in doubt, qualify out! Use our white paper to ask the right questions at every stage of the sales cycle and qualify consistently.

Better qualification with Discodemo

In the discovery call, we ensure the basic fit between our offer and the problem on the part of the lead. To do this, we rely on our 10 must-have questions. If this step is successful, nothing stands in the way of a follow-up appointment with a full sales demo.

But has the lead really taken the bait? Then he waits eagerly for the sales demo and mobilizes the internal stakeholders in the meantime. Identifying a more or less serious pain point in the discovery call is not a major hurdle. After all, there is almost always room for improvement - that's the ideal scenario. But does this also work in reality?

By no means. The more accurately you can assess whether the lead has really caught fire and is mobilizing his team, the better your decisions will be: Which opportunity do I invest my time and the team's time in? With a well-founded assessment, you can drive promising deals forward with a high level of commitment - and protect yourself from time-consuming processes that all too often come to nothing in the end.

Disc demo provides early feedback

And this is where the discodemo finally comes into its own: if the discovery call is promising, you can go one better with the discodemo. You have already gathered valuable information and know what challenges exist and how your own product can provide a remedy.

Now show off your product! By giving a first impression of your solution, you give the conversation a completely different quality. A successful look and feel appeals to the other person on a new level. This works particularly well with software: the basic function is there, but a modern look and user-friendliness can also create an impact. "A picture is worth a thousand words" - there's no better way to sum up the added value.

Take feedback from the interested party: Does what is shown appeal to them? What comments does he make? If there is something specific to see, the other person will often provide even more detailed information about their own use case. You can build on this to make your detailed sales demo even more effective later on. Because in the prepared follow-up meeting with an extended target group, you can address the company's specific use cases and requirements.

Discodemo Essentials

Let's recap: Used in the right situation, in the right setup and with the right counterpart, the disco demo is a valuable tool. The only question is how:

Is there sufficient interest?

A disco demo is only worthwhile if everything speaks in favor of a good fit between problem and solution during the course of the conversation. You will probably often hear that you have a promising product. But you need more to get the process moving. Your counterpart must develop the will to act. In order for the spark to be ignited, this should also be perceptible in the conversation.

Is there enough time?

The regular Discovery Call is usually scheduled for 30 minutes. Enough time to get to know each other, qualify and exchange experiences without an interview (an absolute don't in a discovery call)? Yes! But a disco demo does not fit into this time frame. So it's better to plan 45 minutes to keep all options open. Otherwise you run the risk of being "stuck in the middle of nowhere": time will run out without you being able to get everything off your chest in the disco demo part.

Disc demo for even better sales demos

We maintain that disco demo overkill does more harm than good. At the same time, we say yes to targeted use. Depending on how the discovery call goes, a brief insight into the solution on offer can bring significant added value for both parties: Interested parties get a better understanding of the product and provide more information in return. Information with which you can better assess the other party's point of view and prepare even more convincing sales demos.