Demos are your golden ticket to closing deals, but outdated practices could be costing you valuable opportunities. What worked before may no longer be effective in today’s fast-paced, competitive landscape. In this guide, we’ll outline 9 common demo pitfalls and how addressing them can drive better results for your sales team.
1. Stop gating your demos too early
What to stop: Don’t force lead capture before giving any real value.
Why: Buyers need to get a sense of your product before committing. If they can’t experience your offering, they may lose interest.
What to do instead: Let prospects experience a teaser leading to the “aha moment.” Once they see the value, they’ll be more willing to share their information.
2. Stop giving long, drawn-out demos
What to stop: Overloading prospects with too many steps or too much detail.
Why: Engagement decreases with every additional step. Research indicates that demos longer than 20 minutes can lead to a 50% drop in viewer engagement, causing potential buyers to lose interest.
What to do instead: Keep your demos short, crisp, and focused on key pain points. Aim for around 15 concise steps that highlight the most compelling features.
3. Stop sending generic, one-size-fits-all demos
What to stop: Offering the same demo to all prospects.
Why: No two prospects are the same, and they expect personalized experiences. Generic demos fail to resonate and can diminish interest.
What to do instead: Personalize your demos based on persona, industry, or specific pain points. Studies show that personalized demos can lead to a 35% increase in conversions compared to generic presentations.
4. Stop forgetting to include CTAs
What to stop: Delivering demos without optimizing for conversion.
Why: Demos that don’t guide prospects toward the next step waste engagement. Without clear CTAs, you risk losing momentum after a demo presentation.
What to do instead: Use call-to-action buttons strategically at key moments throughout the demo. Research shows the highest click rates around steps 8 and 12, encouraging prospects to take the next step, whether it’s scheduling a follow-up call or signing up for a trial.
5. Stop ignoring mobile users
What to stop: Failing to create mobile-responsive demos.
Why: Many prospects browse via mobile devices, and a non-optimized demo can significantly hurt engagement and lead capture efforts.
What to do instead: Ensure all demos are mobile-responsive from the start to reach a broader audience and cater to their preferences.
6. Stop telling when you should be showing
What to stop: Talking too much about features without demonstrating them.
Why: Prospects want to see the product in action, not just hear about it. Interactive demos have been shown to achieve 1.4 times higher engagement rates.
What to do instead: Display your product through interactive demos during sales calls, knowledge bases, and on your website. Showcasing real use cases creates stronger connections with potential customers.
7. Stop failing to follow up
What to stop: Leaving prospects hanging after a demo call.
Why: Prospects need support to internally sell your product after the call; without follow-up, they may forget key points or lose interest.
What to do instead: Follow up with interactive demos and relevant content that reinforces what was discussed. This keeps your solution top-of-mind and helps maintain engagement.
8. Stop neglecting mutual action plans
What to stop: Operating without clear, agreed-upon next steps.
Why: Prospects can feel lost or disengaged without a clear roadmap for moving forward together.
What to do instead: Implement Mutual Action Plans (MAPs) that outline agreed-upon next steps and timelines for both parties, fostering accountability and alignment toward closing the deal.
9. Stop forcing prospects into one path
What to stop: Limiting prospects to a rigid demo flow.
Why: Prospects know what they’re looking for and don’t want to sit through irrelevant content that doesn’t address their needs directly.
What to do instead: Create interactive demo modules that allow prospects to choose their own journey through the features that matter most to them. This flexibility enhances user experience and satisfaction.
Conclusion
These 9 things you should stop doing in your demos are vital for enhancing engagement and closing more deals in 2024. By implementing these changes, you’ll create more effective demos that engage, inspire, and ultimately convert prospects into customers.