Years ago, I worked with a sales rep who said he was reluctant to do demos.
He felt like they always went down a rabbit hole. The prospect would ask about this button and that button and then tell him to click here and click there. The result was confusion, not progress.
That got me thinking: How can we make it simple to execute a demo that focuses on value and advances the sales process?
The answer is to build your demo around the right principles. Here are three principles for structure and three principles for impact.
Three Principles for Structure
Build a clear structure that focuses on proving value and motivating progress in the sales process.
1. State the main points of the demo at the beginning
This makes sure those main points come through clearly. It also gives prospective customers a chance to give feedback on what’s of interest so the rep knows what to focus on.
To do this, start the demo with Summary Slides. These outline the Problems you solve, the Solutions you offer, and the Impacts you generate (P - S - I, hence P.S.I. Selling).
Together, these three topics capture the value you provide.
The rest of the demo is essentially an exercise in proving the points in the Summary Slides. Check out our video on Summary Slides for tips on creating and using Summary Slides.
If the demo ever starts to get off track, come back to these main points and get back on the flow.
2. Break the demo up into sections
Demos often seem like a blur to prospects. They see one feature after another after another.
To fix this, break the demo up into three to five sections, each focused on one key part of the product.
This makes the demo easier to digest. The prospect just has to remember three to five big points about your product.
It also makes the demo easier to learn: Instead of trying to remember 50 features, the rep can focus on three to five sections of the demo.
In addition, it makes demos easier to adapt to a specific prospect. The rep can think about whether all the sections apply to the prospect they’re talking to. If section two doesn’t fit, the rep can drop it or alter it. Meanwhile, the first and second sections remain undisturbed.
3. Propose specific and valuable next steps at the end of the demo
The point of the demo is to secure next steps that advance the sales process.
Good reps propose specific next steps. They might say: “As a next step, let’s reconvene for a scoping call.”
Great reps also say why those next steps are valuable to the prospect. They might say: “As a next step, let’s reconvene for a scoping call. That will enable me to share a proposal that addresses your specific needs so you can make an informed decision.”
Three Principles for Impact
Once you have the structure down, focus on getting the most impact out of each section.
The easiest way to do this is to be sure you begin each section clearly and end each section by drawing out its implications. I’ll identify three methods for doing that below.
To make the concepts concrete, I’ll share key phrases to implement these methods. If reps use these key phrases to begin a sentence, they’ll naturally find themselves talking about the right material.
1. Explain the section's context BEFORE demoing it
Prospects need to get oriented; otherwise they’ll be using their mental energy trying to make sense of what they’re seeing rather than thinking about your main points.
The key phrase is: “What you’re about to see is [quick overview of the section].”
2. Explain the section's relevance BEFORE demoing it
Prospects need to know why they should pay attention to what they’re about to see; otherwise they’ll lose focus.
The best way to do that is usually to share what problem that part of the product helps to solve and then show them how it solves it in the body of the section.
The key phrase is: “This relates to [problem you’re facing].”
3. Explain the section's importance AFTER demoing it
Prospects need to know how what they just saw should play into their decision; otherwise they’ll decide that the product is cool but not see a reason to move forward.
This means drawing out the value of that part of the product and saying how it’s different from competitors and the status quo.
Here are the key phrases:
- “The benefit of this is [the impact of that section on their business].”
- “This is different from what you’re doing now because [contrast that section with the status quo].”
- “This is different from the other solutions you’re looking at because [contrast that section with competitors].”
Rolling This Out
How do you make this happen for your team?
First, create a demo outline that covers the principles for structure. Be sure this includes a set of Summary Slides.
Second, coach the team on using the key phrases outlined in the principles for impact.
Third, watch a lot of demos and provide feedback. Use this article as a common point of reference. Here’s an example: If you see that a rep missed out on having clear sections, ask them to focus on principle for structure #2.
Then, sit back and watch great demos lead to great revenue!
- - -
If you liked this article, have a look at our piece on the Affirm - Ask - Benefit Framework to see how to keep the process moving forward after you've done an excellent demo. You can also check out the P.S.I. Selling Content Page for more insights on sales communication, strategy, and leadership.
Want to build a sales process that proves value and a team that can execute? Have a look at our services and get in touch.
For more about the author, check out Mike's bio.