Last updated on Jul 23, 2024

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How can you identify the needs and preferences of different customer segments during a product demo?

A product demo is a powerful way to showcase your solution to potential customers and persuade them to buy from you. But not all customers are the same. They have different needs, preferences, pain points, and goals. How can you tailor your product demo to match the expectations and interests of different customer segments? Here are some tips to help you identify and address the needs and preferences of different buyer personas during a product demo.

1 Research your audience

Before you prepare your product demo, you need to know who you are talking to. What are their roles, challenges, motivations, and objectives? What are their current solutions and pain points? How do they make decisions and what are their criteria? You can find out this information by doing some research on your prospects, such as browsing their website, social media, reviews, and industry reports. You can also ask them some qualifying questions before the demo, such as their budget, timeline, and expectations.

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Hamed Masaebi

B2B Marketing Director @Mobinnet |《 Business Consultant 》
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To identify the needs and preferences of different customer segments during a product demo: Research your audience. Create customer personas. Customize your demo content. Use relevant use case scenarios. Encourage interactive Q&A. Highlight benefits over features. Gather feedback. Follow up with personalized messages. Continuously adapt based on data and feedback.

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Natasja Bax 😊

Win more Deals by better Sales Demos | 20 years in demo coaching | 200+ workshops, 2000+ participants | Training, Coaching, Consulting
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Ask 4 questions to each stakeholder in your demo: - What are your challenges? - What is the effect of these challenges on your goals? - What would it mean to you if these challenges were solved? - What do you think the software needs to do to solve your challenges?

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Femi Onakanren

Director, Business Operations (Products and Strategy Development and Management)
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The secret to getting answers is to ask questions. However well prepared your deck is, there's nothing as insightful as asking questions. I find that the trick to getting quality answers is to tell a story, immerse your customers/audience in the story and allow them to relate with the value proposition based on their experiences. When they are immersed, ask questions that relate to solving their problems rather than extolling the virtues of your product

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2 Segment your audience

Once you have a clear picture of your audience, you can segment them into different buyer personas. A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on real data and insights. You can create buyer personas by grouping your prospects based on their common characteristics, such as demographics, psychographics, behavior, and goals. For example, you might have a buyer persona for the CFO, who is interested in the financial benefits and ROI of your solution, and another one for the IT manager, who is concerned about the technical features and integrations of your solution.

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Natasja Bax 😊

Win more Deals by better Sales Demos | 20 years in demo coaching | 200+ workshops, 2000+ participants | Training, Coaching, Consulting
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Break your demo up into different segments. One segment per stakeholder (job title). This allows you to show every stakeholder what they need, and you can tell a valuable story about how this solves their challenges at each chunk. It will keep it crisp and precise, making it easier for you to deliver and more accessible for your audience to remember.

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3 Customize your demo

After you have identified your buyer personas, you can customize your product demo to address their specific needs and preferences. You can do this by highlighting the benefits and value propositions that are most relevant and appealing to each persona, and showing how your solution can solve their pain points and help them achieve their goals. You can also use stories, testimonials, and case studies that resonate with each persona and demonstrate your credibility and authority. For example, you might use a success story of how you helped a similar CFO save money and increase efficiency with your solution, and a case study of how you integrated your solution with the existing IT infrastructure of another client.

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4 Engage your audience

During your product demo, you want to keep your audience engaged and interested in your solution. You can do this by using interactive and visual elements, such as polls, quizzes, videos, and live demonstrations. You can also ask open-ended questions, such as "How do you currently handle this problem?" or "What are the main challenges you face in this area?" to elicit feedback and uncover objections. You can also use humor, anecdotes, and compliments to build rapport and trust with your audience.

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Natasja Bax 😊

Win more Deals by better Sales Demos | 20 years in demo coaching | 200+ workshops, 2000+ participants | Training, Coaching, Consulting
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Engage your customers with conversations, not monologues. To enable this, show as little as possible. Don't pre-answer their 'easy' questions in your demo script. Allow them to ask these 'easy' and straightforward questions.

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5 Follow up with your audience

After your product demo, you want to follow up with your audience and move them further along the sales funnel. You can do this by sending them a thank-you email, a summary of the key points and benefits of your solution, and a clear call to action. You can also ask them for feedback, referrals, or testimonials, and offer them additional resources, such as white papers, webinars, or free trials. You can also use a CRM system to track and manage your leads and prospects, and schedule the next steps, such as a proposal, a contract, or a negotiation.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you identify the needs and preferences of different customer segments during a product demo?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Research your audience

2 Segment your audience

3 Customize your demo

4 Engage your audience

5 Follow up with your audience

6 Here’s what else to consider

Sales

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How can you identify the needs and preferences of different customer segments during a product demo?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Research your audience

2 Segment your audience

3 Customize your demo

4 Engage your audience

5 Follow up with your audience

6 Here’s what else to consider

Sales

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