How can you customize your software demo for each customer?

Before a demo, be ready with the customer personas based on the research. While building the demo, this is an important consideration based on the cost, need and ROI for the particular customer. Invest in knowing the customer and show them you care. Throw in some points about hypercare if possible.

Demos are not product tours. First step towards a demo is a successful customer discovery - one where pain-points, associated impact and what value this provides is apparent. Once you have a collection of this, pick the top-3 and do a customized demo (esp B2B products). Avoid overwhelming and always show from the lens of the customer - not how cool the product features are.

In a perfect world we pre-demo (and when I say we, I mean a team of ridiculously smart people do it and I watch…) to get agreement on what is important to show. The “let’s flip the pages in order” demo is a death sentence. Truth is, there are two fundamental demos: 1-demo HOW it works 2-demo the end-user experience (WHY it is amazing and valuable) Either demo to the wrong audience is wasted time. My advice is to never shut down or “put a pin in” a WHY question - and whenever possible, follow up a how question in a workshop next week… Have some fun.

I've built software in Marketing tech for many years and there are two paths for truly custom demo's for enterprise prospects. - The first path was one I took many years ago and that is a customer demo environment built and maintained by engineering. This only works if engineering is bought in and has the framework to automate. It must empower Sales Engineers in a way that is not overly technical. - The second path are browser plug in tools like Saleo.io. I've used Saleo now at two software companies because we did not have a true demo environment and engineering could not staff to build one. Sales loves it and I think this is the best path for many companies.

The most successful salespeople understand that delivering an effective solution demo relies heavily on a thorough discovery process. Many potential clients, as part of their selection process, are willing to allocate more time for a personalized demo. If you fail to request one-on-one discovery time, you've already missed an opportunity. Top-performing salespeople identify a champion within the organization and arrange a pre-demo of the customized solution before presenting to the entire selection committee. This approach ensures that the tailored demo resonates with everyone present, maximizing efficiency and respecting everyone's time.

Yes, of course, everyone wants to make sure the customer sees your solution in the best light possible: flawless execution, key features, use case stories, better than the competition, etc. Don't forget that you as the 'seller' want information from your customer as well. A key part of the demo/presentation is for you to learn specific information from your customer. Plan to ask certain questions at certain times and get the specifics you need. This is the information that will help you determine the 'value' of your solution and 'sell' it to your customer at a price you want.

Anyone who has worked in presales knows that defining objectives is the key to an impactful software demo, but in a tech-driven age, are we inadvertently too product-centric in our objectives? While delineating features is essential, the core objective should be empathy-driven understanding. Highlighting competitive differentiators is great, but imagine the power of articulating how our software stands out and makes the user stand out in their role. Demos are not just product showcases but narratives of future success stories.

Create a unique, customized demo, industry, and persona specific where clients can interact with the solutions real time. Majority of people are visual learners so a demo showing instead of telling makes more impact.

Know that you have a goal to sell solutions/products, but your true goal is to uncover as much information as possible. Don't go into the meeting pushing an agenda, but rather looking to unearth true pain in the prospect, that can be correlated to your offering.

Audience Alignment: Before scripting your demo, ensure it resonates with the audience's goals. Clarity in Aim: A vague demo? A missed opportunity. Pinpoint exactly what you wish to achieve. Highlight Key Features: Showcase what stands out in your software, but ensure relevance to the audience. Market Differentiation: Position your product uniquely. Show how you're different, and more importantly, better. Structured Delivery: With clear objectives, your demo becomes a structured narrative rather than just a feature showcase.

Of course you must 'dry-run' your demo several times before the actual show. But how many times have you shown up to a location with different systems: TV, cf/rm, click-share, HDMI, projectors, some 'in-person' and some 'on-line', internet access and guest connection, etc. The list goes on and on. Be sure to know the actual environment, if you can. Get there early and work out all the details that can potentially derail the demo. Do a test run, on-site or virtually, if at all possible. Delayed time in getting all of this setup will shorten the time for your demo, make you rush, and prevent you from having a good collaborative discussion where each side learns from each other.

Once you've put together a story based on customer needs, it's time to make sure your demo showcases value in context of the customer problems. Work with engineering/product team to build a demo environment that addresses customer needs. This might be getting relevant metrics, data or insights on the dashboard. Or showcasing how easy it is to configure the platform with evolving needs of the customer. Avoid using jargons unless the audience can understand it. The demo environment must compliment your story to showcase the workflow your prospect might go through day-in and day-out. Showcase how easy it might be to integrate your software into customer's existing environment. They care how their team start using your software w/o hassle.

Crafting a demo that resonates with a customer's reality is akin to offering a thoughtful, personalized gift; it speaks volumes, saying, "I've truly listened." While many demos gleam with polish and perfection, real-world applications can be unpredictable. Slapping on a brand's logo and hues is surface-level customization. What truly captivates is a demo steeped in genuine customer insight, diving beyond mere aesthetics to address real needs and challenges.

Context is King: Integrate customer-specific data or branding. It's about them, not just the software. Use Their Language: Adopt the customer's terminology. Speak their 'business' language. Replicate Real Scenarios: Mimic their real-world workflows. This boosts relatability. Stress Test: Ensure your setup is glitch-free. First impressions matter. Compatibility Check: Make certain it syncs with the customer's tech stack. An immersive, customer-centric environment makes your software tangible for them. The devil is in the details. Tailor, test, and triumph!

Have a story based on real requirements , ellaborate it use audience as well as industry language. important is also to have several scenarios to cover one or more requirments from the tecnical perspective. For example Create order in cloud and or normal role view

For that you have to listen first, most of the sales people don’t know how to. Listen not only to what they told you, but rather understand what do they mean. Identifying an actual customer problem is one of the most difficult tasks.

Value, Value, Value! Two Key things to include: 1. There should be a high-level business value proposition in regards to what is being proposed 2. You should also include the process oriented value to the individual user(s) showing how your solution improves their job. NOTE: don't just demonstrate the key features put it in a 'user story' and show them how easy it is to perform their job in your solution.

Outcome-Centric: Align features with the customer's desired results. Pain Point Addressal: Show how your software alleviates specific challenges they face. Use Cases & Examples: Real-world applications make your software relatable. Stories That Resonate: A relatable success story can be a game-changer. Quantify the Impact: If possible, use metrics or numbers to highlight value. A feature-focused demo tells, but a value-focused demo sells. Let your software's impact do the talking, and make it resonate with your audience's reality.

Aligning value in the demo starts with thoughtful and continued Discovery. Doing the homework to understand strategic initiatives from C-Level (and mapping ways your tech can support those missions), knowing how stakeholders are measured, and/or confirming mutual alignment on success criteria leading up to the session are some ways to maximize your / your customer’s time while leading with a strong POV and controlling the narrative through demo and follow up.

Employ gamification by setting up small challenges with basic rewards and actions that trigger a positive serotonin response in the brain. Turn the user into a 'player,' not just an observer. In VR, the first 5-10 minutes are critical for first-time users, as this experience often determines their likelihood of returning to your app, and to VR in general. Any approach that captivates users can be effective here, such as impressive visuals, an immersive sound environment, and interactions that are engaging without being too limiting or distracting.

Keep it interactive: Encourage questions and feedback during the demo call to keep the audience engaged and to address any concerns they may have. This will also help you understand their needs better and tailor the demo accordingly.

Somebody, anybody has a “silver bullet” how to engage the audience? We had demos when our customers would not say the word during demo and would buy right after. It really depends on the audience and topic.

Tailor the demo to the client needs, show what is relevant to the audiance and definately go through an internal dry run. Focus on business outcomes and finish the demo meeting with concrete next steps.

The often most overlooked part of custom demo is to listen and understand what the customers needs are and aligning your demo to those needs. The less you need to customize demo, the better the product market fit your solution has. Covey said it best. “Seek first to understand, then be understood”.

Discovery and prep are key, but I also try to speak directly to one person: the busiest. If my solution demonstrably eases their day, they can boost acceptance of the software solution with their peers.