Throughout my career as a founder, CEO, and investor, I've sat through thousands of product demos. The truth is, 99% of them are forgettable at best and painful at worst. Why is it so rare to experience a demo that's both memorable and effective?

I've also given my fair share of demos to prospects, clients, employees, partners, and potential acquirers. It took significant self-awareness, time, and commitment to perfect the art of demoing, especially as products evolve with new features and go-to-market strategies shift. We studied great communicators, pitch structures, audience reactions and tailored messaging for different personas to craft compelling B2B/Enterprise demos.

This guide unpacks the learnings we've coded along the way to help you create demos that truly resonate with your audience and save you time.

Why Most B2B and Enterprise Demos Are So Bad

The root of the problem lies in misunderstanding how humans consume information. In his book "Pitch Anything," Oren Klaff explains how the human brain processes information through three main parts: the Reptilian Brain (Crocodile Brain), the Midbrain, and the Neocortex.

For a successful product demo, you need to craft your message to navigate this pathway:

1. Start with simple, attention-grabbing language that speaks to basic needs or desires to get past the croc brain's defenses.

2. Once you've hooked their interest, gradually introduce more nuanced emotional appeals to engage the midbrain.

3. Only after establishing this foundation can you effectively present more complex features and benefits, allowing the neocortex to fully engage with your product's value proposition.

Most product demos ignore this principle, saturating their presentations with jargon, features, and unnecessary complexities in an attempt to impress the audience. The result is often the complete opposite: confusion, disengagement, and, ultimately, a waste of time. This stepwise approach ensures your message isn't rejected outright and gives you the best chance of holding attention throughout your demo.

What Is A Good Demo, And What Is Not

"Demo" has become a moniker for all things sales. From awareness and inbound requests to closing the deal, everyone wants to see the magic of the demo. Some vendors and startups quickly jump into a demo, while others try to find the perfect timing for the big reveal. Regardless, a demo is meant to support the sales process, not be the sales process itself.

A great demo is as simple as showing HOW buyers can use your product to solve their specific problems. Your job is to demonstrate that you are better than their current solution or the way they do it today. Simple, but not easy!

Remember, this is not a dog-and-pony show where you display all your features and hope something sticks. Your buyers are sophisticated, have done research before talking to you, and may have discussed it internally. You must do better than that.

Product Demo Golden Circle

The Product Demo Golden Circle involves clearly defining three key elements: WHAT, HOW, and WHY.

WHAT: What is the buyer's core problem? This isn't about guessing—you've done your homework to know precisely where your customers hurt.

💡 Tactic: If you don't know the WHAT, don't do a demo. Instead, do customer discovery via a questionnaire, one-to-one conversation, or online form.

HOW: How is your product going to solve the buyer's pain point (the WHAT), and how do you add value?

💡 Tactic: A demo tailored to their specific needs.

WHY: Why should the buyer choose you and entrust you with their business instead of the competitor?

💡 Tactics: Share case studies, honest testimonials, and your track record.

Not All Demos Are Made Equal

The days of one-demo-fits-all are long gone. You need multiple versions of your demo, but by understanding the main components and structure, you can build a solid foundation that scales.

A demo has four major components: Giver, Receiver, Buyer's Journey Stage, and Type. 

Depending on the Receiver's function, it can focus on new revenue generation, retention, expansion, or channel management.

Here is the detailed chart:

8 Types of Demos Explained

Here's a breakdown of different demo types, their ideal length, and key tactics:

The key is to use this guide to understand the main components and create a core demo made of building blocks you can assemble to personalize per Giver, Receiver, stage in the Buyer’s Journey, or a combination of those.

How To Structure A Great Demo

The fact that you know your product's ins and outs, every feature, and every back door, doesn't necessarily mean you are good at doing demos. A well-structured demo should follow a cadence and sound more like a compelling story than a feature tour. As you structure and design your demo, remember that each feature shown must have a purpose for your audience (receiver).

Consider incorporating the famous Aristotelian triptych for successful presentations: "Tell them what you're going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you've told them." However, it's crucial to apply this principle subtly without sounding repetitive or condescending. 

It takes many iterations to get it right. Test it with friends and colleagues, and ask for feedback. Be patient and diligent until you feel it is ready for prime time.

The IKEA Effect: Choice Reduction and Personalization

Think of a great product demo like walking through IKEA. Just as IKEA creates fully furnished rooms that let you instantly imagine living there, a well-crafted demo should make your buyers visualize using your product in their own environment. IKEA's displays remove the guesswork, showing you exactly how pieces fit together and function in real life.

Similarly, your demo should effortlessly guide buyers through specific product features, demonstrating how it solves their specific problems. The goal is to create an experience so intuitive and tailored that your buyers can easily picture your solution seamlessly integrating into their workflow.

Demo Quick Checklist

✔ Do the pre-work. Conduct 15 minutes of focused discovery to learn the customer's pain points. Prepare targeted questions in advance to maximize efficiency.

✔ Personalize. Make it easier for your audience to engage by showing data and use cases relevant to them. Customize examples to their industry or specific situation.

✔ Focus on them, not the product. Instead of a lengthy introduction about your company, focus on what you know about the firm and what makes it unique. Demonstrate that you've done your homework and understand their needs.

✔ Engage quickly. Capture attention in the first 3-5 minutes (remember the crocodile brain). Avoid starting with admin modules or configurations; focus on impactful features first.

✔ Less is more. Don't give everything away at once. Ensure each feature shown has a clear purpose and is relevant to their roles. Allow buyers to visualize using the product before moving to the next feature (middle brain).

✔ Keep it short and interactive. Stick to the appropriate length for each demo type (refer to the Types of Demos section). Encourage questions that can uncover other challenges and use them as opportunities to showcase additional functionality.

✔ Practice active listening. Speak less and be comfortable with pauses and silence. Use these moments to let the information sink in and allow them to ask questions.

✔ Read the room. Pay attention to your audience's body language for signs of engagement or disinterest. If they're not engaged, prompt questions or ask for confirmation that you're on the right track.

✔ Apply the grandma test. Avoid buzzwords, acronyms, and overcomplicated explanations. If your grandma can understand and see the benefit, your target audience is likely to follow suit.

✔ Practice, fix, repeat. Continuously refine your message and delivery through practice. Seek feedback and make improvements after each demo.

✔ Be memorable (in a good way). Avoid sounding too rehearsed or low-energy. This is your time to shine—seize the moment with enthusiasm and confidence.

Remember, mastering the art of product demos takes time and effort. Bad demo impressions are hard to recover from and can be deal breakers. By following this checklist and continuously refining your approach, you'll create demos that resonate with your audience and drive results.

Two Approaches: Which One Is Right?

We all know the drill. Buyers reach out wanting a demo ASAP. They don't want to wait or explain; they just want to see the product. There are two main approaches:

Discovery-First: Make prospects wait, do a discovery call, and then give them a personalized demo. Sounds great, but it might frustrate them.

Immediate Demo: Jump straight into showing the product, giving prospects what they want. Quick, but we might miss their real needs.

I believe a hybrid solution often works best.

Start with an MVD (Minimum Viable Demo) to satisfy the prospect's immediate desire and curiosity. During this, ask targeted discovery questions or connect them with an AE. Then, pivot to a more tailored presentation based on their responses. This balances the buyer's eagerness with the need for personalization, keeping them engaged while ensuring you address their specific needs.

Follow this guide, put in your best effort, and seek feedback

Creating winning demos requires patience and practice. Train your teams thoroughly and have them practice until they master the technique. As your product evolves and new features are released, continuously adjust the demo and ensure your teams stay proficient. 

Happy demoing!

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