One of the steps in the buyer’s journey for most software companies is the B2B sales demo. I have been involved in hundreds of software demos in my 20+ year sales career. Over that time I have learned some of the tips that can help your B2B sales demo be a success. Working with startups they are used to giving a demo, but not always giving an effective one. They often get so focused on the product they miss the things that are important to the customer.
Ask Questions
One of best ways to kick off a demo is to ask for introductions. This should include their role and what they are hoping to get out of the demo. This can help drive the direction of the demo. Don’t be afraid to ask questions as part of the demo to make it more unique for the customer.
Don’t Be Afraid to Stop Talking
Embrace the silence, don’t be afraid to stop talking and just shut-up. This allows the customer a chance to talk. The demo will likely be on a screen share so you will not be able to read body language to understand how it is going. Plan for frequent short breaks during the demo.
Customize for the Customer
The customer wants to know how you can help them, how you can fix their problems. It doesn’t matter what you think is cool or is the most important, understand what is important for the customer. Get information before the demo so you can plan for a specific use case or highlight the parts of the solution that are most important for the prospect. You can also make small tweaks based on the questions and comments during the call.
Get Confirmation on the Next Step
There have been many times I have talked to startups about their sales process and where they are having issues. I often hear that they are doing lots of demos, but it is not turning into sales. I ask what the next step is after the demo and they say, I guess they will get back to us. Have a plan for the next step and get the customer to confirm on the demo what the next step should be.
Be on Schedule
This means that the demo should start on time and finish on time. Making clients annoyed at the beginning of the demo, by starting late is not good. Customers are busy so plan to end promptly at the agreed upon time. Don’t forget that you need to get the next steps in before you leave the call. There are cases where the demo goes over time, but this should be the exception rather than the rule. If you think the call is going well and you could use a little bit more time ask the prospect with 5 minutes left if they have a few more minutes. This is also a great way to gauge their interest in the demo.
We hope this helps turn more of your B2B sales demos into sales. If you are an entrepreneur and need some help with sales to support your SaaS product please contact me.
