Product Demo Best Practices

I watched a rep lose a $300K deal. Great discovery. Perfect champion. Strong business case. Then came the demo. And it all fell apart. Here's what happened: They used the product team's demo. Feature by feature. Click by click. By minute 20, the buyer was checking email. By minute 30, they said "let us think about it." The deal died 2 weeks later. Your product team's demo will never work. They mean well. But they're too interested in showing every feature. And buyers don't care about features. They care about problems. At Gong, we had a rule: Never use the product team's demo in a live sales situation. Ever. Because product teams optimize for awareness. Sales teams need to optimize for value. Big difference. Here's how to fix your demos in 3 steps: Step 1: Make every feature "audition" for the demo. Before you show anything, ask yourself: "Does this feature solve a pain the customer explicitly shared?" If the answer is no? Leave it out. I don't care how cool it is. I don't care if it took your engineers 6 months to build. If it doesn't map to their pain? It doesn't belong in the demo. The rule: Solve exactly. Take your customer's pain and solve it on a 1-to-1 basis. No more. No less. When you do this? It feels like your product was custom-built for them. When you don't? It feels like a generic product tour. And generic doesn't close deals. Step 2: Surround every feature with value. Here's the structure we used at Gong: Before the feature: Frame the pain (10 seconds) Ask a question about their current state Get them to visualize the outcome Show the feature: Orient them to the screen Reveal the workflow After the feature: Implant the value Tell a customer story Ask a question to get them talking Notice something? You're wrapping the feature in value. Value → Feature → Value Most demos do this: Feature → Feature → Feature → "Any questions?" That's why they fail. Step 3: Demo outcomes, not features. Stop saying: "Here's our reporting dashboard." Start saying: "Remember how you said your reps are struggling to ramp? Here's how you cut ramp time in half." See the difference? One is about the product. One is about the outcome. Buyers don't buy products. They buy outcomes. Here's what happens when you fix your demos: Buyers stay engaged (because everything is relevant). Demos feel consultative (not like a product tour). Close rates double (because you're selling value, not features). I've seen this play out hundreds of times. The reps who customize their demos? They crush quota. The reps who use the product team's demo? They struggle. The call to action: Stop using your product team's demo. Build your own. Make every feature audition. Surround features with value. Demo outcomes, not capabilities. Your close rates will thank you. P.S. Here’s 5 uncommon habits of the most elite revenue teams ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gr29f7Ci

Why so many safety software demos miss the mark and what to do about it... Over the past few years, I’ve been involved in a wide range of enterprise software procurements for health and safety. As part of these engagements, I’ve sat through countless product demonstrations and I’ve noticed recurring themes. Too often, vendors treat demonstrations as an extended sales pitch: a whirlwind tour of features, dashboards, AI modules, mobile apps, ESG tracking and every other capability in their toolbox. That’s fine for a first sales demo. But beyond that initial overview, the focus should shift. Once you're inside a competitive bid or RFP process, the demo is no longer about the vendor; it’s about the customer. A shift from "Check out what our software can do!” to “This is how our software can help solve your most pressing problems and prepare you for the challenges you haven’t faced yet” That means: Configuring the demo to reflect the organisation’s actual workflows. Demonstrating how the platform enables better decision-making, supports critical processes and reduces the manual effort and mental load currently carried by humans and spreadsheets. Showing how the solution can evolve to meet emerging needs, not just yesterday’s pain points. This isn’t just on vendors though... Organisations need to show up with clear problem statements and a sense of where they’re headed. What’s not working now? What’s likely to change? What capabilities will be essential two years from now? Procurement, at its best is a co-design process. If you’re selecting software, don’t ask for a software demo. Ask for a demonstration of understanding — and foresight. And if you’re a vendor, don’t just show off your tech. Show how it can make a difference to your customer. #safetytech

Your demo is the reason you're losing deals And it has nothing to do with your product. After sitting through 200+ sales demos last year, I've identified the pattern that separates winning presentations from forgettable ones. It's not about features. It's not about benefits. It's about sequence. Most demos follow this deadly structure: 1️⃣ Company overview 2️⃣ Product walkthrough 3️⃣ Feature deep-dive 4️⃣ Pricing discussion 5️⃣ Next steps This is exactly backwards. Your prospect doesn't care about your company story. They care about their problem. They don't want to see every feature. They want to see outcomes. Here's the demo structure that actually converts: ↳ Start with their outcome  "Based on our conversation, you mentioned needing to reduce customer churn by 15% this year. Let me show you exactly how this would work for your situation." ↳ Show their scenario Use their data, their use case, their terminology. Make it feel like they're already using your solution. ↳ Focus on 2-3 key capabilities The ones that directly impact their stated priorities. Skip everything else. ↳ Handle objections proactively Address the concerns they mentioned in discovery before they have to ask. ↳ End with clear next steps Not "Do you have any questions?" but "Based on what you've seen, what would need to happen for you to move forward?" The best demos don't feel like demos. They feel like problem-solving sessions where your product happens to be the solution. Subscribe to our Innovative Seller channel where we post bi-weekly videos on sales strategies like this 👇

You want B2B Buyer honesty? I’m a CEO. I took 100+ demos, and I can say this with absolute certainty—Buyers care about your product 10x LESS than what you think. They nod, smile, say “cool”... but silently worry: Is it doomed to fail? Is the timing off? Why not the 50% cheaper option? Product is only a means to an end. Here are the 6 things buyers ACTUALLY want in demos: OUTBOUND DEMOS: 1. Context First; Demo Second If there's no active project, your demo = noise. Give me clear context first: What is this? Which burning problem does it solve for peers? Why did you think it might be relevant to me? Don’t force me to connect the dots. Make it effortless to see the relevance. 2. Pain Killers; Not Vitamins Every tool seems useful— few feel urgent. During your demo, buyers think, “Is this critical?”, “Right now?” Our list of problems is endless. Don’t just find pain. Clearly show how you solve my #1 priority TODAY, or you’ve already lost me. 3. Proof and Peer Insights If your category is new or unfamiliar to me, I don’t just need its theoretical value—I need evidence. Show exactly how peers win with your product (and how they’re thinking about things differently). Peer confidence reduces risk instantly. INBOUND DEMOS: 1. Your UVP, Not 10 Differentiators Buyers will share your product internally in ONE sentence. It’s all they’ll remember (Not the top 10 differentiators that you demo). Be the one feeding it to them. Positioning is NOT marketing fluff; it’s your go-to in competitive deals. 2. Help in Navigating Buying An 'Active Project’ does not mean it's just about 'Why You'. Our business case might be half-baked, our requirements or evaluation process might be setting us up to fail. Don’t just ‘sell’ your UVP. Guide us so we can avoid project failure. 3. Prove You’ll Deliver, Not Just Sell Your awards, patents, and fancy product slides don’t mean squat. I want evidence you're going to deliver post-signature. Show me your onboarding, adoption, and customer success. I want to buy a partnership, not a product. —— Buyers don’t buy products. They buy confidence in outcomes. Stop demoing. Start proving you’ll deliver.

𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝟵𝟲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 5 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗹𝘆. I’ve said every single one of these. And lost deals because of it. When I started as an AE, I thought demos were about 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 people. So I’d over-explain. Show too much. Talk way too fast. Now? I treat demos like conversations—not performances. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟱 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱: 𝟭. “𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼…” Why it’s bad: It’s not about 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. It’s about 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. Say this instead: “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 [𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯]—𝘭𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.” 𝟮. “𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹—𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁.” Why it’s bad: You don’t know that. Focus on value, not hype. Say this instead: “𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 [𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺] 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 [𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦]. 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘰?” 𝟯. “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀!” Why it’s bad: Vague. Sounds like a pitch, not a solution. Say this instead: “𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 6+ 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴/𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬. 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘰𝘸.” 𝟰. “𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀?” Why it’s bad: It puts all the pressure on them. Often leads to silence. Say this instead: “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺?” 𝟱. “𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸.” Why it’s bad: Passive = no next step. Say this instead: “𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮?” 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁: — More engaged prospects — Clearer business value — Higher conversion to next step 𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲: Good demos don’t wow. They align, simplify, and move the deal forward. What’s one demo mistake you’ve stopped making—and what did you say instead? 𝗣𝗦. I share my demo prep in the comment below. #sdr #ae #coldcalling SDRs of Germany

I was halfway into a demo with a couple of Directors. Their eyes shifted and posture slouched. I'd lost them. But kept going—walking them through one feature after another. Realized they weren't engaged because I hadn’t earned their attention. I was dumping features without connecting them to the problem they were trying to solve. That’s one example, but it's how my demos used to go 👆 Deals stalled. Win rates dropped. ................................................................. That's until I switched to a simple 5-step framework for presenting features on demos, which changed everything. The key difference, leading with the problem: 1. Frame the problem “Linda, you said it’s a pretty tedious process for your team to keep track of all your marketing campaigns for the month. The data is spread across a dozen spreadsheets, google docs, and emails.” • call out the problem • no product jargon • no buzzwords 2. Talk through the use case “So, when the business comes to you for a new product launch, you need to quickly start planning the campaigns. Which can be difficult given everything is scattered. You have to call sporadic team meetings to get updates, leading to product delays and potential lost revenue.” • you've uncover the use case via discovery • talk through how they’re getting the job done today 3. Show the feature “Let me show you how you can see all of this in one place and how you can cut your current process from 10 steps down to 3.” • walk through the feature • be crystal clear about what they’re seeing • it's your prospect’s 1st time seeing it, but your 100th 4. Articulate the outcome “This will help you launch your marketing campaigns 2.5x faster, meeting the business’ product launch dates.” • execs care about business outcomes • clearly state what it could look like with this capability 5. Ask a question “How do you see your team using this capability to solve for [X problem]?” • keep your prospect engaged throughout • lock in those micro-closes ……………………………………....... Have intention and purpose in your demos. Don’t be a feature dumper.

Why are there so many questions during my demo? That’s what one of my clients asked last week. He just wrapped a 45-minute demo. It was meant to impress.  Instead, it turned into chaos. Questions from all angles. Some valuable. Some distracting. And by the time he reached the main point, half the group had checked out. Here’s what I told him.👇 If your demo is getting flooded with questions, it’s not a sign of engagement. It’s a sign your story isn’t clear enough. Here’s how to fix that — in 6 practical steps: 1. Cut the clutter More slides ≠ more value. More features ≠ more relevance. The more you say, the more questions you trigger — most of them off-track. ✅ Anchor your demo on one core message ✅ Focus on their biggest challenge ✅ Leave the rest out A short, well-aimed story is more powerful than a long, wandering one. 2. Show the outcome, not the engine People don’t care how your software works. They care what it does for them. Start with the result they want. Not the process.  Not the settings.  Not your interface. Ask yourself: “What can I show them in the first 2 minutes that makes them say, ‘Oh, THAT’S what I need!’” Start there. Let them see the value — before you explain it. 3. Structure your time around problems, not products This is where most demos go off-track. They’re built around your solution — not their pain. Here’s a better approach: ✅ Start with their most pressing issue ✅ Show only what helps solve it ✅ Add context only if needed Every screen should answer one unspoken question: “How does this help me with the problem I told you about?” That’s when things click. 4. Answer questions in a way that keeps you moving You don’t want a formal Q&A. You want a conversation. But you do need a way to stay on track when questions pop up. Let’s say someone asks: ❓“Can it send automatic notifications?" Try this: “It does — you can set triggers based on your own rules. Want to see that now?” You’ve answered. You’ve respected their interest. And you’ve kept the focus where it belongs — on value. Here’s the rule: ✅ Great questions? Answer right away. 🟡 Good-but-distracting questions? Park. 🔴 Off-topic ones? Park them. 5. Use your visuals People don’t buy software  — they buy outcomes. People buy with their eyes. People buy for the insights they get. Don’t tell them how the process runs. Show them the result. You’ll notice something powerful: ✅ Fewer questions ✅ More engagement ✅ Real buy-in 6. Watch the room Sometimes you don’t need a clock  — just look around: - You’re running late - Someone stopped listening - You’re explaining features no one asked These are signs to pivot. Want fewer questions?  Be clearer. Demos don’t derail because the audience is difficult. They derail because the message is messy. So: ✅ Be concise ✅ Start with outcomes ✅ Tie every screen to a problem ✅ Handle questions with care That’s how you go from presenting to persuading. Where do most questions show up in your demos?

I took over 100 demos and spent $100,000 on software. Demos that I remembered did these 6 things: 1. Instant replies All amazing demos started with an instant reply from a rep after my demo submission (within 5 minutes) or had scheduling on a website. I did my research—the last thing I want is to talk to an SDR. If I'm qualified—give me the AE. 2. AE got me excited before the demo After securing a slot on a calendar, the best AEs ask a few questions. I hate to be qualified but I'm happy to talk to you about my use case. Just don't ask me if I have the budget or if I can sign. I haven't seen the damn tool yet. 3. I came prepared and we jumped straight in I committed and booked a demo on your website. I know what I want. Best calls had a product in front of my eyes in the first few minutes. "Absolutely, we can support that use case—here is how…" 4. Amazing deck I love amazing decks. The best AEs used beautiful decks to have a guided and engaging conversation while the screen share is on. 5. Clear next steps Not all demos ended with a next call on the calendar. Best AEs didn't push for the next step. They gave me information I needed vs. trying to shove me into their "sales process". 6. More instant replies The best demos always ended with a fast follow-up and even faster replies to all my questions. Speed is a competitive advantage—even when I have questions at 10 PM on a Friday. Your first impression is everything. The deal starts before a demo request. Not always does the best vendor win. But there's a high chance you'll win if you're faster. Use Default to nail your first impression and be faster than your competition.

The fastest way to lose a prospect during a demo? Start explaining features like a product tour Great demos don’t start with the feature. They start with the reason the feature had to exist. Use the following 4 ways to open an important feature in your demos 1. Start with why this feature was built Example: "When we started speaking with other CXOs, one thing we kept hearing was how difficult it was to get reports and dashboards quickly. Most teams had to collect data from multiple systems, compile it in Excel, and then prepare reports manually. Sometimes it took hours, and sometimes even an entire day. By the time the report was ready, the moment for decision-making had already passed. That is exactly why we built this feature. Let me show you how it works" 2. Explain how this feature helps them Example: "As a CEO, there are moments when you want to quickly look at numbers before making a decision. It could be revenue performance, vendor spend, or operational data. If your team tells you that they need a few hours or a day to prepare the report, you either delay the decision or make it without complete visibility. This feature ensures that whenever you want to see the data, the dashboard is already ready and updated in real time. Let me show you how it works" 3. Tell the problem it solves Example: "In many companies, internal teams spend a lot of time just collecting data. They pull information from different departments, follow up with multiple people, combine everything in spreadsheets, and then prepare a final report. Even after all that effort, mistakes still happen. Preparing one report can easily take hours. Now imagine when leadership needs information urgently. This feature removes that entire manual process. You get a live dashboard instantly, and your team gets their time back to focus on more important work. Let me show you how it works" 4. Tie it back to something they said in discovery Example: "Earlier in our conversation, you mentioned that getting reports currently takes time and that there is no real-time visibility into business insights. This feature was designed to solve exactly that problem. Let me show you how it works" If you do this right, something interesting happens. The feature stops feeling like a product capability. It starts feeling like something that was built specifically for their problem. Prepare these for your top 4 or 5 most important features or modules before the demo. You will start noticing the difference very quickly.

Lately, I’ve been hopping from conference to conference. And, as you might guess, my guilty pleasure is demos. 😅 So, I’ve been asking for a lot of them at the booths. But here’s the surprising part: about 80% of the time, people jump straight into their demo. No questions about who I am or what I do (if they asked, they’d quickly realize I’m not a potential customer and just wasting their time 😆). Instead, I get a list of features. Hoping that in a noisy room, something they say will match what I need. Not ideal. Not effective. Here’s a simple fix: Before the conference, pick the top five types of people you want to talk to. For each type, write down the top three challenges they usually face - and that your solution helps with. This gives you 5 types x 3 challenges = a solid plan. Then, prepare just one slide or screen for each challenge to show how you solve it, quickly and clearly. When someone asks for a demo, start with a simple question: “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲?” If they fit one of your target personas, share the three challenges you’ve prepared for them. Ask them: “𝗪𝗲’𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀: 𝗔, 𝗕, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖. 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂?” Et voilá, you get a hint what to show to them. Now they’ve told you what they care about most. That’s your sign to focus on the one screen you’ve prepared for that challenge. Bonus points if you have a quick customer story to back it up. The point is, don’t start cold. Let them tell you what’s important to them first. It’s simple, it’s relevant, and it sets the stage for a great conversation.