Building a great product doesn’t do you any good if you can’t sell it and often that comes down to a great demo. Whether you are trying to sell an executive at your company, a client, or prospective client, nailing the demo can be vital to success.
Over my career I’ve had the opportunity to demonstrate new products across the country, learning lessons that have substantially improved my success rate along the way. The points below are what I’ve found to be crucial to ensure your software demo showcases the product well.
How to Conduct a Successful Software Demo
1. Know Your Audience
When preparing for your demo, tailor your talking points and the features you highlight based on whether your audience is a user or buyer. For example, I spend a lot of time in the healthcare industry, the users are usually physicians and nurses, and the buyers are usually C-suite executives. Physicians and nurses are typically more concerned with how the features work, if they will help them improve patient care, and how they will make their jobs easier.
Executives, on the other hand, are more focused on ROI. Will this product save the organization money, improve efficiency, increase satisfaction, etc.?
If possible, demos should be conducted separately for each group. Below are examples of how to conduct software demo for users and buyers.
For Users
Set the stage and tell a story. Show the users how they will use your software. For example, if you’re demonstrating an EHR, sign in as a physician and become the physician. Demo how you would review the patient’s chart, point out something you need to act on (i.e. abnormal lab result or fever), then act on it.
Order a new medication, write your progress note, and move on. That’s how physicians work. They don’t need to see every button clicked or view every page (more about this below). They want to see how they’ll use the software on a daily basis. If you market your software as being able to complete 3 tasks in 5 minutes, but it takes you 30 minutes to demo it, then you’ve failed.
For Buyers
Once again, set the stage and tell a story. However, for executives, feel free to drill down and show more features. Spend more time explaining the features and functionality of the software. Throughout your demonstration, elaborate on how your software can save or make the company money.
For example, will the software allow the physicians to see more patients? Will the software help recruit and keep top-notch physicians? Find out what the specific buyer will care about most and emphasize that.
2. Thoughtfully Choose Which Features You Highlight In Your Software Demo
When you’re buying a new car, do you want to see the gas cap? When you’re looking at a new house, do you want to see how the pipes work? Of course not! The same goes with demonstrating software. Potential clients aren’t interested in seeing the login page or the behind-the-scenes functionality.
Instead, concentrate on the aspects that will set your software apart in the eyes of your audience. Demonstrate your product’s “WOW!” factor.
3. Know Your Product Inside and Out
I mean REALLY know your product. Be able to answer questions about every pixel on every page.
When demonstrating a software product you should be able to explain:
- Why the colors were chosen
- Why a label on page 3 says X instead of Y
- Why you can access feature A from page 1 but not from page 2
- Why you chose to do this or chose not to do that
- What’s coming in future versions
Knowing the software inside and out benefits you in 2 ways:
- The more you know about it, the more comfortable you will be talking about it.
- When your audience asks you “the tough question”, they might not agree with your answer, but they will respect your answer if you give an intelligent, well-thought-out answer that shows a lot of time and effort went into the decision.
4. Practice Your Presentation
“Practice makes perfect” may sound cliché, but it’s true: don’t wing it. You’ll be surprised at how running through the demo by yourself while talking out loud will reveal nuances in speech and flow.
Once you feel comfortable presenting privately, try your software demo in front of family members or co-workers. Choose people you can rely on to give honest feedback and make sure to take their suggestions into consideration.
Take pride in your demos. Be proud of your software product. And sell it!
Why Nailing Your Software Demo Is Important
Knowing you have a great product and convincing others that you do are two very different things. If you walk into a software demonstration and speak to the wrong audience, highlight features no one cares about, are unable to answer basic questions, or fumble through the presentation, you’ll likely walk out disappointed. Your passion and excitement for the potential the software combined with a well-planned demo is your key to success.
