What is Demo?
A demo is a live presentation of your product to a prospect, showcasing how it works and the value it delivers. Unlike discovery calls (which focus on understanding the prospect), demos focus on showing your solution. The goal is to help the prospect visualize themselves using your product successfully and build confidence that it can solve their specific problems.
Why Demo Matters
The demo is often the pivotal moment in B2B sales. It's where abstract value propositions become concrete reality. A great demo creates an 'aha moment' where the prospect sees exactly how you'll solve their problem. A poor demo—generic, feature-focused, or technically problematic—can kill even highly qualified opportunities. Demos are increasingly expected early in the buying process. Modern buyers want to see the product before investing time in sales conversations. The challenge is balancing this expectation with the need for proper discovery—showing a demo without understanding the prospect's situation leads to irrelevant presentations that waste everyone's time. The best demos feel like conversations, not presentations. They're tailored to the specific prospect, focused on their use cases, and leave time for questions and discussion. Cookie-cutter demos might be efficient, but they don't win enterprise deals.
70%
of buyers want to see demo early
40%
higher close rate with personalized demos
30-45
minutes optimal demo length
How Demo Works
Pre-demo preparation
Review discovery notes, understand their specific use cases, and customize the demo flow. Set up demo environment with relevant data or scenarios.
Set the agenda
Open by confirming what they want to see and what success looks like. Align expectations and give them a sense of control.
Tell-show-tell pattern
For each feature: explain what you're about to show and why it matters to them, demonstrate it, then confirm it addressed their need.
Focus on outcomes
Don't just show buttons—demonstrate how features solve their specific problems. 'You mentioned X challenge—here's how we handle that.'
Handle questions live
Pause for questions throughout. Address concerns in real-time rather than saving everything for the end.
Close with next steps
Summarize key value points, gauge their reaction, and establish clear next steps—often a follow-up with additional stakeholders or a proposal.
Best Practices
Never demo without discovery—you can't show relevant value without understanding their situation
Keep it focused—show 3-5 key capabilities deeply rather than 20 features superficially
Use their language—reference their specific pain points and goals throughout
Prepare for technical issues—have backup plans, screenshots, or a second computer ready
Bring the right people—sales engineers for technical depth, but don't overcrowd
Leave time for discussion—a demo isn't a monologue; buy-in happens through conversation
Record demos (with permission) for stakeholders who couldn't attend
Follow up with summary and next steps within 24 hours
Common Mistakes
- • Showing everything instead of focusing on what matters to this prospect
- • Demo-ing before proper discovery—leading to generic, irrelevant presentations
- • Feature dumping instead of connecting features to their specific outcomes
- • Not pausing for questions—prospects disengage when they can't interact
- • Technical failures without backup plans—nothing kills momentum like broken software
- • Running too long—attention fades after 30-45 minutes
- • Not involving the right stakeholders—great demo to the wrong person doesn't progress the deal
Related Terms
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