Your product demo is one of the most essential parts of the sales process, and your demo script is the foundation on which your live demo is built.
It's no secret that a good demo script can make or break your deal.
If your foundation is shaky, your live demo is likely to fall apart at the seams.
What you need is a good blueprint: a set of guidelines to create a demo script that can act as a solid foundation for the success of your demo presentation.
So how can you give yourself the best chance of success in your next product demo?
Weâve got you covered: We're here to give you the rundown on how to plan, create, and prepare a winning demo script well before your pitch.
Letâs dive in!
A demo script is a written guide used during a demo presentation to outline the narrative of the visuals being presented.
It prompts:
that are to be covered during the demo presentation.
Since the purpose of a demo is to âwowâ and win over your client, your demo script provides a structured and consistent way of presenting your product.
After your demo, your prospect should thinkâŠ
Typically, your demo script should include an overview of the product, its key selling points, and how it solves specific pain points for the customer.
It may also be wise to include objection-handling techniques to anticipate and address concerns or objections the customer may have during the actual demo.
If youâre a sales rep or a demo specialist, having a well-designed demo script will help you deliver a more effective product demo â which is likely to lead to higher conversion rates for you and an improved customer experience for your prospects.
Product demos have grown to become increasingly important â theyâre among the top three things buyers refer to the most when making the decision to purchase any software.
And whatâs even more important is being ready with a good script to present your demo.
Itâs vital to be prepared â better safe than sorry, right?
The benefits of demo scripts are endless.
Here are 5 things that are the most important:
Letâs look at some key things you need to make a note of before you create an awesome demo script.
Here are a few things you should prepare in advance and remember when youâre creating your software demo script:
Weâve all heard of product-market fit â but whatâs product-prospect fit?
Essentially, itâs taking the time to understand your prospect's unique situation â their biggest pain points, their needs, and requirements â and tailoring your demo script accordingly to highlight how your product solves their problem.
You want them to thinkâŠ
Use what you know about the prospect from your initial discovery call, and do additional research about their industry. Armed with this knowledge, you can personalize your demo script â and achieve product-prospect fit!
Samia May, Account Executive at Napta, says:
âIt is important to define the specific characteristics of your persona/interlocutor before the demo and the different stages of the meeting. An excellent customization of the content will be the key to the success of your demonstrations. What are the issues of an operational user vs. the issues of a tool manager user? They are certainly not the same.
The objectives are different, and it is up to you to orientate the added value according to the uses of each one so that your demonstration is as impactful as possible.â
This kind of targeted approach can make all the difference in securing a successful sale.
Showcasing big-name social proof could actually turn off prospects and lower your close rate by up to 22% compared to sellers who donât do this.
Why?
Most prospects are unlikely to identify with large corporations.
What do they want instead?
To see themselves in the product.
Hereâs how to use social proof techniques efficiently:
Highlight 5-7 customers within your prospect's industry and level who faced similar challenges to your prospect, demonstrating how your product solves their pain points.
Donât miss these things when youâre working on your demo script:
By keeping these factors in mind, you can create a software demo script that effectively communicates the value of your product to prospects and helps to drive sales and revenue for your business.
Letâs take a look at how to actually structure a demo script template.
A good demo script should:
A predetermined demo script template will improve the flow of your presentation and convey your confidence and preparedness.
Hereâs a structure you can follow:
The goal of the introduction is two-fold:
To ensure these goals are met, here are a few things you should mention in the intro:
Your introduction has to be brief, impactful, and engaging â end with a question to keep it interactive.
You can then flow into the details of your productâs benefits.
This is the stage where you sustain the prospectâs interest and have to build their trust and confidence that your product is going to solve their problems.
Donât: List your productâs features and benefits in detail. That serves no purpose.
Do: Focus on the pain points of the target audience and how your product can address them, using examples and data to show your prospect the impact.
VP of Business at Mailmodo (YC S21) Zeeshan Akhtar suggests:
âIf you have a software with many features, try to organize the demo into multiple sections. Donât go too deep into any one feature and leave out the rest. Instead, create detailed videos for other features without complicating the main demo.â
Donât: Monologue.
Do: Engage your audience by asking relevant questions or leading with a question.
Now that youâve maintained the prospectâs interest and built their trust, you need one last thing to make sure that your product is going to be unforgettable.
Thatâs your AHA! moment â the moment you want your customers to remember.
Hereâs where you exercise showmanship!
Show, donât tell: Think back to Apple and Nike commercials.
Showing your productâs best features in action can be really powerful â it proves that your product is an invaluable solution for their business by painting a clear picture of how it addresses their needs.
By personalizing your demo, you can show your prospects that you truly care about their business and you want to help solve their challenges. It also makes it easier for your prospects to visualize how their organization could use the product.
Storylane is a no-code product demo software that allows you to create interactive and engaging demos by just dragging and dropping visual elements.
With Storylane, you can:
Depending on your prospectâs industry and their main business challenges, you can change the screenshots or their order. You can even change the data in your product demo to ensure itâs relevant to your prospects.
When concluding your demo, reinforce the main message and emphasize the value of your product. Keep the conclusion concise and focused on the key takeaways for your prospect.
Depending on the response, include a clear call-to-action â whether itâs getting them to sign up for a free trial, scheduling a follow-up call, or the next steps to finalize the paperwork.
Letâs take a look at some great public demos that you could take inspiration from:
These companies have created effective public demos by focusing on the product's key features and benefits, showcasing its value in a tangible way to engage and inform their audience.
Letâs go over everything you need to do to ensure your demo script stays on point!
Refer to this checklist to make sure you donât miss out on anything when youâre writing your software demo script!
By following this checklist, you can create a winning software demo script that engages your audience and helps you close more sales.
âCrafting a demo script that converts is crucial to the sales process.
To sum it up, letâs hear from Jamie Cohen, Co-Founder at SalesCompete:
"When writing a software demo script, be mindful of focusing on the value your tool provides rather than going through a simple list of features one by one. Have an idea of the overall narrative- the story you want to tell and the point you want to get across. Ensure the script flows naturally from feature to feature, with the content and copy itself focused on telling use cases tying back to that overall narrative."
The key is to cater to your prospectâs needs as best as you possibly can and create a sales pitch that they can engage with. Remember to use clear and concise language, go heavy on the visual aids, and provide a call to action at the end of your script.
And donât rush it: Take the time to create a winning sales demo script that truly resonates with your prospect and helps drive conversions.
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