Playbooks
Decision
SDRs
AEs
Prepare prospects before sales calls for more advanced discussions
Why It matters?
Prospects often enter sales calls or RFP processes with limited understanding of your product. Instead of having AEs/SEs waste precious meeting time on basic product walkthroughs, interactive pre-read materials ensure stakeholders arrive prepared, ask better questions, and focus on advanced conversations.
What we’ll cover
- Create focused pre-read demos that set the right context
- Deliver pre-read content at optimal times in the sales process
- Track engagement to improve both demos and meeting preparation
Examples and inspiration
Pre-call demos with Storylane
Prospects see the product. We skip over the discovery, and jump straight into a high-intent demo. Time saved for buyers and sellers. Skip over all the back and forth! - Melany Hallgren, Campminder
1. Crafting effective pre-reads
Create demos specifically designed to prepare prospects for upcoming interactions:
- Context setting: Begin with a clear explanation of why this information matters to the prospect's specific situation and what they'll gain from the upcoming meeting.
- Problem-solution structure: Frame the demo around the core business problems you solve, helping prospects understand how your solution addresses their specific challenges.
- Targeted information: Focus only on the most relevant information for the upcoming call or RFP response, avoiding information overload while ensuring prospects understand key differentiators.
- Essential terminology: Define industry and product-specific terms that will arise during the conversation, helping prospects feel confident and prepared.
- Preview agenda: Include an overview of what will be covered in the upcoming meeting, helping prospects understand how to make the most of the time.
{{quote}}
2. Strategic timing and delivery
Maximize impact by delivering pre-read demos at optimal moments:
- Meeting confirmation: Send pre-read demos immediately after scheduling the meeting while interest is high, with a clear subject line emphasizing the value of reviewing before the call.
- Reminder sequence: Schedule a follow-up 24 hours before the meeting with a shortened version or key highlights from the demo to refresh their memory.
- RFP preparation: When responding to RFPs, send pre-read demos to the procurement team focused on your key differentiators to influence evaluation criteria.
- Multi-stakeholder approach: For meetings with multiple attendees, create role-specific versions of the pre-read that address each stakeholder's priorities.
- Integration with tools: Use calendar invites, email sequences, and meeting platforms to seamlessly deliver pre-read demos at the right moments.
3. Measurement and optimization
Use insights from pre-read engagement to improve both demos and meetings:
- Engagement tracking: Monitor which sections prospects spend the most time on to identify areas of highest interest for the upcoming conversation.
- Meeting adaptation: Review engagement data before calls to tailor your presentation based on which parts of the pre-read resonated or were skipped.
- Follow-up content: Create post-meeting demos that build on areas where pre-read engagement was highest to maintain momentum.
- Completion alerts: Set up notifications when prospects complete pre-read demos to gauge interest levels and preparedness.
4. Learnings and best practices
- Keep pre-read demos under 5 minutes to complete, focusing on essentials
- Include questions prospects should consider before the meeting to prime their thinking
- Highlight sections most relevant to their role or stated challenges
- Allow prospects to submit questions directly from the demo
- Encourage prospects to share the pre-read with other stakeholders
- Use the same terminology and visuals in both pre-read demos and live presentations for consistency