Why Your Product Demo Sucks and How to Fix It

Introduction

To make a long story short, your video product demo is ineffective because it focuses too much on the product itself rather than on the benefits and solutions it provides for your customers. Instead, emphasize how your product can solve their problems and meet their needs.

Showcasing product features through video is crucial.

In today's competitive world, converting prospects into customers is crucial. One effective way to achieve this is through product demos. A product demo is a video or interactive presentation that showcases a product's features and benefits. However, many demos fail to engage the audience because they solely focus on the product itself, neglecting the viewers' needs.

Common Pitfalls in Product Demos

To create a successful product demo, avoiding certain pitfalls is important. These include:

1. Lack of Interaction and Personalization: A demo that doesn't engage the audience or address their specific needs will likely fall flat. Instead, make the demo interactive and personalized to captivate your viewers.
2. Poor Structure and Flow: A disorganized or confusing demo can quickly lose potential customers' attention. Ensure your demo has a clear structure and flows smoothly from one point to another.

1. It's All About the Product, Not the Customer

One of the biggest mistakes is focusing too much on the product’s features rather than the customer's needs. Robert Falcone, a seasoned demo expert, learned this the hard way. Despite being an expert on Monetate's products, he often found that his audience didn’t understand the value proposition. The demos were filled with intricate details about the product but failed to connect with the audience's specific pain points.

2. Lack of interaction and personalization

Effective demos are interactive and tailored to the needs of the audience. They should not be a one-size-fits-all presentation. Unfortunately, many demos are just that—generic and monotonous. When the presentation doesn’t engage the audience or address their unique concerns, it quickly loses impact.

3. Poor Structure and Flow

A successful demo needs a clear structure that guides the audience from understanding their problem to seeing how your product provides the solution. Falcone emphasizes the importance of a structured approach to keep the audience engaged and ensure the message is clear.

Types of Product Demos

It doesn't matter what types of product demos you have; each is tailored for different objectives and approaches.

• Product Demo Videos: Videos that have been previously recorded and demonstrate the benefits and features of the product. If you're looking for inspiration, check out some video demo showcase pages.
• Live Product Demos: Live product demo video is engaging talks given by a sales team.
• Product Tours: Tours that guide you through the product's interface and features. These can be done live or using an interactive video, where you can use the branching feature to guide them according to their needs. This can be a helpful tool for potential customers to better understand how the product works and whether it meets their needs.
• Interactive Demos: Hands-on experiences where prospects can try out the product themselves, allowing them to see its features in action and make a more informed purchase.
• Pre-Sign-Up Product Demos: Demos that occur before a prospect signs up, often embedded in marketing content.

How to Create Effective Product Demos

1. Understand Your Audience

Before creating a demo, it’s crucial to understand who your audience is and what they need. This involves conducting a quick discovery session at the start of your demo to gather key information about their pain points and goals.

2. Tailor the demo to the audience.

Once you understand your audience, tailor the demo to address their specific needs. Use the ‘You-They-You’ framework: start by understanding the audience's needs (you), show them how your product addresses these needs (they), and then reinforce the benefits they will gain (you).

3. Focus on benefits, not just features.

While it's vital to showcase your product's features, it's more important to highlight how these features benefit the user. Demonstrate how your product solves their problems and makes their lives easier.

4. Keep it interactive.

Engage your audience by making the demo interactive. Ask questions, encourage feedback, and, if possible, allow them to experience the product hands-on. This will not only keep them engaged but also help you gather valuable insights.

5. Use real-life examples and case studies.

Real-life examples and case studies can make your demo more relatable and convincing. Show how other customers have successfully used your product to solve similar problems.

6. Have a clear call to action.

End your demo with a clear call to action. Tell your audience exactly what you want them to do next, whether it's signing up for a trial, scheduling a follow-up meeting, or making a purchase.

7. Prepare for questions

Anticipate questions your audience might have and prepare thoughtful answers. This demonstrates your expertise and builds trust.

The Importance of Structure in a Demo

According to Falcone, a well-structured demo can significantly improve its effectiveness. Here’s a recommended structure:

• Introduction: Briefly introduce yourself and your product.
• Discovery: Spend a few minutes asking questions to understand the audience’s needs.
• Overview: Provide a high-level overview of your product and its benefits.
• Deep Dive: Dive into the specific features that address the audience’s pain points.
• Case Studies: Share examples of how other customers have benefited from your product.
• Q&A: Allow time for questions and provide clear, concise answers.
• Call to Action: End with a clear next step for the audience.

Examples of Great SaaS Product Demos

To further illustrate effective product demos, here are some examples of successful SaaS (Software as a Service) product demos:

• Grammarly’s Dummy Content Editor: A straightforward, engaging demo highlighting key features.
• Airtable’s Captivating 2-Minute Sales Video: A concise and visually appealing video captures the product’s essence.
• SurveyMonkey’s Template Library: A comprehensive demo showcasing the product's versatility and ease of use.

Conclusion

Creating effective product demos requires a customer-centric approach rather than solely focusing on the product itself. By understanding your audience, tailoring your demo to their needs, highlighting benefits, using interactive elements, providing real-life examples, and having a clear call to action, you can significantly improve the impact of your demos.

A product demo is a video or interactive presentation demonstrating a product’s features and benefits. Despite their importance, many demos fail because they are overly focused on the product itself rather than addressing the audience's needs. This blog will explore common pitfalls in product demos and provide actionable strategies to make your demos more effective.

“There will be haters. There will be doubters. And then there will be you proving them wrong.” Use these strategies to transform your product demos and turn skeptics into customers.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Why does my product demo sucks?

Your product demo may be ineffective because it focuses too much on the product itself and not enough on the customer.

How can I improve my product demo?

To improve your product demo, focus on creating a more interactive and personalized experience tailored to the needs of your audience.

What are some common mistakes in product demos?

Common mistakes in product demos include lack of interaction and personalization, as well as poor structure and flow.

What are the types of product demos?

There are various types of product demos, but regardless of the kind, each should be tailored to address the audience's needs.

How can I create effective product demos?

To create effective product demos, it's important to understand your audience, tailor the demo to their needs, focus on benefits rather than just features, keep it interactive, use real-life examples and case studies, have a clear call to action, and prepare for questions.

Why is structure important in a demo?

A well-structured demo can significantly impact its effectiveness by clearly and engagingly guiding the audience through the presentation.

References

Falcone, R. (2014). Just fcking demo book.