---
tags: Week 8, H3, M12
---
# Running a successful demo
:::info
ℹ️ You're in Step 2 of a demo call: The demo
:::

Let's recap:

- You've done your research and prepared your call
- You started by setting the agenda and aligning on the goals of the call
- You've recapped the prospect's objectives and core pain points
- You presented the prospect with the reason why you exist and their promised land, and they're eager to understand how you can help them achieve it.

Finally, it's time to demo!

## The key to running a successful demo

:::success
**Make engagement your core objective**
:::

The biggest reason for unsuccessful sales demos is lack of engagement.

Lack of engagement happens when:

- Your demo is not easy to follow
- You are talking for far too long at a time
- What you say is not relevant to the prospect

How can you prevent these problems? Here are the key steps to running a successful sales demo:

1. **Don't showcase all product features**
Choose the 2 or 3 main pain points you have identified are key for your prospect. Focus only on the key features that solve these problems, and cover them one by one.

2. **Orient the prospect**
When you're explaining a feature, make sure to orient the prospect. Show them around your product and make sure they know what is what. You might have seen it a hundred times, but it's the first time they're laying eyes on it.

3. **Make it into a conversation**
Turning the conversation into a monologue is a sure way to lose your prospect's interest.

- Make sure you don't speak for longer than one minute at a time by engaging your prospect. Remember this by heart!
- Leave plenty of space for your prospect to ask questions throughout the call. You can do this by pausing frequently.
- Every time you finish showcasing a feature, ask three questions:
- Is what I showed you relevant? Does it solve your problem?
- What impact would that have/What would it mean for your business?
- Could you see yourself or your team using this feature?

:::info
Here's a little trick called the traffic light rule (check out lesson "common mistakes in a virtual call" in the extra resources section of this module)

🟢 Green light: speaking up to 30 seconds without interaction
🟠 Orange light: speaking 30-60 seconds at a time
🔴 Red light: more than 60 seconds
:::

The video below is spot on; maybe the single best "how to" for online demos guidelines we have seen. Please study carefully.

{%youtube EGbohDFCtP4 %}

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