You are all set to present the features of the product to the prospect with whom you have been working for some time. The stage is set. When the screen lifts, you are taken by surprise when you see many audiences in the show including his/her boss like CEO or VP or CFO. You know your script is not suited for such a global audience.

Panic sets in. Irrespective of the chillness you profuse sweat. You stammer and may not put in the best show. You will have to tailor the demo on the fly. With decision-makers in the call, it is either a make or break deal now.

During the early stage of my career, I have been in this situation a few times and failed to deliver the knock which costed the deal and my time. It caused embarrassment to the person who recommended us and spoilt the relations.

This is not an ideal situation, and you should work to prevent it from happening again in the future.

Why does it happen?

Communication is the key. Sales engineers are sometimes focused too much on technicality and features, they forgot about to whom they are presenting. The next time, before a demo, make sure to communicate thoroughly and clearly with the prospect of sales to find out who will be joining the demo.

Why it matters?

A CFO’s expectation would be completely different from the Manager who attends the presentation. Their expectations are completely different because CFO would be focussed on the cost while managers would be worried on the ease of operations. In simple, every persona will think differently.

Will it save time? Cost? Or, the life of the professionals who will be using it?

These are some questions that pop up in their mind during the demo or presentation. So, it is important to understand the buyer’s perspective before you walk to the stage.

Prepare before the demo.

To deliver an effective demo, know your audience. Communicate with the prospect with whom you interact, and get the details. Many times, your sales would have done the homework for you. Also, do your homework too and find out all you can about your prospects.

I rely on professional platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter to understand more about their roles, specialization, and area of interest. This has helped me to not only connect with the users but most importantly tailor the presentation to them.

This preparation will help show how your product can help each person individually in their role. You can make them visualize the value of your product.

Your script should not be feature-based.

Every product has many features to boast. But, don’t get carried away with features. Prepare your script focussing on 3 or 4 key aspects.

The products is not only for the individuals. It is for the entire business. So, be ready to talk about the ROI. You should show how the business would be benefitted when they chose your product.

Think of the bigger picture and the long term relationship.

Focus on key feature, emphasize on ROI, look at the end goal and long term picture while performing your research on the personas. By doing so, you will be able to nail your demo. Closing the deal will be a cake walk.