How To Create Immersive Sales Demo For Remote Sales Teams

Take a minute to visualise your sales demo as a transformative portal or gateway that propels sales prospects from hesitant buyers to confident brand advocates. Like an adept guide navigating rugged landscapes, your demo sweeps them into an immersive journey of possibilities and discovery.

Yet, imagine the frustration when your carefully crafted pitch fails to resonate or gets lost in the void of pixelated screens. Laying witness to pivotal moments slipping through the cracks and becoming buried beneath the clutter of virtual interactions is utterly unpleasant–at best.

The challenge isn't just virtual; it's visceral–tugging at the heart of your sales aspirations.

But there’s no reason to lose hope! You CAN learn the secrets of evoking emotions through screens and foster effective customer engagement in the digital realm. You just need the right guide to show you the way.

So join us as we reveal how to create immersive sales demos that truly resonate, inspire, and achieve success.

First Things First, Let’s Understand the Sales Demo Environments

Simply put, sales demo environments are controlled settings where a sales representative showcases a product's features, benefits, and capabilities to potential clients.

The sales demo environment provides a comprehensive and engaging demonstration platform, highlighting how the offering can solve the client's problems or meet their needs. It can encompass various elements, including physical and virtual spaces, tools, resources, and interactions contributing to the presentation and overall experience.

There are various types of sales demo environments, each catering to different needs, preferences, and technological capabilities. These include In-Person Demos, Virtual Demos, Online Webinars, Live Interactive Demonstrations, AR or VR demos, etc.

What Type of Sales Demo Environment Works Best?

Though the effectiveness of the sales demo environment can vary based on factors such as the nature of the product or service, the target audience, and technological capabilities, a live interactive demo works best for winning deals.

Why?

Because you can personalise your demo beforehand and interact with your customers in real time.

Did You Know? According to Econsultancy, personalising search engine marketing led to a conversion rate increase for 93% of companies. Similarly, 94% of companies witnessed the same positive effect on their conversion rates by personalising their websites. Additionally, for companies that personalised their emails, 92% reported an increase in conversions.

Pre-Demo Checklist

Just as rehearsing helps a dancer deliver a flawless performance, a pre-demo checklist makes you well-prepared, confident, and ready to showcase your product like a seasoned salesperson.

Get Fully Aware of Your Prospects

There’s no one-size-fits-all concept in demos. Every prospect is unique, and so are their requirements. Hence, knowing their ins and outs helps you personalise the demo according to individual customer needs. This personal touch shows that you've invested time in understanding their business and makes them see the direct benefits of your offering.

When you know prospects’ challenges, you can present your product as a solution to those pain points. It gives a competitive edge and positions you as a problem-solver rather than just a seller.

Most sales reps often drop the ball when it comes to objection handling. But, with a comprehensive understanding of the prospect's needs and background, you can assume future objections and proactively counter them.

Thus, knowing your customers isn’t just an option; it’s an absolute necessity. Here are some basic details you must be aware of your prospects:

Company knowledge, including its size, history, main offerings, and customers.
Their specific challenges
Customer's short-term and long-term goals
What tools, software, or processes the customer is currently using
Understand who is involved in the decision-making process
Their main competitors

It doesn’t end here! If you want to differentiate your pitch from your competitors, take two steps forward and understand the key decision-makers. Learn about their personalities, communication styles, decision-making processes, and budget authority. This will help you connect with them personally while demoing your products and win the deal faster.

Streamline Your Conversation With Prospects and Schedule the Demo

Without centralised communication, you might miss the key decision-makers in the meeting. As a result, different attendees from your customers’ end might convey different messages to the decision-makers. This inconsistency leads to confusion and misunderstandings about your product or service.

Leveraging the power of a digital sales room like FORWARD can mitigate this issue. Digital sales rooms serve as a centralised hub for sales-related activities. They provide a secure and collaborative environment for sales teams and their clients to interact, share information, and manage the sales process. And you can use them to maintain frictionless communication with your customers.

Once you convince the decision-makers to join the meeting, ensure to lock the calendar instantly. Decision-makers are often busy with packed schedules, so locking the calendar immediately after their consent, you secure the agreed-upon time slot before other commitments or meetings take it away.

Create a Comprehensive Agenda

Creating a solid meeting agenda before presenting your demo goes a long way. It’s essential for ensuring a well-structured, organised, and effective presentation. An agenda outlines the demo's topics, goals, and flow with segmented time, helping you and your customers stay focused and on track.

Here’s one way to structure your winning sales demo:

Introduction (5 minutes)
Client's Pain Points and Goals (10 mins)
Introduction to Your Solution & Live Demo (15 mins)
Q&A Session (10 mins)
Pricing and Packages (5 mins)

To maintain interest and engagement, keep your demo short and concise. Shoot for around 45 minutes or less to optimise effectiveness.

Once you have your agenda, send it to everyone involved in the meeting. Doing this shows you value their time and enhances your credibility as a seller.

Set Up the Demo Environment Beforehand

Remote demos come with their own set of challenges. Technical issues are the major ones among them. Additionally, you might encounter common issues such as distractions, limited non-verbal cues, the learning curve of technology, and challenges with visual engagement.

That’s why it’s better to set up the demo environment beforehand. The right sales demo environment projects professionalism and competence.

High-quality tools and a smooth presentation enhance the team's credibility and make a positive impression on clients, ultimately leading to higher trust and more successful sales interactions.

Here are some essential tools you should consider setting up to streamline the process.

Reliable and user-friendly software or applications
Screen-sharing tools
High-quality microphone
High-definition webcam
High-speed internet connection
Recording tools

To make your presentation even stronger, have backup plans in place for any unexpected technical issues. It’s wise to have alternative meeting links, contact numbers, or backup content ready to go.

Pro Tip: Set up a separate test environment to rehearse your demo. Check audio/video quality, and troubleshoot any technical issues before the actual presentation. At the same time, picture the whole demo scenario beforehand and brainstorm possible objections that might arrive.

Sales Demo Checklist

Now that you have conducted your bullet-proof preparation, it’s time to crush the main performance.

Build Rapport With Your Prospects

Rapport-building creates a positive emotional connection between yourself and the potential client. This connection fosters a sense of mutual understanding, making the prospect more receptive to your message. Plus, personal connections facilitate higher levels of engagement and attentiveness during your demo.

Moreover, a positive rapport encourages open and honest communication. Prospects are more likely to share their challenges, goals, and objections, providing valuable insights for positioning the product or service.

Did You Know? According to a recent study by Gong, the highest-performing salespeople spend more time building rapport with customers. The study also stated that top-tier performers spend the first 20% of the call building customer rapport.

However, achieving this correctly remains a million-dollar question.

You can utilise various methods to establish a personal bond with customers. One effective approach involves asking open-ended questions and actively listening to their responses. Using nonverbal cues like nodding and using verbal affirmations like "I see" or "I understand" can help you engage with them.

Employ phrases such as "I can imagine that must present challenges" or "I recognise the significance this holds for you." Furthermore, seek out shared interests or experiences that provide opportunities for connection, and consider sharing your own experiences to foster a sense of familiarity and connection.

You can also use minor tactics to build connections with the customers, like addressing the prospect by their name throughout the conversation or starting with a bit of casual small talk to establish a more relaxed atmosphere.

Once you create a friendly atmosphere, you can now start the demo.

Nail the Sales Demo

Most of the time, the sales reps follow the same years-old script that doesn’t impact much on the customers. They continue showing feature after feature that has nothing to do with prospects’ concerns.

Instead, start with relevant personal experiences to demonstrate your understanding of their situation. You can also begin with storytelling, seamlessly weaving in your product.

Stories create mental images that enhance comprehension and memory. These mental images help potential clients better envision how the product or service could fit into their own situations. They can visualise getting over the problem by using your product.

Great demos focus on the user, not on the product. So, in a bad demo, it’s all about the product. This is the login page, this is the dashboard. It’s boring. It feels like a tour where you’re just walking from room to room with your eyes glazed over. A great demo, on the other hand, is just like a great book or a great movie. It tells a story. And the story starts with a main character. Your most important job is to get the audience to connect with that character and understand their pain…. So the next time you’re building a product demo, don’t show me your product. Tell me a story.
- Pete Koomen, Visiting Group Partner at Y Combinator

Start by showing your HERO features. If possible, demonstrate the most relevant feature first to eliminate their existing problems. Furthermore, flaunt other clients’ case studies & testimonials to create a sense of trust among them.

But…and it’s a BIG but!

Don’t dominate the conversation with your stories; the focus should remain on the prospect. Allow them to question you within the demo, and listen to them actively.

The building blocks of a successful sales demo

Post-Demo Checklist

Delivering a top-notch sales demo is just a piece of a puzzle. If you want to make the demo successful, focus on the post-demo activities.

Ask for Feedback and Address Any Confusion

Don’t make your product demo a monologue. Make it a two-way conversation. Ask for feedback once the demo is done.

Feedback gives you a glimpse into how the potential client perceived the demo. This helps you understand whether your message effectively addressed their needs and concerns.

Plus, requesting feedback shows that you value the client's opinion and are committed to meeting their expectations. This positive engagement fosters a stronger client relationship. It also helps you tailor your future interactions with the client based on their preferences and concerns.

After delivering the demo, ask questions like:

“What did you find most valuable about the presentation?"
"Were there any features or points that weren't clear?"
"Did the demo address your needs and concerns?"
"Do you have any questions that were left unanswered?"
"How well did the demo align with your goals?"
"What are your initial impressions of our product/service?"
"Is there anything you would change or improve in the presentation?"
"What are your next steps or decisions based on the demo?"
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how confident do you feel about our solution?"
"Do you have any suggestions for customization?"

These questions will help you personalise your next meeting and give you a hint of whether the deal is worth chasing.

After successfully addressing any concerns, you can gradually explain the pricing of your product or service.

Send Post-Demo Follow-Ups

Sending post-demo follow-ups reinforces your commitment to potential clients and demonstrates your attentiveness to their vision. It also provides an opportunity to address any questions or concerns that may have arisen during the demo.

These follow-ups maintain momentum, keeping your product or service fresh in the client's mind and increasing the likelihood of successful conversion.

Did You Know? According to a study published by Invesp, 60% of customers say no four times before saying yes. That same study concluded that 48% of salespeople never even attempted a single follow-up.

This eye-opening statistic clearly demonstrates how important post-demo follow-up is to close a deal. It demonstrates your engagement and commitment to the prospect’s needs. It also shows that you're attentive and interested in their success.

And the follow-up starts the moment you hang up the call. Doing this will set you apart from the generic sales reps and highlight your customer care.

Your post-demo follow-up should include several key components, such as:

Thank you message
Recapping of key points from the demo
Reiteration of their pain points
How your product or service offers a solution
Comprehensive pricing package
Outline for the next steps

However, sending follow-ups can get messy or create confusion. But digital sales room platforms like FORWARD make following up a breeze. You can create personalised micro-sites, centralise follow-up materials, and share collaborative action plans in one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you still have questions about how to crush your next sales demo? Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Why are demos important in sales?

Demos are vital in sales as they provide tangible experiences, illustrating a product's value and benefits. They engage customers, address queries, and build trust. Effective demos showcase solutions to specific needs, fostering connections that often result in increased conversions and long-term relationships.

What do you say at the beginning of a demo?

At the start of a demo, introduce yourself and briefly outline the agenda. Express your enthusiasm for showcasing the product's value. Set expectations for interaction and questions. Establish rapport to create a comfortable atmosphere, ensuring a focused and engaging session.

How do you evaluate a sales demo?

Evaluate a sales demo by assessing its alignment with customer needs, clarity of communication, engagement level, and the extent to which key features and benefits are highlighted. Analyze how well objections are handled and whether a compelling call to action is delivered, ultimately gauging its impact on conversion prospects.

Crush Your Next Sales Demo and Keep Moving FORWARD!

As you've witnessed, mastering remote sales demos doesn't require complex expertise. The key lies in adhering to a well-crafted strategy.

By meticulously weaving together each aspect of your immersive sales demo, you elevate the calibre of your presentations and bolster your team's assurance. This, in turn, leaves an indelibly positive mark on potential clients.

By consistently implementing these principles, you're not just participating–you're positioning yourself to win deals faster.

Your dedication to refining your approach will undoubtedly pay off through stronger connections, heightened confidence, and a lasting impact on your journey to success.

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