What Not to Do in a Sales Demo

What Not to Do in a Sales Demo

I recently sat in a sales pitch for a client. My role was to support the client and I was eager to see a great presentation and demo from the vendor. Unfortunately, the vendor was not prepared for the specific needs of the audience.

The result? A disappointed client and a missed opportunity. But what exactly went wrong? This article will expand on the pitfalls I witnessed exploring what a vendor should not do during a sales demo.

Vendor was not Ready

The golden rule of a successful sales demo? Be prepare, and the prepare some more. You can never be too prepared.

You need to be ready for any technical glitch that might arise. System failed? Have a second system ready. Laptop crashed? Have a second laptop ready or keep your presentation in a usb stick.

Demo was not Adjusted to Audience

Preparation is not just about having a good presentation in place. It is about researching the client, their industry and their specific challenges. You should anticipate their pain points and tailor your pitch to address them directly.

If it’s one thing you should take out of this article is the following:

Clients want to see benefits, not features.

And in order to show them benefits you need to understand their needs.

It became evident that the specific vendor was not prepared to address the client needs. Their responses to client’s questions suggested lack of experience with similar challenges.

The specific client team had people from the product department (business analysts and product managers). These people came to the sales demo eager to understand how this new project will help them. Unfortunately, they did not see that.

Too Much Work Required by Client

You might think the vendor lost the deal because of the issues discussed earlier. But surprisingly, the biggest turn-off was something else: The vendor kept telling the client how much work is required by their side.

The client’s director politely explained to the vendor that their team was already overloaded and would not have time for a new project requiring a lot of upfront work.

The vendor could instead break down the list of requirements into manageable phases and explained that by working together with clear communication channels they could have a successful project, even with client’s limited time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the sales demo I attended fell short due to a series of missteps. The vendor’s lack of preparation, coupled with a generic presentation that failed to address client’s specific needs, left the audience confused and unable to understand the value proposition. Furthermore, the overwhelming amount of work required on the client’s side felt like a burden rather than a collaborative effort. By taking the time to understand their audience, tailoring the demo accordingly, and minimising the upfront investment required from the client, vendor could significantly increase their chances of securing a successful outcome.