You’ve likely seen hundreds of demos and maybe run most of them yourself. However, when you get your hands on a demo automation solution like Demoboost, you quickly realise you have to approach the demo in a different way. Instead of you driving, you want the tool to do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. In this article, we will break down the best practices to ensure you are efficient and get the most from your demos created with demo automation. The topics covered will be: 

1. Planning
2. Focus on value
3. Be concise
4. Use a naming convention
5. Guide the user through the demo
6. Add speaker notes
7. Preview Your Demo
8. Encourage Engagement & Collaboration

Let’s dive in!

Planning: 

You’ve just got your hands on a demo automation solution, and you want to start creating some interactive demos. 

The possibilities are endless, but you don’t know where to start. Just like when you’re asked what song you would like to put on, you’ve got all the information at your fingertips (and in your head), but you go blank. 

Questions to ask yourself:

1. What is the big showcase piece of your demo that gets the most traction and is a ‘must show.’ 
2. Who is the product’s most common target personas?
3. Which persona do I wish to tailor for? 
4. What is the most common workflow the persona has? 

The answers to these questions will influence where you start, helping define the goals and purpose of the demo. 

You will now know the structure and flow you want your demo to follow. 

Focus on Value: 

Show the value of the product or service to the target audience ASAP. Map what you show to address their pains and expected workflow. 

Use the "So What?" approach. If you can't explain how a use case / feature;

📈 Increases Performance

🛡️ Protects the Brand

⚙️ Simplifies Process

💰 Reduces Costs

⏳ Saves Time

..then don't show it.

Be Concise:

Don’t show more than is needed. This applies to features, use cases, clicks and screens. In most cases you’ll want to aim for a timeframe of 5-8 mins (or 10 clicks) or potentially longer for more complex solutions.  

Use a Naming Convention:

Use a combination of numbers and text to determine the order you want the screens to appear and a description of what they are for such as: 

[Numeric Order]-[Area within the solution]-[Screen Description]

In this example, it is:

7-connect-manage-tags

Guide the User Through the Demo:

There should be clear and intuitive navigation. 

Add a pointer guide:

select home button > Guide > Pointer > enter your message you’d like your viewers to see.

This will appear as follows in the preview:

Add a Video Narrative:

Use video narration to highlight the value of your dashboards (or the main showpiece screen in your demo) plus the next step available to explore: 

The solution being used in this example along with Demoboost is ‘Voltage Fusion’ – A cloud Data Security Platform to discover, classify, protect, and govern data to reduce privacy risk.

Add Speaker Notes:

Speaker notes ensure the speaker (e.g. marketing, AE or BDR, customer success or presales) gets the value across and knows what to say on each screen. They can be displayed during demonstrations but remain invisible to your audience (as they open in a separate tab which won’t be shared). Aim for bullet points instead of large blocks of text. If you have a related case study, you’ll want to capture that here along with a compelling story if possible. 

Preview Your Demo:

This is the most important step. Run through the demo and ensure it works end-to-end, and it is clear, concise, and intuitive and keeps them engaged. Test thoroughly. If it isn’t clear to follow, make the changes and retest.

Encourage Engagement & Collaboration:

Aim for a conversion during the demo. But, also, encourage the user to use the comments section during or after the demo for collaboration. Stakeholders can then comment on any screen when the demo is shared. You can respond to their questions and open up another opportunity for discussion which can be easily tracked. 

Wrapping it Up!

Incorporating the best practices outlined in this article will enable you to create impactful demos using demo automation tools. From planning and concise presentation to showcasing value and engaging the audience, each step is crucial. Gather feedback, continuously improve, and encourage collaboration for a deeper connection. By following these strategies, your demos will captivate viewers, address pain points, and effectively demonstrate the benefits of your product or service, leaving a lasting impression.