Show, don’t tell… a leave-behind Sandbox is tailored to show exactly how your product would work in your prospect’s day-to-day business environment. This makes the value proposition of your product much more tangible and compelling. Producing immersive, hands-on product experience for your prospects can offer valuable insights into buyer preferences by facilitating a deeper understanding of your product's value. Above all, it accelerates the sales cycle, paving the way for a modern, customer-centric sales process. 

Organisations are tightening their belts, scrutinising every software purchase. Only those tools that deliver undeniable business value will survive this rigorous selection process. 

But how will you communicate the value of your product with just case studies, decks, and landing pages without your prospects actually using your product? 

Almost impossible…

This means that sellers can no longer rely on the same old pitches and sales processes. They need to capture the attention of budget-conscious buyers and empower them with the right resources. 

But how can sellers crack this? The answer lies in Leave-behind Sandbox Demos.

Which leads us to a question…

What is a leave-behind Sandbox?

A “leave-behind Sandbox” is a fully functional demo environment that you leave behind (literally) with your potential customers after a live demo or initial buying cycle. 

Unlike traditional sales assets like one-pagers, screenshots, slide decks, or fact sheets, a leave-behind Sandbox offers a hands-on experience where your customers can explore and interact with your product at their own pace, long after the live demo has ended.

Above that, a leave-behind Sandbox is tailored to their specific use case and business needs. This means they can see exactly how your product would work in their own environment, making the value proposition much more tangible and compelling.

For instance, you’re selling a data analytics tool. In the live demo, you show how to import data, create visualisations, and generate reports. After the demo, you leave behind a Sandbox filled with sample data relevant to their industry. Prospects can then play around with this data, create their own visualisations, and really understand the power of your tool.

This practice allows your product’s value proposition to echo beyond the live demo, keeping your product at the forefront of the buyer’s mind and making it easier for them to advocate for your product within their organisation. 

Essentially, this is an exciting step forward in buyer enablement! 😊

5 Reasons How Leave-Behind Sandbox Demos Improve Buyer Enablement 

1. Get the product into your customer’s hands faster

A traditional enterprise sales motion usually goes something like this… 

The buyer does research on a solution and requests a demo on the website, only to get on the phone with an SDR trying to make sure they’ve got budget, authority, need, and a timeline. Sure enough, they fit the BANT criteria and book a call with an AE who, they’re told, can share more about how the product works. But that second call consists of more discovery questions so they can make sure to show a solution that solves their needs… on the next call.

That’s three calls before your prospect ever even sees the product, let alone try it out themselves.

Simply put, buyer expectations have changed. They just want to get their hands on the product ASAP and understand if it fits their needs.

And that’s where sharing your demo environment comes in. Let’s say you’ve just given a flawless live demo, and your prospect asks if they can play around a bit themselves to better understand how it works. 

You can now share the demo environment you just presented as a leave-behind, so they can play around in a sandbox on their terms.

Consider it a tool to bridge the gap between product-led growth and the enterprise sales motion.

2. An immersive, tailored product experience for your buyers 

Sure, a trial can be a powerful tool, but only when it's done right. If your product appears as an empty shell during the trial, it can leave your potential buyer confused and unsure of how to use it inside their business unit. 

And confusion, more often than not, leads to a "no". If your trials aren't converting to "Closed Wons", it's time to rethink how your product is presented at that crucial stage.

At Demoboost, we understand the power of storytelling, and our new feature is a testament to that. A compelling product narrative in the leave-behind can be even more impactful than in the live demo, especially since you won't be there to guide them through what they're seeing on their screen. That's why we've made it simple for you to tailor the content inside your demo leave-behind to align with your buyer's needs, persona, and use case. 

This allows them to immerse themselves in a product experience that directly addresses their specific challenges, rather than navigating an empty skeleton. When the experience is customised to their business, the value of your product becomes self-evident.

For instance, if you're selling CRM software to a sales manager, your leave-behind Sandbox could be filled with sample data that mirrors their sales pipeline. With Demoboost, buyers can then interact with this data, track leads, generate reports, and truly understand how your software can streamline their sales process. 

This personalised, hands-on experience can make all the difference in converting a trial to a "Closed Won". 

Remember, when your product speaks directly to the buyer's needs, its value becomes undeniable. So, let's leverage the power of leave-behind Sandboxes to create immersive, tailored product experiences that resonate with your buyers! 

3. Make your buyers look like a hero to other stakeholders

Having a champion who is advocating for your solution within their organisation is indeed fantastic news. However, it’s crucial to remember that this individual is likely staking their reputation on the success of your product. 

If they champion your solution and it doesn’t deliver as promised, it could negatively impact their credibility.

That’s where our shared, leave-behind demo comes into play. It empowers your champion to not just secure buy-in from other stakeholders, but also to shine in the process. 

With a meticulously curated demo leave-behind, the value proposition of your product is clearly communicated, even to those who weren’t present during the live demo. This makes it easier for them to understand why investing in your solution is a wise decision.

For instance, if your champion is advocating for a new project management tool, the leave-behind Sandbox could demonstrate how the tool can streamline workflows, improve team collaboration, and ultimately drive project success. This tangible demonstration of value can help your champion convince other stakeholders and solidify their position as a forward-thinking leader within their organization.

4. Gain data-backed usage insights

Sharing a leave-behind Sandbox not only empowers your champion but also provides you with invaluable insights that can be a game-changer for your deal. 

By tracking who's interacting with what in the Sandbox, you can identify which features are resonating the most with your potential buyers. This can help you understand their priorities and tailor your product accordingly. 

Moreover, you can also identify key influencers in the buying decision. These could be individuals who are actively exploring the Sandbox or those from whom your champion is seeking advice. 

Think of it as a form of digital discovery that equips you with the knowledge you need for your next call. If you know who's involved in the decision-making process and what matters most to them, you can customise your pitch to address those specific points. 

For example, if you notice that a particular stakeholder is spending a lot of time exploring the reporting features of your product, you can emphasize those aspects in your next conversation. Or if a certain feature is being overlooked, you can highlight its benefits and demonstrate how it adds value.

5. Accelerate your deal cycle

All these advantages converge on a central concept: buyer enablement is a catalyst that accelerates your deal cycle. By facilitating a seamless product experience and enabling buyers to grasp its value swiftly, you can significantly shorten your sales cycle. 

A shared demo acts as a powerful tool that sustains the momentum of an impressive live demo. It provides a Sandbox that continues to narrate the value story, even long after the live demo has ended. 

Imagine this: Your potential buyer had a great live demo experience. They were impressed by the features and capabilities of your product. But once the Zoom call ends, they are left with a multitude of other tasks and your product might slip from their immediate focus. This is where a leave-behind Sandbox comes into play. 

It serves as a constant reminder of your product's value, allowing the buyer to revisit and explore it at their convenience. This not only keeps your product at the forefront of their mind but also enables them to understand its benefits in a deeper, more personal way.

To wrap up…

In today’s competitive sales landscape, buyer enablement is the key to accelerating deal cycles. The leave-behind Sandbox is a revolutionary tool that empowers your champion, provides deal-winning insights, and offers an immersive, tailored product experience. It’s a continuous, personalised demo that keeps your product’s value proposition echoing long after the live demo. 

By tracking interactions within the Sandbox, you gain invaluable insights into what resonates with your buyers, helping you tailor your approach. This not only shortens the sales cycle but also makes your champion look like a hero among other stakeholders. 

In essence, the Sandbox is a game-changer that transforms the buyer’s journey, making it more engaging, informative, and successful. So, let’s leverage the power of Sandboxes to create win-win situations for everyone involved!