5 tips to delivering SaaS sales demos that convert

If you sell a B2B SaaS product, you’ll know the importance of a product demonstration. A demonstration is often the crucial stage in a buyer’s decision-making process, as it allows the potential client to see the product, ask questions, and get a feel for your company before making their purchase decision.

At AXD, we’ve delivered our fair share of product demonstrations, closing hundreds of sales, and millions in revenue. Here are our 5 tips to deliver a SaaS sales demo that converts.

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Know your prospect

You should be curious about your prospect and genuinely excited about what they can achieve with your solution. During the demo ask questions that guide the conversation in a natural positive way, try to establish a common interest and build rapport.

Do your research. Learn as much as you can about their current situation before the call and plan questions in advance. Try to plan questions that will uncover hidden obstacles. Be friendly and inquisitive and make the prospect feel comfortable opening up to you.

Identify a clear gap between where they are now and where they will get to with your solution.

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Deliver a demo not a training session

Some SaaS businesses approach sales demos like a software training session. Providing a full tour, clicking around the pages, going through all of the icons on the menu and delving into detail about the features. Showing prospects around your software in this way is not a sales pitch. Your demo should be about having a conversation with the prospect, listening to their needs, pain points, questions, feedback and providing a solution.

During the demo it’s your job to communicate the value of your software. Your demo should be a two-way conversation addressing the prospects pain points along the way. It’s easy to focus too much on the list of features and expect the prospect to understand what you’re talking about. It should never be a one-way presentation. Engage the prospect in conversation throughout and discuss how your solution addresses their problems.

Avoid using jargon or technical terms during the demo as you run the risk of them not understanding and it could become confusing and over complicated.

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Customise the demo

The sales demo should be concise and to the point. Don’t make them work hard to imagine being your customer. Set up the software using their company’s name, use the prospects brand logo and double check everything is spelt correctly.

If your product is full of data when used, make sure there is data in your demo area. Prepare a mock version so the prospect can see what they will be working with and how it will look.

Use the information gained from your research and questioning to plan a customised demonstration that addresses their needs and pain points. Focus on demonstrating the key features that address their pain rather than teaching them about all the features and how to use the software.

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Connect to pain points

Prepare questions that will allow you to address the pain points and talk to them about that pain and what they would like to accomplish. Identify the key pain points to focus on and explain how your product solves these. Show them the value of your solution and discuss what their problem is really costing them.

Talk to them about specific customers (with permission) that have solved those same pain points by using your solution and provide impacts and stats to back this up. Address the impacts it will have for them.

The prospect should leave the demo believing your product will solve their problem and you will deliver as promised.

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Close the deal

If you followed all of the steps above you’ve already increased your chances of converting to sale.

Let the prospect know what’s required from them for the solution to be successful. Summarise the key points of your conversation and remind them how your solutions will solve their problems and meets their needs.

You don’t always get to demo to key decision makers so ask the question “is there anyone else involved in the decision making?”. You may need to provide additional information for those missing people or even offer an additional demonstration.

Before you end, ask them to commit to a time and book a follow up meeting instead of arranging a follow up call. This increases your chance of a sale and keeps you in the mind of the prospect.

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Want help improving your demo conversion rate? Get in touch, hello@axd.agency

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