Nobody’s perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes, these mistakes can make or break you. The good news is you can prevent them, especially if you are giving a software demo to a prospective client. Avoid these seven mistakes, and you will close more deals and win more business quickly.
1. Not Being Enthusiastic
Show them your passion.
Instead of going through the motions and reading your presentation word-for-word, show your prospects how much you love what you do and how much you believe in your product or service.
Studies show that you only have 4-7 seconds to make a good first impression. Make it count!
It will also help set the tone of your presentation. Hit your clients hard with enthusiasm, and they will listen and savor every word you say.
2. Weak Discovery
Discovery is the foundation of your success.
The getting-to-know stage is just as important as showing your enthusiasm and closing the deal. Prove to them that you care. Know what they are going through, where they are coming from, and how you can help them. Doing these also gives you an opportunity to associate your solution to their problems and goals.
3. Not Teaching Your Prospect
Educate to make the connection stronger.
At first, your clients would think that you are simply trying to make a sale.
However, that can all change once you suddenly start educating and coaching within the demo. They will listen to you, bring down their walls, and be more open to receiving help. As a result, closing a deal would be so much easier.
4. Not Associating Your Product to the Prospect’s Needs
Connect your product to their needs.
The point of discovery is to learn more about your client – their goals, plans, challenges, and concerns, just to name a few. Personalize your demo – tackle their pain points. Accentuate the stuff that’s perfect for them. That way, you can prove to them that your solution matches their needs.
5. Not Associating Your Product to the Prospect’s Role
Show how their job will be better.
Recognizing your buyer’s needs is one thing, but knowing their role is another.
In sales, you may have several stakeholders from different parts of the business that you are selling to. This means, you need to adjust your pitch to make sure you hit the right spot. So don’t just follow the same cookie cutter script – it might not be applicable to everyone.
6. Not Taking Charge
Own your demo.
There is a good reason why the “L” in D.E.A.L. stands for Lead.
Everyone loves a leader, and you can be one too! In a demo, taking the lead is important. It shows how much you know about your product and how credible you are, and even better: it shows your buyers that you are the expert to follow. Prove to your clients that you are the guide and expert whom they can trust.
7. Not Following Up
Don’t forget about them.
The sale does not end after the demo.
In fact, not routinely following up after your demos is a recipe for disaster.
Spending all the time, effort, money, and resources on a prospect, then doing nothing to nurture to close is the last thing you would want to happen. One follow-up is not enough; it needs to be scripted out and done multiple times. Doing these will show you care for your prospects and it will prepare them to take action later on.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know what the mistakes are, do your part in preventing them.
Make sure you are doing everything you can to garner interest from prospective clients and encourage them to take action.
Your mission is to get your SaaS brand out there with a bang. Blow them away by winning the deal with an explosive demo. Only then you’ll start seeing explosive results.
