If you automate garbage demos, you’re just sending out lots of garbage!
Over the past several months I’ve reviewed dozens of automated demos and must report some very bad news: Only a few stood out as effective and compelling, most were awful!
- There were a LOT of demos that were product training.
- There were many instances of “let’s show as many features as we can.”
- There was a surprising lack of context with many (what problems are being solved? Who is this for?).
- Most demos never described the value or advantages of their solutions.
- There were surprisingly few call-to-action elements.
- Some demos required lengthy intake forms that discouraged prospects from completing the process (and hence they never saw the demos)!
Here are some raw notes from my reviews:
- Largely a list of features
- Feature list
- Feature glut
- Feature feature feature feature feature aaaagh!
- Terrible Tabs Death March
- Who is this for?
- No problem/solution discussion
- No setup, no problem/solution
- No communication of deliverables or value
- No value, no advantages, no benefits
- No value…
- No value…
- Focuses on "how things work" vs deliverables and outcomes
- Too long
- Very long
- Waaaay too long.
- Very confusing
- No narrative
- Too many options to explore
- Zzzzzzzzzz
- Zzzzzz
- Very confusing navigation!
- Hated the overlong intake form!
- Too much intake form
- Training video!
- Product training
- Training
- Training
- Trai… zzzzzzzz
- Why start with the boring example?
- Tell-show-tell feels like a piledriver in my brain!
- No summary
- I have no clue what this is for!
Do these demos move the buying/sales processes forward? I doubt it! In fact, they may be doing more harm than good. I’d guess many prospects say, “Well, I saw their demo and I’m not interested…” This conclusion seems to be confirmed by vendors who report poor conversion rates.
The morals are simple:
- If you amplify terrible music, you’re just making more unwanted noise!
- If you scale up the production of lousy food, you’re just serving tons of lousy food!
- And if you automate garbage demos, you’re just sending out lots of garbage!
Solution? Contact Natasja Bax (NBax@GreatDemo.com) for guidance on real best practices for automated demos. Make every automated engagement a productive one!
An Offer: If you’d like free feedback on your automated demo(s), send them or their URL to me at PCohan@GreatDemo.com. First come, first served!
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