Quick fixes for software demos

I was halfway into a demo with a couple of Directors. Their eyes shifted and posture slouched. I'd lost them. But kept going—walking them through one feature after another. Realized they weren't engaged because I hadn’t earned their attention. I was dumping features without connecting them to the problem they were trying to solve. That’s one example, but it's how my demos used to go 👆 Deals stalled. Win rates dropped. ................................................................. That's until I switched to a simple 5-step framework for presenting features on demos, which changed everything. The key difference, leading with the problem: 1. Frame the problem “Linda, you said it’s a pretty tedious process for your team to keep track of all your marketing campaigns for the month. The data is spread across a dozen spreadsheets, google docs, and emails.” • call out the problem • no product jargon • no buzzwords 2. Talk through the use case “So, when the business comes to you for a new product launch, you need to quickly start planning the campaigns. Which can be difficult given everything is scattered. You have to call sporadic team meetings to get updates, leading to product delays and potential lost revenue.” • you've uncover the use case via discovery • talk through how they’re getting the job done today 3. Show the feature “Let me show you how you can see all of this in one place and how you can cut your current process from 10 steps down to 3.” • walk through the feature • be crystal clear about what they’re seeing • it's your prospect’s 1st time seeing it, but your 100th 4. Articulate the outcome “This will help you launch your marketing campaigns 2.5x faster, meeting the business’ product launch dates.” • execs care about business outcomes • clearly state what it could look like with this capability 5. Ask a question “How do you see your team using this capability to solve for [X problem]?” • keep your prospect engaged throughout • lock in those micro-closes ……………………………………....... Have intention and purpose in your demos. Don’t be a feature dumper.

Why are there so many questions during my demo? That’s what one of my clients asked last week. He just wrapped a 45-minute demo. It was meant to impress.  Instead, it turned into chaos. Questions from all angles. Some valuable. Some distracting. And by the time he reached the main point, half the group had checked out. Here’s what I told him.👇 If your demo is getting flooded with questions, it’s not a sign of engagement. It’s a sign your story isn’t clear enough. Here’s how to fix that — in 6 practical steps: 1. Cut the clutter More slides ≠ more value. More features ≠ more relevance. The more you say, the more questions you trigger — most of them off-track. ✅ Anchor your demo on one core message ✅ Focus on their biggest challenge ✅ Leave the rest out A short, well-aimed story is more powerful than a long, wandering one. 2. Show the outcome, not the engine People don’t care how your software works. They care what it does for them. Start with the result they want. Not the process.  Not the settings.  Not your interface. Ask yourself: “What can I show them in the first 2 minutes that makes them say, ‘Oh, THAT’S what I need!’” Start there. Let them see the value — before you explain it. 3. Structure your time around problems, not products This is where most demos go off-track. They’re built around your solution — not their pain. Here’s a better approach: ✅ Start with their most pressing issue ✅ Show only what helps solve it ✅ Add context only if needed Every screen should answer one unspoken question: “How does this help me with the problem I told you about?” That’s when things click. 4. Answer questions in a way that keeps you moving You don’t want a formal Q&A. You want a conversation. But you do need a way to stay on track when questions pop up. Let’s say someone asks: ❓“Can it send automatic notifications?" Try this: “It does — you can set triggers based on your own rules. Want to see that now?” You’ve answered. You’ve respected their interest. And you’ve kept the focus where it belongs — on value. Here’s the rule: ✅ Great questions? Answer right away. 🟡 Good-but-distracting questions? Park. 🔴 Off-topic ones? Park them. 5. Use your visuals People don’t buy software  — they buy outcomes. People buy with their eyes. People buy for the insights they get. Don’t tell them how the process runs. Show them the result. You’ll notice something powerful: ✅ Fewer questions ✅ More engagement ✅ Real buy-in 6. Watch the room Sometimes you don’t need a clock  — just look around: - You’re running late - Someone stopped listening - You’re explaining features no one asked These are signs to pivot. Want fewer questions?  Be clearer. Demos don’t derail because the audience is difficult. They derail because the message is messy. So: ✅ Be concise ✅ Start with outcomes ✅ Tie every screen to a problem ✅ Handle questions with care That’s how you go from presenting to persuading. Where do most questions show up in your demos?

My take after running 600+ demos (8 mistakes that kill momentum immediately) I hate the “just run a great demo” advice so much on here. A great demo isn’t about slick slides. It’s about control, context, and curiosity. I used to get it wrong (and sometimes still do): - Clicking through slides too fast - Answering questions I should’ve asked - Talking 79% of the time and wondering why deals went dark Now? My demos feel more like a conversation than a presentation. And it works - 154% in Q3 Here’s what I stopped doing 1. Mistake: Starting with the product → Fix: Start with their world. Ask, “What made you take this call today?” 2. Mistake: Assuming you know their pain → Fix: Ask, “When you say this is a challenge - what does that actually look like?” 3. Mistake: Showing everything → Fix: Ask, “If I could only show you one thing, what would make this call worth it?” 4. Mistake: Ignoring silence → Fix: Pause after key moments. Let them process. The best feedback often comes after 3 seconds of quiet. 5. Mistake: Not looping others in → Fix: “Who else is involved in this process?” → Multi-thread early. Don’t wait for the ghosting stage. 6. Mistake: Saving ROI for the end → Fix: Bring it into the middle. “If we solved this, what would that mean for you in hours or cost?” 7. Mistake: Ending with ‘Any questions?’ → Fix: “What’s the one thing that would make this a no-brainer for your team?” 8. Mistake: Treating the demo like the finish line → Fix: End with clear next steps. Mutual Action Plan, follow-up date, recap email within 24h. The result? Stronger champions More engagement mid-demo Fewer “We’ll get back to you” moments My take: Bad demos happen when you focus on showing. Great demos happen when you focus on understanding. PS. Want my demo recap email template? Comment DEMO below.

Why users abandon demos (and how to fix it). I've analyzed over 5000 demo sessions. Here's what I found: most companies are sabotaging their own demos without realizing it. The patterns are clear once you know what to look for. 𝟯 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁: 🔴 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗽. Forms, account creation, email verification before they see value. 🔴 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱. Showing every feature instead of focusing on the core benefit. 🔴 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀. Users get lost because the demo doesn't guide them clearly. The fixes are simpler than you think, but they require flipping your current approach: 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗽 → 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 Let them click around before asking for email. Prove the product works, then ask for commitment. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿 → 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺-𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 Start with their pain point. Show how your product solves it. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘆 → 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘀 Use arrows, highlights, and step-by-step guidance. Make it impossible to get lost. Most demos are built for the company, not the user. They showcase features instead of solving problems, ask for information before providing value, and assume users know what to do next. Your demo should feel like a guided tour, not a maze. — 👋 I'm Koushik. I build interactive demo software and help companies improve their conversion rates. ♻ Share if you're rethinking your demo approach. 💬 DM me if you want to discuss demo optimization for your product. #saas #demos #conversion #ux

Showing a software demo? Tips to make it easier to follow: 🟣 Change your mouse color (I like purple) to make it extremely easy for them to follow your cursor. 🖥️ Frequently stop screensharing to encourage discussion. 🎯 Use the "presenter tools" in Zoom. Anyone who has met with me in the last 2 years knows I annotate/draw on the screen like crazy. 📝 Start your demo with a recap of the problems you heard they want to solve. Especially helpful when new stakeholders are joining. ⏳ Don't assume you've earned 30 minutes of attention - start with the most impactful thing first to earn more attention. 🐢 Go a tad slower than you think you need to. You've given your demo 1000+ times. This is the 1st time for them. 🤏 The less clicks & screens you show, the better. Pre-load screens and slides you plan to show. Get your tabs organized. What would you add? 

Most bad demos start with appetizers. Here’s what I mean: → “Let me show you how to create a workspace…” → “This is the dashboard…” → “This feature lets you…” Prospects didn’t book the demo for a tour. They came for a solution. Serve the steak first. Show the feature that solves their top pain — immediately. Then work backwards. Example: I coached an AE selling a project management tool. Before, they’d start every demo by showing how to create a project from scratch. Instead, we flipped it: → Prospect said their team missed deadlines because no one had visibility. → So he started the demo by pulling up the calendar view with live team activity and deadline alerts. “Here’s what your VP of Ops would see every morning — total clarity in 10 seconds.” That one change? 31% improvement in close rate. The intro isn’t where you warm up. It’s where you win trust.

I’ll admit it: I’ve had my fair share of demo presentations that didn’t land quite as smoothly as I’d hoped. There were moments when key details were overlooked, and I could sense the audience’s attention drifting. As a Product Designer, I’m naturally excited about the intricacies of my work. But I’ve learned that focusing too much on the technical details can overwhelm an audience—especially if they’re looking for a clear, high-level understanding of how the product solves their challenges. Here’s what I’m doing to make demos more engaging: 1. Lead with the User Story: Start by showing how the product addresses a real-world problem. 2. Emphasize the 'Why': Explain the pain points solved rather than diving straight into every feature. 3. Craft a Concise Narrative: Keep the demo structured—introduction, problem, solution, impact—to maintain clarity. 4. Run Through with Fresh Eyes: Practice with someone outside the core team to get unbiased feedback. 5. Invite Interactive Feedback: Encourage questions and discussions to keep the audience involved. By shifting the focus from features to benefits, I’ve noticed a significant boost in engagement and overall reception. Have you ever felt your demos needed a clearer focus, and how did you improve them? I’d love to hear your insights. #ProductDesign #DemoTips #UX #DesignThinking #ProfessionalGrowth

You're losing deals to user error. If you are offering a freemium product, or free trials, you are losing deals to user error. So what can you do to avoid it? 1. Open your ears for closed lost deals, and past cases of user error.. - What have you gotten complaints about that were user error? - When have you lost a deal to user error? Why? 2. Call out user error when demoing BEFORE it happens on a trial. - Sounds like... "Hey see this checkbox? The #1 user error I see when importing is people click this box, only allowing 15 contacts imported at time. Try this Import All button instead!" ^^ I've lost deals because "Our team was frustrated that we could only import 15 at a time". What? No... Too late, deal signed, deal lost. 3. Always recognize that you use your product daily. This is likely their first time seeing it. - Chances are you're RUNNIN through features. I'll never forget my first demo of a call recording software. I was lost within 2 minutes - Drop your internal lingo. Stick to their painpoints, slowly walk through workflows/features. SLOW DOWN. 4. Tip for point 3? ALWAYS recap a pain point before showing a specific feature/workflow. - 9/10 times, you recapture attention, regain focus, and then they follow that specific workflow you are showing And lastly, control your trials. Here is why you're trialing my software, here is what you're looking to accomplish and see. Control. Control. Control. ---> Drastically less user error ---> Happy users