Like many enterprise level solutions, your product is not easily accessible to the public, but your boss says you need to find a way to demo it more effectively to increase sales. So how can you show it to a prospect without spending lots of money flying them into your facility, scheduling technicians, equipment and conference space?

A product demonstration does more than just prove a product exists, it proves it works. When done correctly, a product demo allows the prospect to not only see how the product interacts with other technologies, it brings to light how the business will benefit when the solution is implemented. Therefore, a “one size fits all” demonstration usually isn’t the best approach. Various businesses will share just as many needs as they don’t, and depending on the role of the viewer, what they’re interested in learning will be different as well. That means research. Time to do some homework!

Determine the different roles that comprise your target audience. Are they managers with some technical background, or C-level and only interested in the business benefits. How will these people socialize the demo? Does this mean there is more than one type of person watching it? How much time would they realistically have to watch this demo? Once you’ve defined your audience segment, the next step is to find out what motivates them, what keeps them up at night, what would they hope to accomplish, what problems do they need to solve?

Once you’ve got a clear picture of your target audience and how you can help them solve their needs, you’re ready to start drafting your script. It’s best to start with an outline to ensure your script touches on ALL the major hot buttons for your audience. Then craft the story, using the product or solution as the visual hook that makes the story real.

Once your script is outlined, it’s usually a good idea to share it internally with other stakeholders to see if your messaging strategy is on target.  The next step is to draft your script by weaving in the capabilities with the benefits while keeping run time in mind. If the demo is going to show screenshot walk-throughs, having a subject matter expert (SME) capture a Camtasia recording with narrative can go a long way in adding real-world details where needed. Once the script is drafted, it’s time to socialize with your SMEs to make sure the relevant points accurately reflect the solution.

Once it’s back in your hands for editing, we like to recommend you read the script aloud to get a sense for pacing and flow. Is there a lot of “marketing speak”? Are there run-on sentences, tongue-twisters? These are very common when writing for print and should be edited to allow for a smooth voice-over narrative. Will the demo be translated for localization? If yes, you should avoid English specific terms and slang. After your final editing pass, you’re ready to hand it off to CGI Interactive to bring your demo to life with some killer graphics.

First, we’ll review your script to ensure it meets all the goals and objectives, then we’ll storyboard the script coordinating visuals for each message point in your story, we’ll recommend a voice talent, record the audio, and finally sync the visuals to the audio and add animation and interactivity as needed. All the while collaborating with your team to ensure expectations are met.

Once completed you can post it on your website behind a form to capture leads, or maybe you want to post it on YouTube, or you just want to deliver it to your sales team for desktop or tablet playback.

Are you ready to create a killer product demo? Let us help you get started.