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Show, Don't Tell

🀫 Show, Don't Tell #23 - Death to instruction manuals


Read Time: 3.9 minutes

Welcome to our 23rd edition of Show, Don't Tell. A newsletter to help you build REMARKABLE interactive demos...3 tips at a time.

This week we:

  1. Get rid of paper instruction manuals (sorry Ikea)
  2. Show our software in actual devices
  3. Advance screens by chatting with AI

Let's get after it...

Supported By:

We are Navattic fanatics.

We had the idea for this newsletter after hundreds of hours spent building Navattic demos for our past companies and current clients. We love making remarkable interactive demos, and want to share helpful tips and examples so you can too.

A huge thanks to Navattic for helping make this a reality. If you want to create a better experience for your buyers, go check them out.

They have a free plan you can start using today!

​→ Try Navattic​

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Tip #1 - Death to Paper Instruction Manuals

What does a new dresser and a WiFi router have in common? Those impossible-to-follow paper instruction sheets that come in the box.

Tellus threw those booklets away and got creative with their Smart Hub instructions. They built an interactive walkthrough you can click through step by step.

No more squinting at microscopic diagrams or trying to figure out which cable goes where from a grainy photo. Just clean, clickable instructions that show exactly what you need to do.

The Tellus team is brilliant because:

  • You can't lose a digital walkthrough (unlike paper instructions that vanish instantly)
  • The visuals are big enough to actually see what you're doing
  • You can move pages with one click instead of turning pages

Now I need Tellus to share this with the Ikea people.

​→ Check out my new favorite instructions​

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Tip #2 - Switch Up Your Devices

Go Rout did something a bit custom, but totally worth it. They showed their product on the devices people actually use it on.

Instead of desktop screenshots, they created realistic visuals of their software running on tablets and smartwatches. Because guess what? Coaches aren't huddled around laptops during practice. But they are using tablets and smartwatches.

The authenticity factor here is huge:

  • You immediately picture yourself using it in the real environment
  • It shows you understand how your product fits into their life
  • The whole experience feels way more believable

Remember when Repsly switched between desktop and mobile views back in Edition #7? Go Rout goes that direction but takes a different route.

​→ Put me in coach​

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Tip #3 - Make Them Do More Than Click

Okay, this one's fun. Visier built a demo where you have to actually type into their AI chatbot (VEE) to advance to the next screen.

Instead of just showing you static screenshots of what the chatbot looks like, they make you experience what it feels like to actually chat with it. You type a message, hit enter, then you move forward.

We really liked this approach because:

  • You get the actual feel of using a chatbot instead of just seeing it
  • It breaks up the clicking rhythm with something more engaging
  • You're actively participating instead of just observing

Full disclosure, we helped Visier build this demo, and this is the first time we're featuring a client in Show, Don't Tell. But honestly? This trick is too good not to share.

​→ See Vee in action​

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A/B Testing Your Interactive Demo Is Now Possible 🀯

Curious which button copy gets buyers to engage past the first step in your demo? Which CTA color converts better? Which step is the best to provide an off-ramp?

Well, you no longer have to wonder. Navattic just released A/B testing! πŸŽ‰

You can now run experiments on various aspects of your demos, see what works best, and constantly optimize their performance.

With A/B testing you can experiment with things like:

  • How gated vs ungated demos perform
  • Which use cases to include in a new feature demo
  • What your opening modal text should be

No more black boxes β€” it's time to truly make data-backed decisions about your demos and constantly level them up.

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​​→ See a demo of A/B Testing now!​

Don’t have time to build remarkable Navattic demos? We do.

​DemoDash is an agency 100% focused on making interactive demos your top product marketing asset. We’ll map your story, build your tours, and help you measure the impact.

​→ Learn more at demodash.agency​

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So that’s it. Our 23rd edition of Show, Don’t Tell.

3 useful tips to help you build remarkable interactive demos.

Tune in next Tuesday for more advice from DemoDash.

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P.S.

If you know anyone else who would love these tips, please consider sending them this edition so they can subscribe πŸ™
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​Jason and Eric​
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Show, Don't Tell

Learn how to create remarkable interactive demos that make your SaaS product easy to understand and buy. 3 practical tips and examples every Tuesday.

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