profile

Show, Don't Tell

🀫 Show, Don't Tell #62 - Your gate needs one more line of copy


Read Time: 3.9 minutes

Welcome to our 62nd edition of Show, Don't Tell. A newsletter to help you build REMARKABLE interactive demos...3 tips at a time.

This week we're:

  1. Gating our demos with clear expectations
  2. Moving your eyes where we want them to go
  3. Showing how the best pre-sales demos lead with a person, not a feature

Let's get after it...

Supported By:

  • Navattic is our favorite interactive demo platform ❀️
  • It's easy to build demos of your product, that feel like the real thing
  • With HTML screen captures, easy editing, lots of sharing options, and powerful analytics
  • ​Try building your first demo for free!​
​

Tip #1: Set Expectations with Every Form

Forms have a reputation problem.

Buyers fill out the form, get added to a sequence, spend the next three months unsubscribing from emails we never wanted. The form itself has become a red flag.

GetMeez did something about it with six simple words: "We promise not to spam you."

That's it. A single line of copy sitting right below the form that acknowledges exactly what the buyer is thinking at that moment.

But here's the broader point: it doesn't have to be that exact line. It just has to be honest. If you're going to send them a nurture sequence, say so. "We'll send you a few helpful resources over 3-5 weeks" is still better than vague expectations.

Buyers aren't allergic to follow-up. They're allergic to foolish games.

GetMeez reminds us that sometimes the best thing you can do is just tell them what comes next.

​→ See how GetMeez builds trust before the demo starts​

Tip #2: Control the Eye When There's a Lot Going On

The moment you put a prospect in front of a complex product, their eyes go everywhere. Which usually means they will absorb nothing.

Big shout out to Thales Group for a flawless approach to tooltips, shadows, and beacons.

They start with tooltips and a shadow effect to establish focus. The rest of the UI fades back, and your attention goes to the one thing they want you to see…not the 12 things they don’t.

After the shadow does its job, they drop in a beacon β€” a small, pulsing indicator that points to one very specific detail within that focused area.

It's attention direction on two levels. First the wide lens, then the close-up. And in a product with a lot happening on a single screen, that second layer makes all the difference between a prospect noticing something and actually registering why it matters.

Save this tip if your product has screens that make new users go "wait, where do I look?"

​→ See how Thales layers attention​

Tip #3: Lead With a Person, Not a Feature

Last week we had a free coaching session, and a Solution Engineer came asking for feedback on a demo she'd built for Ketch.

Honestly? She didn't need much. There was way more good than bad. But the thing that stood out most was her storytelling.

Early in the demo, she introduces Doug. Not a feature or a workflow, either. Doug has a role, Doug has a problem, and the entire demo follows him as he navigates it using the product.

It sounds simple. But most presales demos don't do this. They open with an onboarding guide β€” here's the dashboard, here's the nav, here's where you go to do the thing. It's logical. It's thorough. And it's about as compelling as a user manual.

Leading with a person flips the whole frame. The buyer stops watching a product walkthrough and starts following a story. They see themselves β€” or someone on their team β€” in Doug's shoes. And by the time the demo gets to the features, they already care about the outcome.

That's the difference between a good demo and one that closes deals.

​→ See how it works with Doug​

​
​

How often are you sharing interactive demos during your sales cycle?

Here's a common misconception: if a prospect is active in your sales cycle, you should only show them the product on a live demo call.

However, the truth is actually the complete opposite.

In fact, Navattic's State of Demo Automation Report shows that deals with two to three automated demo touches had a 72% win rate compared to a 59% win rate on deals that had zero automated demo touches.

Instead of thinking that your interactive demo competes in some way with your live sales demo, think of it more as a value add and a way to get in front of buying committee members that never attend your live demo call.

By making it easier for people to explore your product on their own time and share demos across their company, you actually enable your champions to help sell your product.

All this data comes from Navattic's State of Demo Automation Report, where they analyzed 40k+ demos and surveyed 70+ SEs to discover how demo automation is impacting sales cycles, and what best practices make a real difference.

If you want more best practices like this and some pretty compelling stats to help you build a case for demo automation, check out the report below.

​​→ Read the full report!​

​

Ask the Dash Bros πŸŽ™οΈ

A live, FREE coaching session to help you build better interactive demos (and make them your top marketing asset.)

In these 45-minute coaching sessions, Eric and Jason answer your questions about demo strategy, distribution, sales enablement, and any other challenges you're facing with interactive demos.

The next session is Wednesday, Apr 22nd at 12PM ET.

​→ Register now - It's 100% Free​

​

So that’s it. Our 62nd 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.

P.S.

If you know anyone else who would love these tips, please consider sending them this edition so they can subscribe πŸ™
​

​Jason and Eric​
​
Say hi on LinkedIn!

​Unsubscribe Β· Preferences​

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.

Share this page