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Show, Don't Tell

🀫 Show, Don't Tell #67 - Is your demo center actually done?


Read Time: 4.1 minutes

Welcome to our 67th 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. Take a hard look at what a fully loaded demo center looks like
  2. Show you a step one that feels like walking into a presentation
  3. Make a case for saying everything in 60 seconds

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!​
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Tip #1: Your Demo Center Can Have It All

Demo centers come in all shapes and sizes. Some have a few tours, generic thumbnails, and a filter that doesn't really help you find anything.

Insider One went the other direction.

Their demo center is organized by product line, each with its own section and a "show more" option so the page doesn't collapse under the weight of everything they've built. The tiles use realistic product screenshots instead of branded graphics, so you know exactly what you're clicking into before you click.

And then there are the filters. On the left side, you can cut by CRM, by industry, or whatever matters to you.

But the thing that stuck with us most was the emojis. Every button in every demo has one. You may overlook this step, but it adds personality to every single interaction point.

The lesson here isn't "add emojis to your buttons." It's that you should sweat every detail of you demo center.

​→ See how InsiderOne pulled out all the stops​

Tip #2: Make Step One Feel Like an Entrance

The fastest way to kill your demo is to give it a boring Step #1. That’s why we appreciate HireVue for making a great first impression.

Their opening screen is a big, full-width slide with a modal sitting on top of it. It doesn't feel like a demo card at all, really. It feels like you're about to start a presentation.

SIDE NOTE: There's also a gate midway through. We love their approach because the previous slides get you hooked, and they lower your guard with "Unlock more great content."

If you’re struggling to come up with a unique first step, you might want to give this format a try.

​→ See how HireVue turns step one into a welcome mat​

Tip #3: Say It All in 60 Seconds

We talk a lot about how your first screen sets the tone. Most of the time, that means a nice visual or a clever animation.

Map My Customers took a different approach. They just said it out loud.

"Sales reps don't need lists, spreadsheets, and seven different apps. They need to see their week planned in one app on a map in 60 seconds or less."

That's it. That's step one.Just copy that names the pain, offers the solution, and tells you exactly how long it'll take.

If you do this right, the buyer reads it and thinks "that's me." And now they're clicking through not to see what the product looks like, but to see if it actually delivers on that promise.

Sometimes the best first impression is just telling the truth.

​→ See MapMyCustomer's 60-second opener​

Build and manage demos directly from your LLM

Navattic just released a major update to their MCP server.

Now, not only can you get performance metrics or reminders to refresh your demos, you can actually build and edit demos directly from AI agents like Claude 🀯

For example, say you want to build a new demo flow using an existing capture collection. Just type "Build a first draft demo using Captures from Marketing Conversion Demo"

Or say you want to refresh your existing demo with more benefit-focused messaging. Just type "Edit all of my existing step text to be more benefit versus feature-focused."

All it takes is simple natural language prompts, and you can let AI build and improve your demos for you.

​→ Here’s a quick interactive demo showing you how it works​

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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, July 22nd at 12PM ET.

​→ Register now - It's 100% Free​

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So that’s it. Our 67th 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™
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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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