For lots of us software-as-a-service (SaaS) marketers, the
first thing we want to do with a new prospect is show them a demo.
They visit our website: invite them to a demo
They walk into our trade show booth: show them a demo
They download a white paper, open an email, attend a webinar,
whatever: schedule a demo.
My advice: Stop doing
that.
If we rush into a demo before the prospective customer is
ready for one, a few bad things may happen:
- We miss an opportunity to learn more about the prospect
- We spend time preparing and delivering a demo that doesn’t fit what the prospect is looking for
- We don’t move the prospect any closer to a purchase.
First listen
If the very first time we have to talk with a prospective
customer we push them to sit through a demo, we often don’t give them a chance
to talk. It’s too much “show & tell”
and not enough “ask & listen.”
We don’t have a chance to find out who they are, what
problem they’re looking to fix, and why they got in touch with us.
In fact, we sometimes skip right over the “Sales 101”
questions and don’t find out about their budget, time-frame, and the people
making the decision. We may not know if
this prospect is even worth spending time with.
Stop spraying &
praying
Without knowing much about the prospect and the problem
they’re trying to solve, it’s tough to do an effective demo. (See
"Most
demos are useless.")
Instead of focusing on how our solution addresses the particular
challenge they’re struggling with, we’re just marching them features, features,
and more features.
Eventually we might hit on the issue that they really care
about, but maybe not. And the prospect
might be so “demo-dizzy” by the time we get there, they miss it.
Leave time to build
trust
Launching right into a demo often short-circuits any chance
to build credibility and trust. The
meeting is all about the product… not about our company, our expertise, or our
understanding of the prospect’s industry and their challenges.
We’re asking the prospect (and maybe a few of their
colleagues) to give up a chunk of their time, and they hardly know us.
There’s not much opportunity to establish a relationship,
something that’s essential to selling SaaS solutions. The customer isn’t buying a box of software;
they’re buying into a long-term relationship.
(See "SaaS Marketing is about Promises, Not Products.")
Don’t get me wrong: demos are usually an important part of
marketing and selling the solution. At
some point, the prospective customer wants to see it in action.
But don’t rush into the demo until both you and the customer
are ready.
