Buying something after trying it out first often leads to buyer satisfaction. What if you could create a compelling product demo that showed off an item in its best light and allowed the audience to determine if it could solve their pain points?
Product demos let people see the various uses of a product and learn the intricate details one only knows after using an item for a while. They also allow your brand to film the process and share details on social media sites like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.
1. Use and Test the Item
The U.S. Census Bureau reported orders for new durable goods hit $297.2 billion in September 2023 — up an estimated 4.7% from the previous month. New items enter the market constantly, making competition fierce.
If you want your product demo to be successful, you must know how the item works. Use it for various things and test it to the point of stress. If you run into any quality issues, fix them before presenting a demo so you can share what you have updated and why it is a positive change.
The more comfortable you use the item, the better the presentation. Your experience and expertise will shine through.
2. Create an Introduction
The best product demos feature a short introduction to set the stage without getting too bogged down in the details. You might introduce the presenter, what the product is, and then speak about what it does.
Make it a rule of thumb to keep the introduction under a minute, but the shorter, the better. Think of it like an elevator pitch — a few sentences should suffice.
3. Select a Demonstration Platform
Around 77.2% of people prefer online events because they are easy to join. If you can present in person at a trade show or a local event, you should record the product demonstration and share it online. Tap into the power of Facebook or YouTube Live to bring people in during the event and allow them to watch the footage more conveniently.
Choosing your demonstration platform also helps you decide if you want to add interactive elements by adding them to your website with a live demo. You can let people try software as a service (SaaS) or see if a physical product is better served via a 360° video.
4. Identify Pain Points
Before creating the demo, could you think through the pain points users face that drive them to seek your product in the first place? Please make a list of possible problems and the emotions fueling them.
For example, if you sell burglar alarms, the pain point might be the customer lives in a neighborhood where there have been multiple break-ins recently. The driving emotion behind the pain point is fear. Concern about family safety may be the deciding factor. Once you understand these aspects, it is much easier to cover them in the presentation and point out how the item helps solve the issue.
5. Collect Leads
Could you get people to sign up ahead of time for your product demonstration or offer something free in exchange for their contact information? Marketing is much more straightforward when you have a list of people interested in the item.
For online demos, could you automate the lead collection process? When you have the person’s name and details, you can also personalize the experience, leading to higher profits and better response rates.
6. Make it Interactive
Would you happen to have ever attended a trade show? In that case, you have likely seen a product demonstration of either the amazing knife that cuts everything — even saws through a frozen chicken — or the extreme stain-remover products. Think back to the presentation for those and how audience members were pulled in as the presenter made the demo interactive.
One person might give the knife a try. Another could taste the paper-thin slices of tomato. Whatever your product, please think about how to get the audience involved in the process.
For SaaS, give them limited access to the program so they can try it out. For a physical product, have them click on a link, fill out a response form, or find something around their home or office that would benefit from using the product. If hosting a live presentation — even online — you can pose questions and gather their answers to keep them engaged throughout the demonstration.
7. Add a Call to Action (CTA)
The Conference Board surveyed United States households going into the 2023 holiday season. They found the average planned spending is approximately $985 per household, with a 16% overall decline across categories.
Anything you can do to convince people they need what you are selling will improve your chances of converting them. Please remember to add a CTA to any demonstration or marketing you offer.
Could you let customers know what their next step should be? Make it clear where to click or what to do to buy the item.
Present, Review, Repeat
The best product demos are natural, so practice the presentation but do not memorize it. Record a take and watch it back to see what you might need to take out, add in, or present differently. Ensure the user can always see the item as you explain the various features. With some practice, you will have one of the best demos around that stands out in a competitive market.
