8 Ways to Optimize the Benefits of Your Software Demo

A software demo on demand will attract the attention and interest of your potential clients without your sales team having to get involved. In fact, using such a tool could provide you with an unequalled cost/benefits ratio. But to do so, your demo must:

1. Meet Your Clients’ Needs

Your clients are not interested in your business and your software – they simply seek to solve their problems and/or improve their situation. Your marketing tools should therefore focus on a single objective: to facilitate the buying process. Forget your latest upgrade and any accessory functional features; instead, concentrate on meeting their needs. For further information in this regard, consult our white paper: 3 Steps to Increasing Your Software Sales without Increasing Your Selling and Marketing Expenses.

2. Make an Impression in No Time

We are exposed to more than 3,000 marketing messages every day. So it is not surprising that almost 100 telephone calls are needed to set up a single sales meeting. That being the case, your software demo must get and retain your potential clients’ attention. Don’t tell your clients what your software can do – show them. Promises and sweet talk are no longer sufficient today. Back up your claims with snapshots, tangible results, client testimonials, case studies and statistics. For example, integrating your clients’ audio testimonials into your demo is an excellent way to enhance the credibility of your claims. This demo makes good use of tangible results and statistics. If your demo is well designed, your potential clients will spend an average of four times longer viewing it that they would grant your sales representatives by telephone(1).

3. Integrate into Your Sales Cycle

A survey (2) indicates that 90% of marketing tools are not used by representatives. Furthermore, they spend an average of 60 hours a month finding and restructuring the marketing materials to meet their clients’ needs. Worse yet, 90% of them do not do a good job, resulting in unconvincing presentations, a weakened brand image and a disappointing success rate. Segment your client base, integrate decision trees or produce a few demos targeting different needs – your sales team will certainly make further use of it. This demo uses several decision trees enabling Internet users to view their choice of subjects.

4. Strengthen Your Brand Image

Your demo, like your website, documentation and sales force, represents your company. To strengthen your brand image, design the best practices and retain the services of a professional narrator. The quality of the visual and narration will definitely affect your demo viewing rate and time.

5. Be Technically Flawless

On the Internet, you have less than 10 seconds to get users’ attention. If downloading your demo takes too long or, worse yet, it requires the downloading of a proprietary software program (as is the case for viewing a Webex rebroadcast), Internet users will rapidly move onto another page and your viewing rate will suffer considerably.

6. Call to Action

If your potential clients are interested and wish to take action, make it easier for them to do so. At the click of the mouse, allow them to:
• view more detailed demos;
• consult complementary documents: case studies, technical descriptions, etc.;
• send an email to your sales team;
• fill out a form;
• download a temporary version of the software;
• buy your software online…

7. Be Accessible

There are many ways to disseminate a demo on demand. You can:
1. Integrate it into the following Internet tools: website, IT editors portal, email campaign, online advertising and media relations, news bulletin, electronic article, white paper, blog, personalized email and viral marketing (read the post: Take Advantage of Viral Marketing - FR.), etc.;
2. Use it for: telemarketing, representation/training, trade show…
3. Announce it by means of: advertising, public relations, postal mailings, printed material.

Today, the Internet is a must when buying software. In fact, several studies(3) have shown that more than 90% of buyers first turn to the Internet to initiate their B2B buying process. You have surely optimized your site’s benchmarking (organic and pay)… but that is not enough. Develop other tools to enhance your benchmarking and post your demo to other sites, portals, blogs and bulletins consulted by your clients. For further information in this regard, consult the post: Optimize the Dissemination of Your Web Presentation - FR.

8. Help Assess its Performance

Some software demos offer statistics to assess their performance. For instance, you can know viewing numbers and times in just a few seconds. You can even get these statistics by viewing sources (website, online magazine, your association portal, etc…). These statistics, which I should point out are free of charge, will enable you to adjust your marketing and optimize the benefits of your demo.

A Gift

A well-designed software demo is in some ways a gift you offer your potential clients and sales team. Why? Because in just a few minutes, your potential clients will know whether or not your solution meets their needs. No procedure, no loss of time … they can click and view it when it suits them. If they like what you offer, they will then contact your sales team. By happily getting involved at a later stage of your sales cycle, your team can then spend more time and energy informing your potential clients and converting them into established and satisfied clients. In this regard, read the post: Case Study: Lower Marketing Costs Using a Software Demo - FR.-

Sources:
(1) Wainhouse Research
(2) Customer Message Management, Tim Riesterer
(3) Sherpa Marketing and Enquiro; TechTarget and CMO Council

	Simon Hénault   B.Comm, MBA - Corporate Journalist - LinkedIn Profile
	I help businesses in the production and delivery of content allowing them to be found on the Web, be perceived as experts, strengthen their clients relations and increase their revenues.     Â

Publié dans : PRESENTATIONS
Tags : software demo