How to make interactive, automated demos easy to follow.
In the digital age, where every answer is at your fingertips, companies are challenged with crafting demos that inform and convert automatically. The Great Demo! method, created by Peter Cohan, is a fantastic way to show off a product. You only have to make a few tweaks to enable viewers to explore on their own. Here’s how to fuse Cohan’s insights with the autonomy of modern web exploration.
Figure 1 Illustration first
Your Starting Screen: ‘Illustration’ first
In live demos, Situation Slides typically set the context by addressing the audience’s Critical Business Issues (CBIs) and the specific problems the product solves. In automated demos, viewers see the Illustration (the end-result) right from the start. You integrate your ‘Situation Slide’ through interactive pop-ups when they navigate through the demo, embedding crucial context onto the first screen they see. Viewers start the demo and immediately see a clear, simple message that tells them which problems your product can solve for them. This ensures they know from the get-go why your product is valuable and keeps them interested.
Example pop-up box:
“Discover how you can empower your sales team to meet and exceed their targets by asking the right questions at every stage. Experience first-hand how you can guide your team through each critical sales interaction.”
Smooth Navigation: Pop-ups
Make it easy to navigate, and use ‘next’ to move through the information. Think of this like having a friendly guide who pops up with helpful hints along the way. Each time viewers click ‘next’, they get some information that takes them closer to understanding how your product can help them.
These little pieces of information help viewers see how each part of the product is useful. They link what the product does to how it can improve things for the user.
Example pop-up box for a Sales Enablement tool:
“This is one of the questions to ask in your first meeting. Your sales team will be prompted to ask the right questions, ensuring meaningful customer engagement and advancing deals.”
Feature Exploration: Direct and Applied
When explaining the software screen at hand, the demo should transition smoothly into interactive explorations or “pop-ups” that describe various segments on the screen. Viewers can click and learn more about different parts without feeling lost or overwhelmed.
As they explore, they’ll see not just what the feature does but also why it’s helpful. In this way, they can easily connect the dots between what the product does and how it can improve their work or life.
This corresponds to how you would bring your ‘Illustrations’ alive by pointing and telling your audience what they see on the screen.
Example pop-up box:
“By clicking on different sales stages, salespeople see the right questions to uncover customer needs and align solutions effectively. If needed, they can get more feedback on how each question strategically drives the sales process forward.”
Value Articulation: Clear Outcomes
After exploring the various elements on the screen, a new pop-up sums up how your product addresses the initial problems and outlines the overall benefits. This helps your viewers see the big picture.
This recap is crucial, reinforcing the value and impact of the solution and solidifying the viewers’ understanding and interest.
Example pop-up box:
“This enables your team to engage prospects precisely and effectively address their needs at each sales stage. This alignment significantly boosts your chances of meeting and exceeding revenue targets, ensuring your sales team’s performance aligns with organizational goals.”
Encouraging More Exploration: Want to see more?
At the end of each section, offer viewers the option to explore features in more detail, view case studies, or book a call.
This open-ended approach respects viewer’s curiosity, giving them a chance to navigate their own adventure. It offers several pathways to more detailed information and ensures high engagement.
Example pop-up box:
“Intrigued by what you’ve seen so far?
Extend your journey to discover more ways to revolutionize your revenue generation.”
Figure 2: Give viewers autonomy
When they want to see more: Do It!
When viewers opt to explore deeper, the demo includes a brief ‘Do It Pathway’ – an easy way to use the information or a brief process to collect it. Keep in mind that this should be done in the fewest number of clicks and a few screens. Viewers get lost very quickly. Focus on the application’s daily use and don’t mention how to set up screens, lists, or reports.
You start with a logical starting point for the viewer. Use the same concepts as above; first provide context, explain the screen and share the value.
Before transitioning to each new screen, an explanatory pop-up should set the stage for what’s next, maintaining clarity and context.
Example pop-up box:
“Click next to see a set of follow-on questions to ask”.
This deeper exploration allows users to understand not just the ‘what’ but the ‘how’ of the solution, facilitating a more thorough and engaging experience.
Again, keep it simple. The goal is to prove that your software is easy to use.
At the end of the process, a pop-up highlights ease of use and articulates the value.
Next, you give the viewer the option again to explore certain features in more detail, see case studies or book a call.
Example pop-up box:
“Intrigued by what you’ve seen so far?
Extend your journey to discover all ways you can revolutionize your revenue generation.”
Figure 3 Choose your next step
Deeper explorations
‘Peeling back the Layers’ starts by offering a ‘Menu’ of possibilities to dive deeper into. This menu can be a FAQ listing the most common questions viewers have.
Figure 4 A Menu of follow on queries.
Each subsequent step is a stand-alone demo following the structure described above.
Finish with a value summary and let them choose their preferred next step.
More complex solutions?
Break up your demos into smaller segments: one segment per stakeholder and one segment per pain point. Ultimately, by breaking down complex solutions into focused segments, you guide each viewer on a personalized journey, address their specific needs and showcase the comprehensive value you offer across various roles (CRO, Sales Manager, Sales Rep, Sales Enablement) and challenges within an organization.
Give your viewers the possibility to choose their own adventure and solve one problem at a time.
Break up your demos into smaller, more digestible segments, each tailored to address specific stakeholder concerns or distinct pain points. This targeted approach allows your viewers, especially in roles like Chief Revenue Officer, to focus on the most relevant for them to their unique challenges and objectives.
By offering segmented demos, you empower viewers to choose their own path, delving into the details that matter most to them. For instance, a segment dedicated to sales managers can focus on how your product enhances team oversight and coaching. In contrast, another segment for sales representatives might showcase tools that aid in customer engagement and deal closure.
Figure 5 Organise per job title or problem
By carefully integrating these adaptations into the automated, self-guided demo framework, companies can leverage the strengths of the Great Demo! methodology in a new, digital format. This approach ensures that demos remain engaging, informative, and persuasive even without a live presenter, effectively guiding potential customers to buy your software.
For those unexposed to the Great Demo!, here is a description of the various elements:
Situation Slide: Presents the specific business context and challenges the audience faces, framing the relevance of the upcoming demo.
Illustration: This is a key software screen demonstrating the solution to a problem. You describe the solution’s key benefits and outcomes first, clearly showing the value and impact for the audience.
Do It Pathway: The easiest possible sequential steps, illustrating how to achieve desired outcomes with the product.
Peeling back the Layers: A dialogue where the audience asks their questions, allowing them to understand the product’s depth gradually.
Menu: Think of a Menu in a restaurant. Offers a structured choice of topics or features to explore within the demo, enabling viewers to direct their focus to areas of interest.
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To learn the methods introduced above, reach out to us. For more demo and discovery tips, best practices, tools and techniques, explore our blog and articles on the Resources pages of our website at The DemoScene and join the Great Demo! & Doing Discovery LinkedIn Group to share your experiences and learn from others.
Natasja Bax Owner
Leveraging years of experience in presales and training/coaching, Natasja directly pinpoints the areas in need of improvement and maximizes the performance of individuals and teams in an energetic and uplifting manner. Her feedback is personal, honest, and always focused on the best results.