Why I don’t love demos

Why I don’t love demos

Why I don’t love demos.

As a major buyer and early adopter of Talent Tech for the last decade (and developed products myself), I’ve seen a few demos in my time!

I used to love them, but now I decline a demo until at least the third conversation. Why?

Because the purchase is not about your product, it’s about my problem.

Work today is so complex that most customers struggle to identify their problem accurately. This leads to jumping at solutions that looks ‘about right’ and ends with ‘we’re not getting the ROI’.

With a demo, the product may sell but probably won’t renew.

So what are these demo-free conversations about?
• Articulating the problem and true fit for purpose
• Determining relevant evidence of success
• Understanding baseline and realistic success measures
• Assessing our working approach

A feature-rich demo simply dangles bright and shiny distractions in the way of the important question: is your product designed for my exact problem or is it only ‘about right’?

I advise a range of Talent Tech firms from a customer strategy and business leadership perspective because I know that building a product, leading business and selling to corporates is hard!

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