Product demo playbook

What a product demo is for

A product demo shows a buyer that your product fixes the problem they told you about, then agrees what happens next. It isn’t a tour of every feature. A good demo is short and specific: the result they want, the two or three steps that get there, and a date for the next step.

The flow follows Peter Cohan’s Great Demo!. Two of its ideas do most of the work. First, confirm the buyer’s situation before you show anything, so you demo against their problem and not your script. Second, “do the last thing first”: open on the finished result, such as the report or the booked meeting, rather than the login screen. Showing only the stops that match their pain, each by the shortest path, comes from the same book.

The playbook assumes you’ve already had a discovery call. If you haven’t, it starts with three quick questions; the discovery call playbook goes further. The closing 1 to 10 question is a common way to hear what’s still missing before you ask for the next step.

The product demo playbook

Words in [Capitalised brackets] are for you to fill in before the call. Words in [lowercase brackets] are filled from the call itself. Copy it to use anywhere, including in Aside.

Copy playbook

How to coach me

• If I start a feature tour or show something they never asked about, tell me to skip it.
• Before each new screen, remind me which of their pains it answers, in their words.
• If I’ve gone a few minutes without them speaking, tell me to stop and ask how it compares to what they do today.
• If a question pulls me off, let me answer, then put me back on the next stop (“Back to demo: reporting”).
• Before the end, make sure I’ve asked for a next step with a date.

The flow

1. Confirm what I know (3 min)
   • “Before I show anything, let me check I’ve got this right. Today you [how they do it now], the problem is [their pain], it’s costing you [their number], and you want it sorted by [their date]. Still right? Anything changed?”
   • “Who’s joining today, and what does each of you most need to see?”
   • No discovery yet? Ask three questions first: “What do you use today? What’s not working? What would make this call worth your time?”
   • Move on once they confirm or correct it.
2. Show the end result first (3 min)
   • Open on the finished outcome, not the login screen: [The result your product produces, e.g. the finished report, the booked meeting, the shipped workflow].
   • “This is what you’d have every [week]. This is the [thing they said they lack].”
   • Ask: “Is this the kind of thing you need?” If it’s “no” or “yes, but”, find out what’s different before going on.
3. Show how you get there (10 to 15 min). Only the two or three stops that match what they told me, each by the shortest path.
   • [Stop 1: a feature, and the pain it answers]
   • [Stop 2: a feature, and the pain it answers]
   • [Stop 3: a feature, and the pain it answers]
   • At each stop: say their pain, show the fewest clicks to the result, say the result, then ask: “How does that compare to how you do it now?”
   • Listen for: “can it…” (buying signal), “we’d need…” (a requirement to note), silence (I’ve lost them, so ask a question).
4. Their questions (5 min)
   • “What would you like to see in more detail?” Go deeper only where they point.
   • Don’t know? “Good question. I’ll check and get back to you by [day].” Note it.
5. Summary and next step (5 min)
   • “So you’ve seen [the result], which deals with [their pain]. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is ‘this solves it’, where are you?” Then: “What would make it a 10?”
   • “What would you need to see or hear before deciding? Who else should see this?”
   • Book it: “[Next step, e.g. a trial, a proposal, a session with the decision-maker] on [day]?” Get it in the calendar before hanging up.

Objections

• “It looks complicated.” → “Which part? Most teams are set up in [setup time], and we do the setup with you.”
• “We’d need it to do X.” → “Tell me more: what happens today without X?” Note it. Don’t promise anything that isn’t built.
• “Does it work with [their tool]?” → [Your integrations]. Not on the list: “Let me check and come back to you today.”
• “How much is it?” → “[Your price and how it’s priced].” Then stop talking.
• “We need to think about it.” → “Of course. What’s the main thing you’d want to think through: fit, price or timing?”
• “Can we try it first?” → “Yes, if we agree up front what it has to prove and by when. What would success look like for you?”
• “We’re also looking at [a competitor].” → “What do you like about them?” Then: [What you do differently, in one line].

Facts to have ready

• [Your product in one line]
• [Price and plans]
• [Integrations]
• [Setup time and what onboarding involves]
• [Security: certifications, where data is stored]
• [A customer result with a number]

Use it in Aside

Product demo is one of the starter playbooks in the Aside app. Click New playbook, pick Product demo, and fill in your stops (each a feature and the pain it answers), your price, integrations, setup time and security answers. Then name it in the plan for a call.

During the demo, live guidance reads the whole playbook. The coach might tell you to skip a screen they never asked about, remind you which of their pains the next screen answers, or put you back on the next stop after a question pulls you off. If you add ready answers to the call’s plan, such as pricing or security, your prepared answer appears when the topic comes up.

Demos usually mean screen sharing. Aside’s pill and cards are hidden from screen sharing on Mac and Windows, so only you see them, even when you share your whole screen. No bot joins the call. See features for how the pill works, and Aside for sales.

Free guides 2 calls a week with a playbook; every call is on the paid plan, $48 a month or $456 a year. New accounts get 14 days of it free, no card needed.