How to Avoid “Death By Demo” in EdTech Software Sales

Every sales pro in Learning Management System (LMS) knows the importance of product demos as a part of “sealing the deal” in the sales process. A great conversation is a reliable method of producing more interest with potential customers. Nevertheless, most B2B product demonstrations are boring and too dull to generate any kind of passion from the prospective buyer, and usually take place before there is any real understanding of the prospect’s needs. So instead of helping, these demos often “eliminate” your possibilities of building a connection and making an effective and persuasive case. This can lead your potential customers to look to your competitors, or feel like you are forcing the sale. Think of the new prospect as a first date. On your first date, do you think it’s best to talk about how awesome you are or learn more about them, discovering new information about them and trying to understand them? That’s right– the latter. However, no person will want to get married after the first date. It takes careful listening, authentic passion, and a practical technique to get your prospect to build trust and interest in you. Your demo must be handled the same as that first date, to make sure you have a second date, and to build the value they are seeking and close the sale. Here are some suggestions that will help you stay clear of the “death by demo” in your Learning Management System sales:

Getting leads to the demo

Understand your Buyer Persona

Just as people aren’t ready to get married on the first day, even if they “request a demo,” they aren’t usually ready to see it the first time they go to your site or get an email from you. You could talk on and on about your Learning Management System (LMS) remedies, but without complete understanding of what these people need, it will be hard for you to sell to them. So, it’s best to start by researching your leading Buyer Personas (imaginary personalities that match your excellent customers). This will help your marketing team and will help you prioritize your outreach and presentation. For example, your Buyer Personas might be ‘Clinician Christine’, ‘Physician Phineas’ and also ‘Administrator Adam’ with a listing of objectives, difficulties and other attributes that specify each. You can then personalize your sales presentation and conversations to resolve their specific needs, talk about their distinct requirements, and make customized modifications. By doing this, they see that you are offering a unique service, not just a one-size-fits-all widget.

Giving the Demo

Keep it brief

After you finish talking about how your product and service will help satisfy the prospect’s demands, take a moment for a break. Speaking constantly will make your target market overwhelmed. Make sure to keep your demo quick, concentrating on what is most important. Likewise, do not get caught up in the presentation and forget about your leads. Watch their faces and movements to see if they have any questions or concerns. When they want to speak, stop the presentation and let them interrupt you.

Be animated

B2B sales conversations can be boring and monotonous. If you want to engage your target market successfully, you need to put some passion into your talk. Be sure to change up the tone of your voice throughout the discussion. People will lose focus quickly if you are monotone. Use facial expressions and gestures to show your leads that you are excited to be helping them. Anik Singal, the Founder and CEO of Lurn and VSS Mind, is an example of a person that makes B2B demonstrations dynamic and appealing.

Use case studies and stories

Don’t spend all your time talking about the attributes and advantages of your product or service. Use case studies and stories to demonstrate how other companies like those of your leads have benefited. For example, you could talk about how your Learning Management System product or service helped “X Hospital” reduce their standard client waiting time by Y%. Doing this will make it easier for prospective clients to have a basic idea of the advantages you can provide, and will ultimately help their buying choice. Marketo’s case studies are a great example of studies that inform their potential customers on the best ways to pick marketing automation software applications.

Don’t use unnecessary comparisons

Many salespeople use meetings as a chance to compare themselves to their competitions and show how their product or service is much better. This should only be done in moderation. If you know the prospect is considering a rival, they find a tactful way to highlight your benefits over their weak points. But, if you raise a point that your prospect had not yet considered, you may just be providing them another option to think about. To stay clear of these mistakes, ask exploratory questions to find out just where your prospect is in the buyer’s journey and what alternatives they are considering.

Practice, practice, practice

It is a good idea to practice your presentation at least two times before the real thing. Getting more comfortable with the content will help you relax and will make you seem more prepared. Talking through your products many times will help you identify any mistakes and fix them before the actual presentation. If possible, find a coworker that could play the role of the prospect and provide feedback. Remember to check any types of equipment or technology that you will use to make sure they are working.

Be on time

No matter what, make sure the presentation starts and ends on time. Beginning or finishing late will just irritate your potential customer and could decrease your opportunities to close the sale. If you have to start late because of unavoidable circumstances, apologize and explain the delay. If you have to go over a few minutes, as the prospect if they have the time. Your leads have busy schedules, too, so keep that in mind.

End with a call-to-action

Make sure to include a call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your conversation. The CTA can be asking for business, setting up a call, or asking to talk with other decision-makers in the company. This will ensure that the discussion doesn’t end after the demo. This will also give you time to handle any concerns or questions, boosting your chances of making the sale. Corevist, a leading supplier of SAP B2B ecommerce options, has a brief demo that finishes with a CTA to set up an individualized trial.

After the trial

Keep engaging leads with content

After the prospect requests the trial, but doesn’t show up for the meeting or says they aren’t ready to buy, you could be a valuable consultant by offering them content to help them remain informed until the moment is right. Using your specified Buyer Personas, you could work with your marketing team to produce content that fits the needs and wants of each ideal buyer. This content could be blogs, infographics, how-to-videos, or various other pieces you find valuable for them. You could send them as drips on a weekly basis in Lead Nurturing Emails. Doing this will help your leads inform themselves to build trust with your brand name (idea management). Over time, the content could increase the understanding of the issues of your potential customers and help them consider different options to make sure they are actually interested.

The bottom line

As essential as it is for you to offer a great and positive discussion, your work will only be proven to be effective if your potential customers are interested in what you have to offer. In order for this to happen, the content that you give and the presentations you provide need to be aligned with the prospect’s objectives and needs. Simply put, your sales process should be customer-centered, where your goal is not to sell another product or service, but to help the customer conquer their obstacles. This kind of sales process is called the Inbound Sales Methodology. It could be really tough to do all of this alone. We at Responsify work with Learning Management System (LMS) sales and business development pros to offer strategy, support, and help in applying these tasks. By collaborating, we help marketing and salespeople tactically draw in brand-new site visitors, convert them to qualified leads, and then delighted clients.

We’ve helped many gifted salespeople include Inbound right into their sales process and close even more offers. Don’t hesitate to book your cost-free strategy session to help you assess your process and get free advice on how to close even more sales.