Let’s talk about one of my guilty pleasures: house-flipping shows.
You know the ones—people find a run-down property, add some magic, and voila, it’s a dream home. Or those “our-new-beach-house” shows where they take you through perfectly furnished spaces that look like a Pinterest board.
But here’s the thing: why are the houses always fully furnished?
And while we’re at it, what’s up with U.S. interior design? 🙊
In Germany, things are very different.
We don’t do staging.
Homes here are usually shown as they are—sometimes with the current owner’s furniture still in place, or completely empty if no one’s living there.
But here’s the reality:
Furnished or staged houses sell better.
We’re talking up to 25% higher prices than empty ones.
And they sell faster, sometimes even above the asking price.
Why?
Because staging helps buyers visualize their future life in the space.
It’s so much easier to imagine living somewhere when the environment already feels inviting, familiar, and full of possibilities.
Now, let’s connect the dots to software demos.
If you’re showcasing a generic demo environment with default content and placeholder data, you’re basically showing an empty house.
Sure, it’s functional, but it takes effort for your audience to picture themselves using it.
Here’s the fix: stage your demo.
And no, I don’t mean just slapping the customer’s logo on the homepage and calling it a day.
Take it a step further.
Add realistic data that mirrors their world.
Drop in some Easter eggs—maybe their product names, relevant business areas, or even references to their big initiatives.
Customize it to the point where they feel like you’re showing their tool, not just a product.
This does two things:
- It shows them you care enough to go the extra mile.
- It helps them visualize how your solution fits their needs.
Bonus: staging a demo system is way easier (and cheaper!) than staging a house.
And with modern automation tools, you can make this process fast and efficient.
So next time you’re preparing for a demo, remember those house-flipping shows.
Give your „house“ the right furniture, and your audience will see a place they’d love to call home.
And the ROI? 100% worth it.
Your future buyers (and your sales numbers) will thank you. 😉
