Why I Don't Like Demo Scripts, But Still Use a Demo Script Template
Demo scripts often push SEs toward generic demos. Here is why I still use a demo script template for the opening and closing, but leave the middle unscripted.
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Notes on better demos
Practical articles on software demos, discovery and presales: demo structure, buyer enablement, objection handling and the habits that win enterprise deals.
Product Demo Checklist: How to Prepare a Demo That Actually Moves the Deal Forward
A demo is not the next step. It is an activity. Here is the product demo checklist I use to make sure a demo earns its place in the deal.
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Why I Think "Limbic Opener" Is a Bad Name for a Good Idea
The idea behind a Limbic Opener is solid: start your demo in a way that gets attention and makes the buyer care. But the name itself creates the same cognitive load we tell Solution Engineers to remove.
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Why Demo Training Beats Generic Presales Training
Presales is broad, but demos are deep enough to deserve their own specialization. Here is why I go deep on demo training instead of offering a broad presales menu.
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Why Tell-Show-Tell Is Not Really a Demo Method
Tell-Show-Tell is a useful demo technique, but it does not help you prioritize customer challenges or connect product capabilities to business value.
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Turn a Successful POC Into a Signed Contract
Why Successful POCs Still Fail One thing I’ve observed over the years is that a successful proof of concept (POC) and a successful deal are not the same thing. I’ve seen plenty of startups run great POCs. The pilot goes well. Your customer gets value. The users are happy. The fee
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The Demo That Made Me Stop Watching
I had to stop watching a demo recording the other day because I got too frustrated with what I was seeing.It takes a lot for me to pause a recording, but this one pushed me close to the limit. As part of my workshop preparation, I usually watch ten to twenty hours of demo footage
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Avoid absolute statements in your demo
When you demo, avoid absolute statements like “everyone,” “always,” or “any company.”They do not make you sound confident. They make you sound vague. Most people react negatively to this, but it is especially strong in Germany and across Europe.Buyers here are cautious, detail or
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10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Demo Yourself
In my demo workshops, I hear the same frustration again and again.Many SEs say they cannot improve their demos because their AEs do not give them enough customer context. Some complain that demos are scheduled too early.Others struggle because there is no clear direction or share
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AI will replace you in solution engineering if…
Everyone in presales is talking about AI right now.Some are excited, some are worried, and many are unsure what it will mean for their role in the future. The question usually sounds like this: “Will AI replace solution engineers?”The honest answer is simple. Yes, it can. But onl
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5 Demo Metrics You Should Not Track
If you work in presales long enough, you start noticing a strange pattern.Teams are eager to report metrics, but many of the numbers they track have nothing to do with actual deal progress. I often hear teams proudly talk about the percentage of features they managed to cover in
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The One Thing AEs Must Do Before Every Demo
I see this pattern again and again. An AE opens a demo call, introduces their SE, and then quietly disappears into their CRM. Sometimes it even looks like nap time with the camera on. It happens more often than people admit, and it creates real problems for the conversation. Even
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How to Make Your SKO Valuable for SEs
Every year, the same thing happens at SKOs. SEs and Presales teams get told to join the sales sessions because “that is somewhat relevant to them.” It is well-intended, but it misses the point. I have been speaking with a lot of SE leaders lately who want to organise something me
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Create Peace of Mind in Your Demos
Most demos focus on showing what a product can do. Many solution engineers try to impress with features, shortcuts, automations, and deep configuration. It all looks good on paper. But it often does not give the customer what they need most. They want peace of mind. Peace of mind
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Discovery Fails Because You Don't Listen
Most people think they struggle with discovery because they don’t know the “right” questions.But that’s not the real problem. The real problem is simple: they don’t listen. There are endless books on discovery.There are checklists, frameworks, cheat sheets.You can literally read
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Finding the Sweet Spot in Your Demo
For a long time, I believed my job during a demo was to say everything I knew.Every feature. Every workflow. Every corner of the product. I convinced myself it was the right thing to do.“If they have all the information, they will make the right decision.” That was the story I ke
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Know When to Shut Up During Your Demo
I joined a demo session earlier this week. The account executive and the solution engineer were doing a good job. Solid preparation, a clear storyline, and good engagement with the customer. The SE focused on the right use cases. The AE asked check-in questions to confirm that wh
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How to Demo Software in Germany
I get this question a lot: “How should I adapt my demo for a German audience?”I am German. I don’t think we are weird or impossible to please.But there are a few patterns worth knowing, especially if you are used to a more American way of selling. German buyers tend to focus on r
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How to Build Trust in Your Demo
Why Your Demo Is More Than Just a Product Tour For a long time, I thought a demo had one main purpose:To educate the customer about our product. I was wrong.On many levels. A demo can do a lot more. It can create urgency, show value, remove complexity.But more than anything – it’
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My 10-Minute Pre-Demo Routine
Ever jumped straight from one meeting into a demo, feeling unprepared and scattered? I’ve been there. When you’re rushing from one call to the next, it’s hard to be fully present. You start your demo on autopilot, go through the motions, and only halfway through, you feel like yo
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One Phrase That Makes Demos More Powerful
The great thing about demos is that even small changes can have a massive impact on how customers perceive your solution. The way you frame something can make all the difference. One simple shift in your language can take your demo from product-focused to customer-focused. And th
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Stop Saying Yes, But in Your Demos
Handling objections in a demo is an important skill. But many solution engineers and sales professionals push back too quickly, trying to justify their solution instead of addressing the customer’s concerns. And one of the most common mistakes? Saying „Yes, but…“ Why „Yes, But“ D
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Handle Demo Questions Without Losing Flow
Questions during a demo are a good sign. They show your audience is paying attention and engaged with what you’re presenting. But let’s face it—if you don’t handle them right, questions can disrupt your flow and take the conversation off track. The key is managing questions witho
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How to Avoid Demos That End in a Dead End
A successful demo is more than just a chance to show off your tool. It’s a strategic opportunity to move your prospect forward in the sales process. But here’s the problem: too many demos end with a polite “Thanks, we’ll get back to you,” and no clear next steps. So, how do you m
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Use Storytelling to Make Your Demo Stick
Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools you can use in a demo. Research shows that stories are 7x more memorable than plain facts. They create an emotional connection, help your audience visualize success, and make your message stick. But here’s the catch: traditional stor
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When a Customer Says That's Great in a Demo
Positive feedback during a demo feels like a win. When a customer says, “That’s great!” it’s easy to interpret it as validation that your product is resonating and solving their problem. And yes, that feedback is worth celebrating! But here’s where many solution engineers go wron
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How to Tailor a Demo for Different Audiences
Delivering a successful demo often comes down to one key skill: tailoring your approach to the audience. Whether you’re presenting to executives, team leads, end users, or IT stakeholders, a generic software walkthrough simply won’t work. Each group has different priorities, and
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Preparing a Demo With Little Customer Info
Preparing for a demo can be challenging when you don’t have much information about the customer. It’s tempting to rely on assumptions, but that approach often backfires, leading to irrelevant demos and disengaged prospects. Instead, consider turning your demo into a discovery dem
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Why Feature Discipline Matters in Demos
When it comes to software demos, there’s a delicate balance between showing enough features to impress and showing so many that you overwhelm your audience. I’ve thought a lot about this, especially how the number of features you present impacts two key things: And here’s the spo
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Vendor Selection Consultants and Feature Matrices
If you’ve ever had to deal with external consultants during a customer’s vendor selection process, you know the struggle. You walk into the meeting, ready to solve the customer’s problem, and then it happens. The consultant shows up with their massive feature matrix. “Does your p
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Customers Buy Insights, Not Features
Here’s the hard truth about software demos: Most prospects come in expecting a “feature parade.” They’ve seen it a hundred times before: vendors clicking through endless menus, highlighting every feature, and checking all the boxes on a checklist. Why? Because that’s what they’re
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What House-Flipping Shows Taught Me About Demos
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 Pintere
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What Presales Can Learn From Marketing
Marketing teams invest loads of time and money generating demo requests, constantly testing, and improving. They tweak the “Book a Demo” button, adjust CTA colors, and A/B test every detail. Why? Because when you invest that much, you’ve got to know what works. But when presales
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My Early Days in Presales: Jargon and All
When I first started as a presales consultant (yep, that was my official title back in the day), I was desperate to look knowledgeable. I thought that if I looked smart, I’d feel smart, and that confidence would rub off on my clients. Fresh out of university, armed with a busines
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14 Presales Lessons for My Younger Self
Looking back, there’s a lot I wish I’d known earlier in my sales journey. Here’s a list of the top 14 pieces of advice I’d give to my younger self. Whether you’re new to sales or seasoned but looking for fresh perspectives, these lessons are sure to resonate. 1. You’re in Sales N
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People Buy Insights, Not Software Features
When it comes to software, most people aren’t looking for a long list of features. They’re looking for solutions to their problems. It’s the difference between saying, “Here’s what you can do with this software” and “Here’s how this software makes your life easier.” One hits the
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What Stand-Up Comedy Teaches About Demos
Last week, I went to Europe’s biggest stand-up comedy show – 1Live Cologne Comedy XXL. It was a blast. One comedian, Marco Gianni, really stood out. I hadn’t heard of him before, but he told a story that cracked me up. And the funny part? The story itself wasn’t even that great.
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9 Ways to Regain Attention in Your Demo
You Can’t Sell to Your Customers If You Put Them to Sleep 😴 Your demo isn’t just about showing off your product’s features and hoping for the best. It’s about managing your audience’s attention, making sure they stay focused and don’t drift off to check Slack, email, or their pho
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Small Tweaks, Big Gains: Improving Demo Conversion
When companies look to grow their sales, the default strategy often revolves around ramping up lead generation and increasing demo requests. It’s not uncommon to see businesses boosting their ad spend by 10x in pursuit of more prospects. But here’s a question worth asking: what’s
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Storytelling for Demos: One Clear Theme
Delivering a successful software demo isn’t just about showcasing features; it’s about telling a story that resonates with your audience. One of the most critical elements of that story is having a clear, underlying theme that ties everything together. Without a theme, your demo
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Measure Demo Progress, Not Feature Coverage
What really gets me fired up is hearing feedback like this after a demo: „It went well, we covered all features.“„Great, I could respond to all their questions!“„They seemed really intrigued and asked a lot of questions.“ Hearing this makes me cringe. This is NOT how you measure
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How to Avoid the Demo Rabbit Hole
I’ve seen it happen far too often: demos that start with great potential but quickly lose their way by diving too deep, too soon. Instead of focusing on the business value, some solution engineers get tangled up in complex features and technical details that overwhelm the prospec
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Why Tailored Demos Win Over Generic Presentations
I talk to a lot of presales and sales engineers about the challenges they face when presenting software to potential customers. The main issue that comes up? Not having enough customer insights. But here’s something I’ve noticed that’s equally problematic: delivering generic demo
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Managing Feature Requests in Demos Like a Pro
Feature requests during demos can be tricky. Picture this: you’re in the middle of presenting, and your prospect lights up with excitement and says, „Can your product do XYZ? That would be awesome!“ Sounds like a great buying signal, right? Not so fast. In my early days in sales
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Storytelling for Software Demos
Relatability & Specificity Storytelling in demos is a game changer. When done right, it can boost how much your audience remembers by up to 70%. But here’s the thing: traditional storytelling techniques often don’t work well in software demos. They can drag out too long or miss t
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Visual Storyboard: Use Spatial Memory in Demos
Have you ever noticed how you can effortlessly recall the layout of your favorite café but struggle to remember a simple grocery list? This contrast is due to the power of spatial memory. By harnessing this natural ability, you can enhance your audience’s retention of the key mes
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Reassuring the Economic Buyer in Presales
Thinking Two Steps Ahead in Presales Successful presales and solution engineers need to adapt a post-sales mindset in order to successfully guide their prospects from start to finish. Finish in this case does not mean the contract signature, but the go-live date of your customers
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5 Presales Lessons From Gartner's Buying Survey
Gartner’s 2024 Global Software Buying Trends report provides invaluable insights for presales professionals. With data gathered from 2,499 software buyers, this survey highlights key factors that influence purchasing decisions. Here are five actionable learnings presales teams ca
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Why Presales Should Know Your Customer Reviews
Customer reviews on platforms like Capterra or G2 are the primary channels for your prospective buyers to gather information and prepare their shortlist. According to Gartners Digital Markets 2024 Software Buying Behavior Survey, 98% of buyers read customer reviews before making
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What’s the Sellers Role during a Software Demo?
The Software Demo: What’s the Seller’s Role? Software demos offer a powerful way to demonstrate how your product uniquely addresses your prospect’s most pressing business challenges. A well-executed demo can mean the difference between securing a deal or hearing a disappointing „
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Modern Presales – More Than the Technical Win
Beyond the Technical Win – The new Presales Imperative While securing the „technical win“ is a satisfying moment, presales and solution engineers know their job doesn’t end with a signed contract. That’s because your customer’s journey is just beginning, and the biggest hurdles o
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Entry and Exit Criteria for Software Demos
Imagine your sales strategy as a precisely calibrated engine. Without deliberate guidelines, this engine might function, but its performance wouldn’t be optimal or consistent. This is where the significance of entry and exit criteria comes into the picture, acting as a blueprint
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Understanding Your Customer's Buying Journey
The journey is as important as the destination, and your role in guiding this journey is what makes all the difference. It’s essential to grasp how your customers make their buying decisions, which is far more important than just sticking to your sales routine. Keep in mind that
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Presales Guide to MEDDPICC and MEDDIC
MEDDPICC (or MEDDIC / MEDDPIC) is a popular framework in sales. It helps teams qualify deals by looking at Metrics, the Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, the Decision Process, Pain, Champions, Compelling Events, and Competition. The goal is simple: avoid surprises and spot risks
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Layered Information in Software Demos
From all the demos I’ve seen, there’s a recurring mistake. Getting into the specific cababilities of your software prematurely. When your potential customers is far from being ready for this level of input. The concept of „Layered Information“ is about tailoring the depth and com
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Saying No to Poorly Qualified Demos and POCs
Have you ever been involved in an Request for Proposal (#RFP), a #demo, or a Proof of Concept (#POC) and thought to yourself that the chances of winning are very low? It’s a common situation. 🤔 Choosing to let go of an opportunity is not about being uninterested or unhelpful; it’
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The Hidden Cost of Compliments in Demos
Receiving compliments during a product demo can feel rewarding, signaling that we are on the right track. However, while positive feedback is always appreciated, it’s crucial to approach compliments with a discerning mindset, especially in the context of a demo. This blog post ai
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Presales Is Not a Free Resource
Presales and solution engineering are often perceived as a complimentary service, a misconception that can lead to a devaluation of its true worth. This article aims to shed light on the critical reasons why presales should never be considered a free resource, highlighting the im
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Why Hope Is Not a POC Strategy
Lately, many clients ask for free Proof of Concept (POC) sessions. Vendors often say yes, hoping it will lead to a sale. But is this really a good idea? In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at POCs, discuss how to make them work better, and question if they’re always the right
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𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀
Aka the ‚Hot #Potatoe‚ of the software enterprise sales 🥔 In enterprise sales, it is becoming increasingly challenging to close deals due to the rising number of stakeholders involved in the purchasing decision on the customer side. To overcome this challenge, a critical success
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The Need for Approval in B2B Sales
Are you looking for love in Presales and Solution Engineering? Then this is the right post for you! In this article, we are looking at how your passion for creating relationships and being likeable influences your presales performance. And how your need for approval affects your
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B2B Discovery 2.0: Beyond the Business Issue
It is common sense that the discovery is one of the most important stages in our sales cycle and that it can easily make or break a deal. In this post, I am going to share with you one of my favourite questions to ask during your discovery call. And how to use your clients‘ […]
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Digital Body Language: Active Listening
Actively listening to your clients is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to build trust and empathy with your clients. But in remote demo scenarios, it is significantly harder to replicate the interpersonal connection of any face-to-face meeting. And as a result, we are of
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The Yes-Man – Software Demo Mistakes
If you ask me about one of the most decisive turning points of my presales and sales career, it is the moment I realized that you can actually disagree with your clients! And that they don’t walk away from you if you challenge their point of view! But when I started in software s
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Objection Handling in Software Demos
Feel – Felt – Found – The best way to handle objections during your software demonstration In this article, I would like to share with you my favourite technique to handle objections and shift your mindset towards acknowledging them as a positive buying signal rather than a threa
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Leading the Witness: Discovery Mistakes
Presales Discovery Call gone Wrong The discovery call is undoubtedly one of the single most important steps in our sales cycle and can easily make or break our deals. I’ve been through hundreds of discovery sessions in my sales career and read through a dozen frameworks to improv
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Does it make sense to ask „Does it make sense“?
Have you ever used this question yourself? You want to be compassionate and affirm your prospect understands what you are saying. But in reality, you are making things worse. It’s a dumb question. Don’t ever ask that question during your demo! You put yourself in a position of we
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10 Ways to Reset Attention in Your Demo
Selling B2B-software is not just a battle against your competitors. In our modern society, it is also a battle for your audience’s attention. The likes of Netflix, Youtube, Spotify and constant smartphone notifications have reduced the average attention span to less than five min
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How Sales Engineers Help Overwhelmed Buyers
Today, buyers are armed with more high-quality information than ever before. The abundance of online resources has changed the whole landscape of buying and selling complex B2B-software. A Shift In B2B-Buying Behaviour What has been a sales-dominated approach has turned into a bu
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Solution Consultants and the Buying Journey
Buying complex enterprise software has become more difficult than ever before. What has been a linear process in the past (and is still illustrated this way) has become a tedious back and forth. Rather than following a clear structure, it is a concurrent process of searching for
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Presales – Your Unfair Advantage
With changing market dynamics and a shift in buyer behaviour, organisations need to understand the importance of leveraging and empowering their presales resources. Buying complex enterprise/B2B-software has become more complex than ever before. As a result, facilitating the buye
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What Is Presales? A Definition Beyond Tech Sales
Presales isn't technical sales support. Here's what presales actually means, what a presales person does day to day, and why buyers need it more than sellers do.
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The Urge to Show Every Feature in Your Demo
Overcoming the urge to show all you bells ans whistles is tough. Every feature has its right to exist and has been developed for a reason. But going into too much detail can quickly cause an information overload and is one main reason for losing your audience and ultimately their
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Deliver Your Demo in Short Sprints
The importance of avoiding monologues and a good „Talk-to-Listen“ Ratio In one of the previous articles we have covered the ideal duration of your software demonstration. Furthermore, extensive data analysis has revealed that winning demos stimulate conversations, especially duri
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Reduce the Complexity of Your Software Demo
The Importance of Managing Complexity Managing the complexity of your software demonstration is a key success factor for not losing your audience. In one of our recent blog-posts, you can learn that winning demos are delivered in short sprints rather then endless monologues. When
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How Long Should My Demo Last?
Great Demos Stimulate Conversations and Naturally Last Longer Ask yourself: How much time did you spend on your last demo? Was it 60, 90, or even 120 minutes? Many of my clients wonder about the ideal length for a software demo. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on
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