Live demo or recorded?

Live for first meetings; recorded is fine for stakeholder sharing after.

How much of the demo should the buyer talk?

At least 30% of the meeting time. Silent buyers are unconvinced buyers.

Sandbox account or their data?

Their data whenever possible. Sandboxes feel abstract.

Demo Script: How to Structure a Sales Demo That Converts

A repeatable demo script structure: open, tailor, show outcomes, handle questions, and close on next steps. What to include and cut.

Demo Script for Startups

The best sales demos aren't product tours. They're tailored narratives that show the buyer their own outcome in the product. Structure matters more than polish.

The 5-part structure

1) Restate what you learned in discovery. 2) Show the specific workflow that solves it. 3) Reference a comparable customer's outcome. 4) Handle 2-3 questions. 5) Close on a concrete next step. Aim for 30 minutes total.

What to cut

The company overview slide. Feature tours. Admin settings. Anything the buyer didn't mention as a priority. Every unnecessary click loses attention.

Tailoring beats polish

A rough demo with the buyer's data and terminology beats a polished demo of a generic account every time. Load the buyer's use case before the call.

Closing the demo

"On a scale of 1-10, how well did that address what we discussed?" — if anything below 8, ask what would make it a 10. Then propose a specific next step (pilot, security review, procurement kickoff) with a date.

Frequently asked questions

Live demo or recorded?: Live for first meetings; recorded is fine for stakeholder sharing after.
How much of the demo should the buyer talk?: At least 30% of the meeting time. Silent buyers are unconvinced buyers.
Sandbox account or their data?: Their data whenever possible. Sandboxes feel abstract.