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On this episode I am interviewed by Nando Miranda, who was one of our previous guests in the show. I talk about my coming book “Create and Deliver a Killer Product Demo.” EDIT: The book is now available on Apress and other bookshops.
What a product demo is
A product demo is a promotional demonstration of what your product does. Beyond words or slides, show your product live in a way that makes impact.
The main elements of a product demo
The main elements of a product demo are: pre-demo, demo, and wrap-up.
- Pre-demo is a short introduction that (1) introduces you as the presenter (why you are the best person to do this), and (2) gives the context to your customers or audience about what the demo is going to show.
- Demo. The demo itself has two important things: (1) a script, and (2) a WOW moment. A great example of a WOW moment is when Steve Jobs unveiled the MacBook Air from a manila envelope in 2008.
- Wrap-up is a final section that allows you to (1) reiterate what you had demonstrated, and (2) give a Call-to-Action.
Things to consider when doing product demos
Preparation is very important. Once the demo is created, rehearse a lot. As many thing still can go wrong, the following is a list of things to consider when doing product demos:
- Test everything in the real setting at least once in the place where you will do your demo, if possible.
- Have backups of everything you have: devices, cables, accessories, etc.
- Make a list of known issues on both your products and anything else involved (hardware, operating systems, etc.)
- Disable applications that show notifications, disable alarms, etc.
The main trends in product demos nowadays
Among the trends, the following two are especially worth mentioning:
1. Augmented reality effects, as used during Minecraft on Microsoft HoloLens demo.
2. Video conferencing is a trend for remote sales meetings, user onboarding, and webinars. The presenter is at the office showing a presentation and can run a demo by sharing the screen. For this, you need Webex, GoToMeeting or other similar tool.
Related: Public presentations about technical topics
Favorite quotation
“Real Artists Ship.” — Steve Jobs
Recommended books
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo
Routine to Shine
Get some inspiration. If you want inspiration to create killer product demos, go to YouTube and watch great product demos. A great recent product demo is Elon Musk’s Tesla vs Audi Refueling Contest.
Links
Create and Deliver a Killer Product Demo
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