“This product sells itself!”

“When people see the demo, they will understand how it will help them!”

“My goal is to get to the demo as quickly as possible so they can see it. Once they see it, they will want it!”

If the price point is low enough for that individual prospect, then yes, the above statements can be accurate.

Understanding Price Sensitivity

Low enough is relative. $500 to one person will be a big deal that will require some serious thought, for others it’s a rounding error on their bank statement each month. The same could be true for $2,000. $10,000.

As you will expect me to say – this goes for consumers and for businesses. A couple thousand to one business is a deal breaker, but to another the amount that will make them pause could be hundreds of thousands.

When it comes to price, what is also fascinating is that if the price is too low for someone’s perceived level of value, they won’t buy it. In the ‘that is so cheap, it can’t work’ category.

The Danger of Relying on Demos

If you are relying on the demo of your product to do the selling for you then at some level, you are an Order Taker. You are a Demo Zombie.

Going through your sales life thinking Must Give Demo. Because you focus on the demo, the sales won’t actually happen at the rate you want. I would bet your closing percentage is lower than it should be. I would also wager that for the people you give your demo to that don’t buy, you are shocked they didn’t buy, and you don’t understand why they didn’t.

“They needed to think about it.”

“They had to talk to their ______ (spouse, boss, owner, parent).”

“That price is too high.”

You hit them with every rebuttal you could. They didn’t buy. You think they were unclosable – not actually interested. They wasted your time. I have heard all this, over and over again. B2B, B2C, Telesales, Retail. All the same scenarios.

Why the Demo is Not Enough

People don’t care about your product. They don’t care about your logos/clients. They don’t care about your patents. They don’t care about your technology. They don’t care about the founder’s history. They don’t care about your features and benefits.

They only care about themselves.

They only care about the outcome they are hoping for – for themselves or their business.

They only care about the place they would rather be – away from pain or towards gain.

You droning on about your product during your demo will be ineffective unless you make it about them. Not just the cool features that you think they will like, or find valuable, or could trigger them to say yes. But the value to them.

Discovering What They Want

How do you know what they want?

Answer: Ask them.

In your ‘discovery’ portion of your sales process, spend as much time as it takes to find out what they want. Ask them. Over and over again. Go deep. Don’t be afraid that they won’t share.

If you come from a place of genuine empathy (meaning you actually want to understand their current situation, their better future state, and you want to help be a part of getting them along the path) and use curiosity and active listening, they will share.

You must find out this one part: WHY do THEY want and/or need what you are selling? Not what they need. Not what you think they think they need. Not why you think they need it. But WHY do THEY want/need it.

Conclusion

Do not move forward from your discovery phase until you know that answer. Moving forward without that or making assumptions based on a little bit of info, will make you an Order Taking Demo Zombie. And stop relying on the demo to close your deals for you. Make it about them. Make your presentation about them. Be a sales professional.