This article continues our series on Scaling Presales using the principles of “Eliminate, Automate, and Delegate,” by exploring intelligent demo automation. You can also download the ebook for a complete guide to scaling presales:
What is Demo Automation?
In brief, intelligent demo automation starts with sales engineers making screen recordings of their software. These recordings get loaded into an interactive video demo format through an easy-to- use online process.
At that point, they have created a reusable library of interactive video demos that Sales can use. Then the sales rep chooses the pre-built interactive video demo they want to send out to given prospects, and creates a custom link to send it out to the prospect.
As those prospects engage with a demo, they identify themselves as they enter the demo or if they’re new viewers, they can add themselves and register for the demo. Consensus automated demos automatically personalize the demo content to each prospect’s unique interests through a proprietary patented technology.
Prospects are asked to rate each topic in the demo as very important, somewhat important or not important. The demo automation platform dynamically pulls together video clips and documents based on these responses, and it delivers it through an interactive video demo player so that each prospect experiences the demo in the way that is most relevant to them.
The system notifies the sales team as different stakeholders engage and the sales team can look at different types of engagement analytics, including who the demo was shared with to discover other stakeholders.
Which demo types are appropriate to automate?
Five out of the six demo types are good for automation. The one that we don’t recommend automating is the custom technical demo. Not every prospect is going to engage with an automated demo, but many will and that can help free up time to allow sales engineers to stop doing so many repetitive demos and focus on what they’re uniquely capable of doing: strategic solution consulting.
Where should you use automated demos?
Research from Gartner shows that buyers are spending only 17% of their buying activities with vendors. This means that we have to figure out how to be part of the conversation even when we’re not there.
Below is an infographic that shows where to use different types of automated demos in between the live sales meetings. This is what we call “Selling in the Gaps”.
Download the full resolution graphic here.
What we’re talking about here is different types of demos being used at different stages of the sales cycle. Note that we’re not suggesting that the technical demo is automated. But each of these demos ahead of that technical demo (the vision demo, micro demo, and qualifying demo) could all be qualification gates before you bring on a presales resource. The prospect is then a Demo Qualified Lead (DQL).
Next, we’ll explore which demos we might effectively delegate.
Get the full guide to scaling presales by downloading our free ebook:
Scaling Presales: 8 Strategies to Boost Coverage and Customer Experience With Existing Headcount
