Here at CONSENSUS™ we’ve been working on building a new demo of our own product, using our own software. We’ve also fielded a lot of questions from customers about how to most effectively build videos for product demos.
In one conversation we had recently, the customer was planning on having the training department build the product demo videos. When we asked why them and not marketing, they responded, “Training is already building training videos on our product so I think they make the most sense.” While this makes sense at first glance because both sales and training are very educational in nature, the main challenge is that the purpose of a product demo and the purpose of a training video are completely different. In a training video you are trying to help someone learn how to accomplish a task. In a product demo you are trying to persuade them that your solution fits the pain that they are experiencing so that they will move forward in the purchasing process.
When it comes to script writing as well as depth of content, this results in tremendous differences in the type of video you end up with.
Script Writing for Product Demo Videos
While there can be many variations on this theme, the key difference is that you want to explain AND persuade, the approach we most recommend when writing a script for a product demo video follows this pattern:
- Relate to your target audience by pointing out the problem
- Explain and show your solution to the problem
- Promote the benefits
- Demonstrate Examples
- Restate and reinforce the benefits of your solution.
How Much Detail?
In a training video you want to explain procedures and steps, such as “To get to this part of your software, go here and do this…” In a product demo, you are helping them see that it does what they expect. You want to focus on what it is about your product that creates the value. If how you navigate to something is the value people would pay for, show that. If not (and generally speaking it isn’t), then skip it. Including things like how you get around in a product demo just obscures the main message which is, “Our solution solves your problem, and yes, our product is real and credible.”
So when you build videos for product demos, design for persuasiveness and explanation. Your training department might be able to do this for you, but you’ll need to steer them in the right direction.
Selling Power’s Gerhard Gschwandtner interviews Garin Hess about the Consensus platform:
