Sales Demo Labs

Most professionals in the sales industry understand the basic purposes of a sales demo, but what about sales demo labs? A “lab,” in this sense, is less about beakers and test tubes and more about a virtual environment that can provide training, demonstration, and assist companies in various sales and demonstration operations. In some cases, sales demo labs enable potential clients or customers to try out the product themselves or at least be able to see the product in action and determine if it’s a decent fit or not.

What is a sandbox environment used for, and how does one build a sandbox environment? A sandbox environment is an environment in which the intended user of a particular product is able to try out the product in order to become more familiar with its features, capabilities, or any other relevant information about how the product works. Think back to when you were a kid at the playground – taking new toys to the playground was the best way to test their mettle. How resilient were they against the sand and gravel? What kinds of opportunities did the sandbox environment provide your childhood imagination – that ethereal sense of wonder and possibility? Sandbox environments mirror that youthful creativity and potential for possibility in a way that familiarizes potential clients with your company’s offerings – whether you are providing software, physical products, or solutions. 

When determining whether a sandbox vs. test environment would be more beneficial, know that test environments are generally more sterile and tidy than sandboxes. A sandbox environment example might look like an isolated, virtual testing space for users to open files and test programs without affecting anything else on the immediate network. Numerous operating systems and browsers alike utilize sandboxes or sandboxing applications, which can provide an additional layer of security in virtual settings. 

Within the realm of cybersecurity or for digital applications, sandbox environment software typically provides developers a chance to test new code or to determine whether any additional changes must be made to address bugs, security flaws, and concerns of that nature. For companies providing software solutions, sandbox demos can be particularly beneficial as they allow potential customers to experiment with the software in a safe, controlled environment before deciding to commit to a purchase. Additionally, this demonstration process can help companies improve their products by allowing for direct customer feedback about the inner workings of the product or software. 

Sales Demo Example

In typical sales settings, a sales demo example might include a product representative giving a brief presentation about the product’s attributes and uses before giving a demonstration of the product in action as it’s meant to be used. After all, this is one of the most common sales demo definitions. Product demonstration examples provide potential customers with a basic understanding of the product, how to use it, its various features and capabilities, and things of that nature. Demos are relatively commonplace in real-world settings like industry conventions or prototype unveilings. 

Knowing your target audience is vital to the success of any sales demo operation. Are you unveiling a completely new product that the world has never seen before? Or has your company made a series of improvements upon an older model, and your demo’s purpose is to highlight those specific changes? If your company wants to introduce a brand-new product into the world, the demo will likely need to be more informative. Similarly, if your product or software or solution is something familiar to your potential clients, your sales demo might place more emphasis on how your product differs from and surpasses competitors’ similar offerings. 

For those curious about how to start a demo presentation example, sales demo duties and responsibilities generally include familiarizing the sales team with the sales demo software, writing the sales demo script, and ensuring that as many bugs and potential issues have been addressed within the software before putting the demo into practice. While customer feedback from demos is an invaluable aspect of making additional improvements, it’s still considered best practice to work out as many issues as possible before letting clients or potential clients try a product or software for themselves. Your company may have the best, most innovative new product available on the market, but if your demo doesn’t accurately reflect that, then you could potentially be losing out on valuable new clients and missing growth or revenue targets. 

First impressions are so important for businesses hoping to bring in additional clients, especially for smaller and medium-sized businesses that might not have the clout or resources an established, long-time business might possess. Because of this, sales demos are, in some regards, one of the most important and effective tools at your disposal for gaining traction with new customers and making improvements to your company’s offerings as well. The old adage says to try to put your best foot forward, and that applies to sales demos as well. At the very least, you want to keep the door open for potential business in the future, and at the most, you want your sales demo to bring a new client into your wheelhouse on the spot. 

Sales Demo Training

While sales demo training seems fairly straightforward on paper, there are numerous factors that can contribute to a successful sales demonstration. The advantages of sales demonstration presentations are almost immediately evident. In some cases, presenters can identify excitement or intrigue within their audience – especially when proper sales demonstration techniques and etiquette are followed. A great sales demo presentation has the potential to bring in one or several new customers just by way of showcasing the capabilities of the product being demonstrated. 

How to give a demo presentation largely depends upon the product or services you wish to demonstrate. Product demo best practices might include ensuring that the demonstration is relevant to your customers or target audience while providing ample evidence that your company’s product can provide painless and affordable solutions to your customers’ pain points. Other valuable best practices include making space for and adequately listening to and addressing any customer feedback. Additionally, simplicity can go a long way. Granted, there’s hardly anything “simple” about putting together a robust and effective sales demonstration, but it ought to appear simple and easy from the customer’s perspective. Maintaining a calm and collected atmosphere can help streamline the demo process. Ultimately, a good sales demonstration will give customers zero reasons to walk away without making a purchase or a commitment to purchase – you want your team to do everything they can to make it easy for your customers to say yes. 

A sales demonstration example could be a guided presentation or providing some hands-on experience for your target audience and can enable your company to showcase precisely why savvy consumers would choose your products or services over those of your competitors. Undoubtedly, however, your closest competitors will be devising their own sales demonstrations to make their case as well. What can you learn from your company’s competitors about your own products and services, and how can you adequately address any shortcomings in your own sales demonstration? Keeping these questions in mind in the development stages of your process can save time, resources, and headaches further down the road.

Although sales demo labs duties and responsibilities can vary widely from company to company (and even from product to product), it’s important to always adhere as closely as possible to the sales demo script. There’s a good reason so many sales companies adhere to the “stick to the script” philosophy. The script has been thoroughly researched, edited, revised, and revised again to address any potential questions that customers might have. 

Sales Demo Environment

In a sales demo environment, or when working with interactive demo software, it’s vitally important to continually consider and assess customer or client feedback. Listening to your customers not only shows that your organization cares, but it also allows your development team access to direct feedback. Instead of analyzing data and making assumptions or educated guesses about ways to improve, client feedback can be a primary source for what’s working well and what needs improving. 

Some sales environment examples and sales demo examples could include a system or set of systems conducive to increasing overall sales. There are numerous types of sales environments, from in-office sales to remote sales – there are also incentive-based sales initiatives and commission-based sales environments. Similarly, there are a variety of different approaches your team might consider for your sales demonstration. Ultimately, there is no singular best practice or ideal solution; different companies and different products call for other techniques. 

Software demo labs tools are valuable assets to help your sales team make the most of the demonstration process. When customers are considering making a purchase – whether it’s to address a specific pain point or to increase efficiency or improve business outcomes – they want to know as much as they can about the product or service before they buy. Consider what kind of questions they might have about specific features and capabilities – for what purposes exactly are they using the product or service that’s being demonstrated? If your company can provide answers to your customers’ questions before they can even think to ask them, you are on the right track.

Read more about Skytap Virtual Labs can support successful sales demo labs for your organization.