How can you effectively demo a product to someone who is not the decision maker?

4 Engage your audience

A product demo is not a one-way presentation, but a two-way conversation. You want to engage your audience and get them involved in your demo, not bore them with a monologue. To engage your audience, you need to ask open-ended questions that invite them to share their thoughts, opinions, and feedback. For example, you can ask them what they think of a specific feature or benefit, how they would use your product in their situation, or what challenges they face that your product can solve. You also need to listen actively to their answers, acknowledge their concerns, and address their objections. By engaging your audience, you can build rapport, trust, and credibility, and discover more opportunities to tailor your demo to their needs and interests.

5 Align with the decision maker

Even if your audience is not the decision maker, they still have some influence and power in the buying process. They can either be your ally or your enemy, depending on how you demo your product to them. You want to align with them and get them to advocate for you to the decision maker, not alienate them and make them oppose you. To align with your audience, you need to show them how your product can benefit not only their organization, but also their personal and professional goals. You also need to provide them with the information and tools they need to convince the decision maker of your product's value. For example, you can offer them a free trial, a demo video, a proposal, a comparison chart, or a ROI calculator that they can share with the decision maker.

6 Follow up and follow through

Your product demo is not the end of your sales process, but the beginning of a relationship. You need to follow up and follow through with your audience to keep them interested, engaged, and committed to your product. You also need to help them move forward in the buying process and overcome any obstacles or objections that may arise. To follow up and follow through, you need to set clear next steps and expectations at the end of your demo, and confirm them with your audience. You also need to send a thank you email, a recap of your demo, and any relevant resources or materials that your audience requested or agreed to receive. You also need to check in with your audience regularly, provide them with additional value and support, and remind them of the benefits and outcomes of your product.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?