The secret to a winning product demo? Make it personal
When most people think about product demos, the first words that come to mind are usually terms like “informative,” “how-to,” or “practical.”
But what if it was “personal”? At a time when more and more customers are not only seeking but expecting personalization, is there a way to make product demos – those one-size-fits-all, lower-funnel assets – resonate with your audience in a more personal way?
The answer is yes. Here’s why and how you should rethink the way you do product demos.
Traditionally, the demo has been a fairly utilitarian, straightforward way to convey details about how a particular product or service works. Its origins can be traced to analog days when salespeople found that the most effective way to close a sale was to provide a hands-on demonstration of the product in action. From executive boardrooms to conventions to Tupperware parties, the product demo quickly became a tried and true way to convert leads into sales.
Then came digitization and the ability to publish videos that can reach customers anywhere in the world. And while this gave product demos tremendous scale, consistency, and repeatability, they have lost one important thing: that personal, human touch.
The vast majority of demos today feel like Cliff’s Notes versions of an owner’s manual: informative, yet sterile. But with the right approach, you can reinvigorate your product demos to make them feel more human, relatable, and personal.
Voice and POV
Who is the voice of your demo? While it can be tempting to hire a polished voice-over actor with perfect elocution, this anonymous person won’t bring you closer to your customer. If anything, they create more distance.
A smart choice would be to bring in a real person from your company. It can be one of the product’s designers, or a salesperson, or even the CEO. Whoever it is, they don’t need media training or a silky smooth voice, they just need to sound knowledgeable about the product and be themselves.
What this does is make the content more approachable and relatable. Customers feel like they’re hearing from someone with real-world expertise about the product and its applications. This is far and away the best way to bring personalization to your product video.
Specificity
Once you’ve cast the right speaker, the next thing you want to consider is the substance of your content. In other words, what is the story of this video? The more specific you can be, the more personal it will feel to your audience.
This doesn’t mean you have to pick a use case that will apply to all customers – that would be impossible. But specific anecdotes and case studies are very relatable and provide great context. The more you can put your product or service into a real-world scenario, the more likely your customer will be able to see themselves using it and want to purchase.
Script
You may not be able to see the customer watching your video, or even know their name, but they can come to know you. Show them who you are and what your brand is all about with your script. Words matter, tone matters, and by making intentional choices with each, your personality will shine through.
This meta layer of your demo gives customers a sense of who they will be working with. Don’t be afraid to open up and share non-product-related details, or even personal details about the speaker (e.g., “Our product support team is 24×7, which means I’ll take your call even when I’m making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for my kid’s lunch!”). You can also include details about why it was important for you to make the product, or the pride your team feels for it, or even a funny story about its creation. You don’t need to get carried away here – a little goes a long way – but this type of personalization gives customers an opportunity to bond with your brand and get a sense of the humans behind it.
Want to learn more about what makes a winning product demo? Check out our product demo collection to see some examples we’ve created.
Fabian Marquez
Senior Strategic Creative Director
