What is Product Demonstration?
No matter how awesome and feature-packed your product is, if people don’t know it's used or what the benefits are, it will easily be ignored in the market. Without properly explaining the correct product usage, key advantages, and attributes, businesses can lose potential customers and sales. Especially if your product is unique or an upgrade from the previous version or not the same as other brands, a product demonstration is necessary.
What is Product Demonstration?
Product demonstration is a marketing strategy that involves describing what the product is about and explaining its key attributes to prospective buyers. It is a technique that brands, companies, and sales representatives use to introduce their product offerings to the market and highlight their value to their target audience.
Through product demos, prospective buyers, customers, and even investors will get a good idea of how the product works and what specific problems it can address. With enough product knowledge, they can then make an informed decision about purchasing or investing in that particular product.
Common Types of Product Demonstration
There are various ways companies can conduct a product demo or presentation. Below are the common types according to execution.
1. In-Store Demonstration
The first type is called store demonstration, meaning the product is exhibited or showcased through the store where it is being sold. This is common in supermarkets, gadget shops, department stores, and even car dealerships. Typically, the product is placed on a prominent stand or shelf with a sales representative standing near it. This way, when a store visitor inquires about the product or intends to buy, the representative can give more information about it.
2. Trade Shows
A trade show is a business event where companies and brands, often in the same industry, gather together at a particular venue to display their products and showcase the services they offer. Customers who follow those brands or are interested in that particular niche often attend it. Similar to store demos, businesses showcasing their products in the event use sales representatives to demonstrate and discuss the products in front of attendees.
3. Video Ads
Unlike in-store demonstrations or during trade shows, video advertisements do not require a physical salesperson to demo the product in front of customers. This type of presentation involves creating video ads that talk about the product, its features, advantages, and what sets it apart from its competitors.
Video ads can reach more audiences because they can be distributed in different channels online, including online platforms, social media websites, mobile apps, and more. People from around the world can see your product ad, providing opportunities for higher sales and better ROI.
4. Digital Ads
This type of demonstration advertising is the least interactive among the other types. Because digital product ads are often designed in the form of a written article or online graphics, they can’t engage with interested prospects. They can only display photos and describe the features without a sales representative to physically demonstrate the product.
Key Objectives of Conducting a Product Demo
If you are launching a new product, upgrading an old model, trying to gain a competitive edge, or introducing a rebranding strategy, then yes, a product demonstration is a must.
The primary goal of this sales strategy is to introduce a new or existing product so that potential buyers can understand how it works and realize the value it may add to their life. The key objectives of conducting a product demonstration are listed below:
- To introduce a new product — or a new model, version, or variant of an old product — in the market
- To discuss what the product is about, what its key features are, and how it can be beneficial to the consumers
- To provide clear instructions on how the product works and how it can address a particular problem common consumers may be experiencing
- To build a relationship with prospective customers and understand their actual needs and concerns that could be addressed by your brand or business
- To entice consumers to purchase the product from you (instead of your competitors) and make them realize that yours is a better and more reliable option
- To share success stories from past clients and how the product has been useful to them
Parts of an Engaging Product Demo
The construction of your product presentation is just as important as its delivery. For an engaging and delightful demo that your audience will take time to listen to and digest, here are the essential parts you need to include.
- A powerful opening line
- Pain points or problems that are common to your target audience
- Strong and memorable mention of the product name
- Short but accurate description of the product
- Key features and advantages (limit to 3)
- A vivid description of the improvement of your life, health, or career once you start using the product
It is necessary to keep the product demonstration short but impactful and avoid giving information overload to the listeners. However, if you have more than enough time to present or if you are supposed to talk about each element of the product, here are other things a product demonstrator might also mention in their presentation:
- Features or attributes that set your product apart from other similar or competing products
- Popular use cases
- Success stories from previous users who have tried and tested the product
- Story of the product idea and the creation or manufacturing process
Top Strategies for a Successful Product Demonstration
Now that we’ve answered the questions “What is product demonstration?” and “What is it for?”, the next part of our guide is about creating an effective and engaging product demonstration. Here are some strategies to keep in mind.
1. Personalize your script.
Create and use a product demo script that is targeted to the type of customers who will likely use and truly benefit from what you are offering. Your script can include a line like ”Attention small business owners, here’s your chance to automate your inventory management” or “Are you a busy working mom who doesn’t have time to clean her home?” This way, it’s clear who your target audience is and who can benefit from the product.
2. Give enough information, but don’t overdo it.
Ensure that your demo gives enough information to answer basic questions about the product, but do not overload it with details. Your listeners should be able to grasp what your product can do and not get confused about it.
3. Discuss why your product is essential.
Be sure to talk about the key benefits of the product and how it can add value to the consumers’ life. Answer questions like, “Why should we have that product in our life?” or “How will it improve our daily routine, processes, and operations?”
4. Make your demo interactive and engaging.
Choose an interactive presentation over a non-interactive approach. Having a product demonstrator talk about your product appears more personal and allows listeners to engage and ask questions.
5. Use models as brand ambassadors who can demonstrate your product.
Models are attractive, engaging, and trained to communicate effectively with an audience. If you want your product demo to stand out, attract prospective buyers and investors, and increase brand awareness, hire a modeling agency to provide qualified and educated models who can help you effectively demonstrate a product and represent your company.
If you choose to use a promotional modeling agency for your product demonstration, work with Models in Tech. All our models have a strong educational background and can be effective product demonstrators, brand ambassadors, or event staff. We cater to multiple locations in the USA and work with companies in different industries.