The Power of Demos
“Welcome, everyone! Today we’re so excited to have our consulting team here with us to do a demo of Salesforce and see how we might be able to use Salesforce to streamline our processes in the future!” The client introduces our team as we walk into a conference room full of people who are eager to get a sneak peek of Salesforce. My colleague, dressed up as a film director wearing a gray beret, kicks off our demo, and here we go…
One of the things I love about my job as a Salesforce solution architect is that I get to do demos throughout my projects for my clients. A solution demo is a compelling way to show my clients how Salesforce works. It engages my audience, turning the blank stares of death-by-PowerPoint into “wow” moments. People’s eyes often light up after seeing an unfamiliar system spring to life in impressive ways. And, I’ve found it to be one of the main tools I use to provide excellent service to my clients. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a demo is worth a thousand pictures!
I have done Salesforce demos at almost every point in the implementation lifecycle. It can take place in pre-sales, when a client is still evaluating whether Salesforce is the right platform. After every major milestone during the project, we do a demo to show our development progress and obtain feedback from the client. And at the end of a project, demoing the system and walking through the entire business process from beginning to end ensures the solution meets the business’ needs.
A demo is valuable outside of the consulting world as well. It can help an administrator better interact with the business users, empower a trainer in onboarding new employees, or help a developer gather feedback on app features. If you work in the technology industry, chances are that sharpening your demo skills will help elevate your career. I hope to share some of my experience to inspire and empower you to start reaping the benefits of solution demos.
So, what sets a demo apart? A demo that wows your audience typically consists of three elements: story, solution, and surprise.
1. Story.
“The most powerful tool in entertainment & business is a great story.”
— Matthew Luhn
People love stories! They connect and draw people in. Use your demo to tell a story. Before you start building the solution in Salesforce, take some time to research and learn about your audience. Who are they? What do they do? What do they care about? These pieces of information will help you craft your story elements. Borrowing from Pixar’s storytelling techniques, apply these principles to your next demo: define a theme, create your characters, and outline a story structure.
Define a theme. Share with your audience why you’re doing this demo. Is it to give an overview of Salesforce’s capabilities? Is it to showcase a specific feature? Is it to address some business pain points? Is it to gather feedback? This helps focus the group on the why behind the demo.
Create your characters. Create some characters for your story based on your knowledge of your audience. Who are the different user groups that would use this system? How would they interact with the system? How do they interact with each other? Make your characters realistic and relatable: give them names, describe their background, and add in some personality.
Outline story structure. With a theme and some characters in place, you can now reference Pixar’s story spine to structure your demo:
Once upon a time there was ___. Everyday, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
I often start with “day-in-the-life” scenarios. What do these people do everyday? How do they feel? What could make their life a lot easier? Sometimes I intentionally plant in a crisis in my demo as the inflexion point of the story and highlight how Salesforce can adequately resolve that crisis.
2. Solution.
Now that you have a story, it’s time to build the solution for the demo. I have found that the most efficient way to quickly stand up a demo-able solution is to start with the core functionalities, add on the quick wins, and then load in sample data.
Core functionalities. I start from building out the core functionalities in Salesforce. This is the foundational setup for my demo: profiles, roles, objects, fields, record types, automation, etc. Unless it’s a demo specifically for features that require custom development, I try to minimize custom development on the platform as much as possible.
Quick wins. Take advantage of items that are quick to configure and can greatly impress your audience at the same time. They add value without adding a heavy load in your preparation. Some of my favorites are:
- Upload the client logo for a personal touch.
- Build dashboards to visualize data.
- Create list views or kanban views to organize records.
- Configure Lightning paths to highlight important tasks and guide users through defined business processes.
- Incorporate image formula fields for visuals.
- Remove unnecessary fields from page layouts.
Data. Load in some relevant sample data based on your understanding of your audience and their business processes. Mock data will help tell your story in a more relatable way and start bringing your solution to life for your audience.
3. Surprise!
Last but not least, throw in an element of surprise throughout your demo and have some fun! Find creative ways to engage and interact with your audience. Here are some of the things I’ve tried:
- Props and costumes.
- Acting / role play.
- Printed demo scripts so my audience can follow along and take notes.
- Asking for an audience’s cell phone number to demonstrate a Salesforce text messaging app.
Do a little research on your client’s company culture to determine what format is appropriate. Remember: when you’re having fun and enjoying the demo, others will love it as well. That passion is contagious! There are no right or wrong ways here and I would love to hear how you have incorporated different creative elements of surprise in your demos.
Additional Resources:
- Article: 6 Rules of Great Storytelling (As Told by Pixar)
- Ted Talk: Why Storytelling Matters
- Worksheet: Craft a Demo Story — Use this worksheet to prepare for your next demo
- Day-of Demo Setup Checklist — There are many logistical items that are easy to overlook as you set up your demo. Use this checklist to make sure all the details are taken care of on the day of your demo.
