Live Demo Prep Reference

Mode-specific guidance for producing live demo prep materials.

Talk Track Format

The talk track is NOT a verbatim script. It's phase-by-phase bullet-level guidance that a seller can internalize and deliver naturally. Each phase gets:

• Intent: One sentence on what this phase accomplishes.
• Key points: 2-4 bullets of what to say, phrased as the core idea (not exact words). Example: "Connect poor forecasting to cash trapped in inventory -- either overstocked and expiring, or understocked and losing orders. Both leak margin." The seller decides how to say it.
• Screen: Which screen to be on and what to show. Specific enough to follow without rehearsal.
• Checkpoint: Where to pause and engage (see Discovery Checkpoints below).
• If/then branches: "If they ask about [X], go to [screen]. If they push back on [Y], use [objection handle #N]."

Do not write the talk track as prose paragraphs. Sellers scan, they don't read. Bullets, short phrases, and clear labels.

Discovery Checkpoint Placement

Place 3-5 discovery checkpoints across the demo. A checkpoint is a planned pause where the seller stops showing and starts listening. Winning demos (per Gong research) have frequent speaker switches -- roughly every minute or two.

Where to place them:

1. After Phase 1 (Outcome): "Is this the kind of result you're looking for? What does [outcome] look like in your world today?" -- Validates you're solving the right problem before investing 15 minutes in use cases.

2. After Phase 2 (Magic): "Does that match how you're doing it today? What's your current process for [the thing the magic replaces]?" -- Surfaces the real incumbent process, which may differ from assumptions.

3. After each use case in Phase 3: "Is this the kind of thing you're dealing with?" / "How are you handling this today?" / "Who on your team would be using this part?" -- Checks resonance and identifies stakeholder fit.

4. Before Phase 4 (Depth): "What questions do you have about what you've seen so far?" -- Earns the right to go deep. If no questions, skip Phase 4 and close.

5. Objection-triggered: Any time the prospect raises a doubt or concern -- pause, listen fully, respond, then confirm before moving on.

Checkpoint discipline: Do not ask a checkpoint question and then immediately keep talking. Pause. Wait for the answer. If the answer reveals an unexpected pain, acknowledge it and adjust the remaining demo flow on the fly.

Objection Handle Structure

Prepare 3-5 likely objections based on audience role, industry, buying stage, and alternatives from Phase 0. Each handle follows a three-part structure:

1. Acknowledge: Mirror the concern back without defensiveness. "So you're asking whether [restate their concern]..."
2. Reframe: Connect the objection to the demo's opinion or a broader business reality. "The reason that matters is [tie to opinion]. Here's what we see with companies like yours..."
3. Evidence: Show proof -- a screen, a metric, a customer example. Not a claim. "Let me show you how [similar company] handled exactly this."

Prepare handles as thinking frameworks, not scripted rebuttals. The acknowledge-reframe-evidence structure keeps the conversation collaborative.

Common objection categories:

• "We already have something that does this" (incumbent/status quo defense)
• "How is this different from [competitor]?" (competitive differentiation)
• "This looks great but we don't have the resources to implement" (adoption/change management)
• "What about [edge case / unusual workflow]?" (depth request -- route to Phase 4)
• "Our data is [messy / siloed / sensitive]" (integration/security concern)

Fallback Planning

Things break. The fallback plan ensures the demo's opinion still gets delivered even when the product can't be shown live.

Three layers:

1. Screenshot deck: 5-8 annotated screenshots walking the Outcome-Magic-Use Cases-Close arc. Not a marketing deck -- actual product screenshots with callouts. Have it open in a background tab before the call.

2. Narrative pivot: A version delivered purely as story, no screens. "Let me walk you through what a [persona] at a company like yours experiences in a typical week..." Leans on the demo's opinion and before/after structure.

3. Partial recovery: If only part of the product is down, know which use cases still work. Don't demo a broken feature and narrate around it -- skip, note, and offer a follow-up.

Before every live demo:

• Open the demo environment 10 minutes early and verify data and key screens work.
• Have the screenshot deck in a background tab.
• Know which use case to cut first if time runs short (cut the least important use case, never the outcome or close).
• Test screen sharing before the prospect joins.

Attendee Role Mapping

When multiple stakeholders attend, map each use case and checkpoint to the most relevant person. Address by name: "Maria, this is the part I think matters most for your team -- the production scheduling view."

If you know the attendee list from Phase 0:

• Assign each use case a primary audience member.
• Plan at least one checkpoint directed at each attendee by name.
• Executive buyer: Phase 1 (Outcome) and Phase 5 (Close) speak to them. Use cases speak to the champion/user.
• IT/security: Phase 4 (Depth) is their section. Don't front-load technical details for the whole room.