If you’re a marketer who’s interested in new technology, you’ve probably sat through your fair share of product demos. And they’ve probably ranged from ‘incredibly helpful’ to ‘an incredible waste of time.’
While the onus to impress is on the salesperson or product manager who is doing the demo, it helps to come bearing a list of questions and concerns...something a bit more specific than “so, what does this thing do, and why should I care?”
To make the most of your upcoming product demo, here’s a cheat sheet of questions you might want to ask, compiled with help from our insightful colleagues at QuestDIY, PRophet, and SmartAssets.
What to ask during your next product demo
- How does this product integrate with the tools and platforms I’m already using?
- I love concrete examples—can you walk me through some real-world use cases, or examples of how others have put this product to work?
- What are two things that sets your product apart from competitors like X, Y, and Z?
- What kind of onboarding and training do you provide?
- What are some ways that we’d be able to tweak or customize the product to fit our specific needs?
- Would our team be able to make feature requests for the product?
- Are there any current limitations the product has—things you’d like to add in the future, but aren’t quite there yet?
- Are there performance metrics or analytics within the product that can help us prove the ROI of the tool? What KPIs can the product help track?
- What kind of reporting functions does the product offer? Are reports and dashboards easily customizable to fit our standards and styles?
- We’re a collaborative bunch over here. How does the product support, encourage, and streamline collaboration?
- Are there any considerations to keep in mind for workforces that are remote?
- What third-party integrations are available, and would they be easy to set up? Do you have an open API?
- Do you have a client-facing roadmap?
- How do you handle and keep up-to-date with data security and compliance regulations? How does the product handle user permissions?
- What’s the pricing structure like? Are there tiered subscription plans? Any additional costs we should be aware of for things like upkeep, maintenance, or support?
- Can we run a trial program before fully committing?
- What does ongoing support look like, and what are the ways that I’d be able to contact your support team? What are support hours, and where is the support team based? Will we have a Customer Success Manager?
- Can you walk me through the renewal language in your agreement? Can we opt to remove an auto-renewal clause?
- What’s the average implementation timeline for a company like ours?
