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The Ultimate Guide to Getting the Most Out of Product Demos

James La Forte Headshot
Lindsay Page - Editor
Written by:
James La Forte

and edited by:
Lindsay Page

Published | Updated on
7 min read
Header image for the blog article "The Ultimate Guide to Getting the Most Out of Product Demos"

Follow these tips to get the most out of your product demos before making a purchase.

According to Capterra’s 2024 Tech Trends Survey on software buying trends, 31% of businesses responded that they used product demos to create their initial list of software vendor candidates. Only customer reviews (37%) and Google/search results (35%), and product trails (34%) ranked higher.

Live software demos are an extremely valuable resource when considering new business software. But many people sit in on product demos as passive viewers and, therefore, don't get much value out of them.

Be an active participant and prepare for the demo so you can get more out of it. You'll leave your demos with more information on how the software will work for your specific business and might help address your needs.

In this article, we'll cover what you should keep front and center going into software demos. By setting an agenda for the demo, you can ensure the vendor addresses your questions and needs, and you'll ultimately feel more confident in your final software selection.

Set an agenda for your product demos that covers these four key topics

Software demos take precious time, and it can sometimes feel as if you're not in control of the process. By planning key topics you want to cover in advance, you can guide the vendor to show you what software features will matter most to you and encourage a more tailored experience.

Set an agenda beforehand with all of the considerations you want to cover, including the following:

1. Product differentiators

At the end of the demo process, the most important question you need answered is, "Which product is the best fit for my business?" To that end, you need to see which products stand out from the crowd based on your business needs.

  • Ease of use: The software you choose should be relatively easy for your team to adopt. Pay close attention to the design of each solution and how intuitive it would be for new users.

  • User interface: Chances are you'll be spending a lot of time with this software, so you want an intuitive user interface. Many users also prefer aesthetically pleasing software.

  • Integrations: If your business already uses another type of software that you want to connect to the new product, be sure to ask the vendor what integrations the product supports. Dig into how the integrations work, especially if you need a built-in integration instead of just connecting through a third-party integration tool.

  • Features: Software vendors will talk about the "best" features of the product, but these may not cover what you need the software to do. It's important to have a list of the features you'd like the software vendor to go over in their presentation. Ask to see your must-have features in action.

  • Customization: If desired, find out if the software can be tailored to fit your needs. Vendors may or may not be willing to work with you on customization. If a vendor does promise they'll add something for you, ask them to put that promise in your contract.

2. Total cost of ownership

Often, pricing is the first question that businesses ask when they're searching for software. That's understandable. But a useful answer involves more than just the sticker price. You need to know the total cost of ownership. That includes how much the software costs to purchase, implement, and maintain.

Underestimating the total cost of ownership was the top reason given by businesses for having buyer’s regret, according to the Capterra survey. 35% reported that the total investment was higher than they were initially led to believe.

To avoid this, make sure to look into areas beyond just the license or usage fees associated with the software. Below are some of the other areas to consider that can inflate the total cost of ownership.

  • Purchasing: Ask about pricing and, if there are pricing tiers, what is included with each tier. Also, ask about any additional purchase charges, such as fees for extra users or data capacity. Many vendors offer discounts for those paying annually (instead of monthly) or for nonprofits, so ask about ways to reduce the price.

  • Implementation: Ask about projected implementation costs, such as if the vendor charges for installation (for on-premise solutions) or training.

  • Maintenance: Ask if the vendor charges for updates post-purchase or for ongoing customer service and support. If the software will use a vendor's server, ask about associated energy or usage fees. You also need to know if there are any other end-user costs you should anticipate.

3. Vendor support

The second most common reason for buyer’s regret among business software buyers was difficulty with training or onboarding new users (34%).

This is generally due to a lack of support from the vendor or possibly the vendor charging extra for the necessary training, which puts it outside of the business’s original budget.

Make sure to ask about the following areas before committing to a vendor to ensure that you have the support you need to fully deploy the software and train your team to use it.

  • Training: Ask your demo leader if training is included and, if so, how it works and what it covers. If training is available, learn whether it's for select users or an entire team. You may also want to ask about common sticking points for employee onboarding and how to counteract those. If you have an internal IT team, talk to them before the demos in case they have any technical implementation questions they'd like you to ask the vendors.

  • Support: Some vendors charge extra for different levels of customer service (such as email only vs. phone support). Ask your demo leader about service tiers and how much they cost. Be sure to leave with a sense of the service logistics, such as whether support is available 24/7, only during certain hours, or in a different time zone.

4. Data and privacy

Security concerns about new software were reported by 36% of respondents as a top concern when planning investments in new software. Only identifying the right product (44%) and software compatibility (43%) ranked higher among respondents.

Businesses risk losing a substantial amount of money from a data security breach, not to mention the significant and lasting hit to customer trust. So, it's important that the software products you use. can keep your data and your customers' data safe.

  • Security: Ask what kind of security the vendor uses for its databases and what processes it has in place to protect your information.

  • Compliance: Depending on the type of business you run, there may be additional compliance measures to consider regarding customer data and privacy. For example, medical-related businesses need to be aware of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations regarding data handling and security.

Businesses dealing in payment processing or services may also have to deal with industry standards like PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance. It’s important to confirm that any software you plan to use can meet the security criteria for your specific industry.

If your business has international customers, you may also have to deal with various government regulations regarding privacy, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Don't over-schedule product demos

Participating in too many software demos will cause them to run together, and it will also take valuable time away from your team's daily responsibilities. The demo is best used as a method for getting to know your top three to five software choices in depth.

Don't pack too many demos into a single day. Schedule no more than two demos per day and no more than five overall. By focusing only on your shortlist, you'll be better equipped to make a final selection after the demos.

Next steps

The key to getting the most ROI for a software product is research and evaluation. By properly vetting each vendor to ensure their product meets your goals, you can reduce any chance of buyer’s remorse once the software is deployed.

Demo versions can be an important part of the research, and following the tips above should help you get the most from software trials.


Survey Methodology

Capterra’s 2024 Tech Trends Survey was designed to understand the timeline, organizational challenges, adoption & budget, vendor research behaviors, ROI expectations, satisfaction levels for software buyers, and how they relate to buyer’s remorse.

The survey was conducted online in July 2023 among 3,484 respondents from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, France, India, Germany, Brazil, and Japan, with businesses across multiple industries and company sizes (5 or more employees). Respondents were screened to ensure their involvement in software purchasing decisions.

This report displays the results based on 700 respondents in the U.S.


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About the Authors

James La Forte Headshot

James La Forte is a writer specializing in IT, business, and technology. He is a frequent contributor to trusted business resources including Tech Republic, U.S. News & World Report, and Capterra.

Lindsay Page - Editor

Lindsay Page is an editor at Capterra. She specializes in editing data-driven research and tech trends reports for small to midsize businesses. She has more than a decade of experience writing and editing for a variety of industries, with particular expertise in cybersecurity, corporate and securities regulation, and finance.

When not editing, Lindsay can be found reading a mystery novel, spending time with her family, and playing competitive tennis. Lots and lots of tennis.