Ask HN: How do you demo and sell your product/service?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1640684

by willheim • 16 years ago

20 12 16 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

What tools are you using on your site to demo it?

Screencast? Video? Animation? Stills? Just text?

A combination of all of those?

What is most effective for you?

delano3• 16 years ago

Giving your product a personality is more important than the medium and tools you choose to promote it.

jsean2• 16 years ago

What more specifically is meant by giving the product a "personality"? A touch of distinction, perhaps even allowing it to be opinionated. But what does that mean on a more practical/concrete level?

delano3• 16 years ago

Among other things, the personality bundles up the intangible aspects of the product in a way that helps potential customers figure out whether they love it or hate it.

spencerfry• 16 years ago

Simply allow people to one click into a demo site with full functionality.

fezzl• 16 years ago

I agree that a demo website is the most helpful. If your product requires data to illustrate its usefulness/features, do preload some data as well as provide a stage-by-stage walkthrough (e.g. try doing A, click B to do C, etc.). The only drawback is that a demo might be more time-consuming, resulting in sign-up friction. As an alternative to the demo, I have a 30-second video with screencasts baked in it. Also, never require sign-up information just to try a demo. If they're really interested, they would go for the trial, during which you can start capturing your leads.

Personally, I find screenshots rather unhelpful and, to some extent, fake. Sometimes it feels like vaporware. The best remedy to that sort of impression is to give a live demo.

willheim2• 16 years ago

Yes, That is certainly a useful suggestion. Seems that taking away any barriers to entry to trial it out with pre-populated data would:

1) lower resistance to test the product/service. 2) Eliminate the need for a free trial period 3) Increase conversions.

Has anyone done this and what was your response rate?

zaidf• 16 years ago

We pitch over the phone using gotomeeting to do a 5-10min demo.

javery• 16 years ago

I am still pre-beta so I am showing the application in person or using GoToMeeting to potential customers. I have setup the more serious ones account to try out and use (but not in production).

smysore• 16 years ago

you could probably make a cool demo just using camtasia. there's a 30-day free trial. it's a pretty good combination of screencast, voice, effects / production, text and is good for a first version. not sure what the best tool is..

Ask HN: How do you demo and sell your product/service?

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