The concept of demonstration is a successful method which is used to establish a reason of proof, to either clearly show or demonstrate something, or to teach your audience. If you think about it, demonstrations have been infused into learning throughout your life, from teachers demonstrating science experiments to flight attendants demonstrating the safety procedures before flying. There is little wonder that this effective method is used as a means to assist consumers in making informed buying decisions in-store.

Benefits of In-store Demonstrations

They say a picture paints a thousand words. In the same way, an effective product demonstration addresses any product related concerns and instils a sense of ownership of the product in the prospective consumers, without them having to commit to making the purchase up front. The “try before you buy” aspect negates the fear of buyer’s regret and allows the consumer to confidently proceed with their purchase safe in the knowledge that they are making the best possible decision devoid of potential disappointment or regret.

With such high expectations of what demonstrations need to deliver, how you plan and conduct a demonstration significantly impacts on how your audience will respond.

Key Points

To this end, we have outlined some key pointers to consider:

• Be clear about what you want the demonstration to achieve
• Establish what is the best way to arouse curiosity, and use this as a means to introduce the demonstration
• Consider the logistics of the demonstration. Namely; the equipment and materials required, the training of the staff, the place of the demonstration and how you want to arrange the prospective consumers so that they can easily see what you are demonstrating.
• The theatrics of an engaging demonstration should not be undervalued. The steps you will take when carrying out the demonstration and the story told alongside the actions is, effectively, your sales pitch, while being highly factual at the same time. Pre-empting and addressing the key questions you think your audience may want to know throughout each stage will build trust and reassurance with your audience while you are imparting the necessary product information.
• Finding ways in which to engage the audience to make the demonstration interactive is also highly effective.
• Consider the potential health and safety precautions you will need to adhere to and make sure that you address these matters upfront.
• Think about what follow up support you could provide to interested consumers to close the sale – will you have flyers or brochures? Will you get users to sign up to receive more information? Will you be selling the products at the point of demonstration?
• The follow up, from the demonstration to the close of the sale, is of equal importance. Having the staff that are trained to facilitate this is a crucial success factor.

Why choose FMI?

At FMI, we are experts at conceptualising and implementing highly engaging and effective in-store demonstrations that deliver ROI. We have delivered in-store demonstrations for brands like Nespresso and Virgin, amongst other well-respected brands. We take time to train our teams in each step of the sales process of in-store demonstrations. We prep them with the necessary product knowledge and provide a convincing sales pitch. Our USP is that we overlay all of this training and preparation with an intensive quality control procedure to ensure that we uphold the quality and consistency of the brand experience for our clients across multiple locations.

If you want to take your in-store demonstrations to the next level, get in touch with the FMI team today to see how we can help you.