If you've ever tried making a product demo that actually gets used, you know it's harder than it looks. Sales reps want slick, interactive experiences, but you don't want to spend a week fussing with design tools or end up with a confusing mess. This guide is for anyone—sales enablement, product marketing, or the unlucky soul who drew the short straw—tasked with building interactive demos in Showpad. Let's cut through the hype and get to what works, what doesn't, and what you can skip.
1. Know What You're Trying to Show (and to Whom)
Before you fire up Showpad, get clear on two things: what you want to show and who it's for. Most bad demos fail here—they try to do too much or end up so generic no one cares.
Ask yourself: - Is this demo for new prospects, existing customers, or a particular industry? - Are you showing off a product's basics or deep-diving into features? - Will salespeople be driving the demo, or will customers click through on their own?
Pro tip:
If you can't answer these in one sentence, you're not ready to build. Write it down. Share it with your team. It'll save hours of rework.
2. Map Out the Experience Before Building
Jumping straight into Showpad is a rookie move. Instead, sketch your demo flow on paper or a whiteboard.
Keep it simple: - Start > Main product highlights > Optional deep dives > Call to action - Think "choose your own adventure," not "maze of a thousand clicks" - Limit the number of choices—too many options, and users freeze
What to avoid:
Don't recreate your product's entire UI. People want a guided experience, not a training manual.
3. Use Showpad Features That Actually Help
Showpad has a lot of bells and whistles, but you don't need them all. Focus on features that drive engagement and help sales teams tell the story.
Things that work: - Interactive slides: Use hotspots, clickable areas, and branching to let users explore. - Embedded video: Short, focused video clips work. Long demos? Not so much. - Navigation menus: Make it dead-simple to get back to the main menu or jump between sections.
Things to ignore (most of the time): - Overly complex animations. They slow things down and rarely impress. - Cramming every feature into a single demo. Better to make two focused demos than one bloated one.
Pro tip:
Test your demo on a tablet and a laptop. If it feels clunky or confusing, your users will feel the same—and they'll bail.
4. Keep Content Tight and Visual
No one reads long blocks of text in a demo. Use visuals and short, punchy copy.
What works: - Screenshots with callouts (arrows, highlights) - Customer logos or short testimonials - Short bullet points—think headlines, not essays
What doesn't: - Walls of text - Stock photos that don't add context - Technical jargon unless your audience is highly technical
Pro tip:
If your demo slide looks crowded, cut something. White space is your friend.
5. Make Navigation Obvious
If users can't figure out where to click, they'll get frustrated and quit. Showpad lets you create custom navigation, so use it wisely.
Best practices: - Use big, clear buttons for main actions. - Always give users a way to go back or start over. - Label branches clearly (“See Pricing”, “Watch a Demo”, “Explore Features”).
What to avoid:
Hidden hotspots or icons that aren’t obvious. If you have to explain how to use your demo, it's too complicated.
6. Build for Sales Reps, Not Just End Users
Most Showpad demos are used by sales reps in conversations, not just sent to prospects. So, make sure your demo makes them look good.
Tips: - Include a “cheat sheet” slide with talking points or FAQs—hidden from the customer view if needed. - Keep navigation flexible so reps can jump around based on the conversation. - Avoid dead ends. Every path should lead to a next step or a way back.
Pro tip:
Ask a few reps to test your draft demo and give brutally honest feedback. They'll spot issues you never saw.
7. Test, Get Feedback, and Iterate
No demo is perfect the first time—especially an interactive one. Before rolling out to the whole sales team, do a round of testing.
What to do: - Watch real users (sales reps or customers) try it out—don’t just send a link, actually observe. - Fix confusing navigation, unclear copy, or anything that makes people hesitate. - Don’t be afraid to cut features or slides that don’t add value.
What to ignore:
Fancy analytics dashboards until you’ve nailed the basics. Usage stats are meaningless if the demo itself is clunky.
8. Keep Maintenance in Mind
You’ll need to update your demo as products and sales stories evolve. Overly complex demos become a nightmare.
Best practices: - Use modular slides or sections so you can swap out content easily. - Keep a list of assets (images, videos, links) and where they’re used. - Document the flow—future you (or the next person) will thank you.
Pro tip:
If updating the demo feels like a chore, it’s too complex. Simplify.
9. Deliver and Train (But Don’t Overdo It)
When your demo’s ready, roll it out with a quick walkthrough for your sales team.
Keep it short: - A 10-minute live demo beats a 30-slide training deck. - Share a simple “how to use” guide—one page, tops.
What to skip:
Long webinars or mandatory training unless your demo is genuinely tricky (it shouldn’t be).
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Interactive demos in Showpad can be a game-changer for sales, but only if they’re well-designed and easy to use. Don’t chase every feature or get lost in complexity. Start simple, watch how people use your demo, and keep improving it. The best demos don’t try to do everything—they do a few things really well.
Now, go build something your sales team will actually want to use. And remember: done is better than perfect.