If you’re running sales or presales in B2B software, you know the pain: demos that land flat because they’re too generic. The CMO wants something different than the IT lead. You’re told to “personalize demos,” but nobody explains how, or what’s actually worth doing. This guide is for you—someone who wants to use Goconsensus to make demos that actually speak to your buyers, without spending all week customizing slides.
Let’s get practical about personalizing demo experiences for different buyer personas, and skip the empty fluff.
1. Get Real About Buyer Personas—And Their Attention Spans
Before you mess with any tool, get clear on who your real buyer personas are. Not the eight “archetypes” from marketing, but the actual people you sell to.
Do: - Talk to your best reps or CSMs. Who is actually on those calls? What do they care about? - Narrow it down to 2-4 personas. More than that, and you’re just making busywork. - Map out: - Their job title (be specific) - What problem they’re trying to solve - What they’re skeptical about
Don’t: - Assume you need to create a unique demo for every possible role. Most buyers overlap.
Pro tip: If you can’t fill in the “What keeps them up at night?” row for a persona, you’re wasting your time personalizing for them.
2. Audit Your Existing Demo Content
You probably already have a library of demo videos, slides, or walkthroughs. Most of it is too long, too technical, or too product-focused.
Steps: - Collect all your demo assets in one place. - For each asset, ask: Who is this actually for? (If the answer is “everyone,” it’s for no one.) - Tag or sort assets by persona—be ruthless.
What works: - Short, focused clips (2–4 min) on a single feature or business problem. - Real customer examples, not just generic UI clicks.
What to ignore: - Those 30-minute “full tour” videos. No buyer has the patience.
3. Set Up Persona-Based Demo Paths in Goconsensus
This is where Goconsensus actually helps. You can build “demo boards” or experiences that branch based on the viewer’s persona or interest.
How to do it:
1. Create a Board for Each Primary Persona
- Name it clearly: “Demo for Finance Leaders” or “Demo for IT Admins.”
2. Add Only What Matters
- Pick 3–5 demo clips or modules that speak to that persona’s priorities.
- Ditch the rest. Less is more.
3. Use Goconsensus’s Branching or Self-Selection Tools
- Let viewers pick a path: “Are you in Marketing or IT?”
- Or pre-select the right board when sending a link.
Honest take:
Personalization works best when it’s about removing irrelevant info, not adding more. Don’t try to cover every feature “just in case”—you’ll lose them.
4. Add Persona-Specific Intros and Context
A 30-second context video up front goes a long way. It doesn’t need to be slick—just authentic.
Tips:
- Record a quick intro (webcam is fine) speaking directly to that persona:
“If you’re a CFO, you probably don’t care about API integrations—let’s talk ROI and compliance.”
- Use their language, not your feature names.
- Call out their biggest pain point in the first 10 seconds.
What doesn’t work: - Generic intros like “Welcome to our solution overview.” - Reading from a script. Sound human.
5. Customize CTAs and Follow-Up Questions
Goconsensus lets you add CTAs, forms, or surveys at the end of demos. Don’t waste this real estate.
For each persona:
- Ask one question that shows you understand their world:
- “What’s your top concern with switching finance platforms?”
- “What security features are a must-have for your team?”
- Offer a next step that fits their role:
- IT folks: “See our integration docs”
- Execs: “Schedule a 15-min ROI review”
Skip: - Generic “Contact us for a demo” buttons. If they’re watching a demo, they want specifics.
6. Test—But Don’t Overengineer
Personalization is a moving target. Don’t get stuck trying to make it perfect.
How to iterate:
- Send out your persona-based demos. Track who actually watches and responds.
- Ask a couple of new buyers what landed for them.
- Drop or tweak anything nobody clicks on.
If you’re short on time:
Start with your top two personas and expand later. Done is better than perfect.
7. Common Mistakes to Avoid
-
Making it about you, not them:
If your demo leads with “Here’s everything we do,” you’ve already lost them. -
Overcomplicating branching logic:
Stick to clear, simple paths. If you need a flowchart to understand it, your buyers won’t bother. -
Ignoring feedback:
If buyers keep skipping parts, cut them. -
Assuming assets are “set and forget”:
Personas shift. So should your demos.
8. Quick Checklist: Personalizing Demos in Goconsensus
- [ ] I know my 2–4 real buyer personas
- [ ] My demo boards are named by persona, not product feature
- [ ] Each demo path is short and focused (under 10 min, ideally 5)
- [ ] I recorded a quick intro for each persona
- [ ] CTAs and questions match each persona’s priorities
- [ ] I’ve sent demos and checked what actually gets watched
Keep It Simple—And Iterate
Personalizing demos isn’t about building 20 different versions or using every Goconsensus feature. Start with the basics: know your buyer, cut the fluff, and talk like a human. Use the tool to remove noise, not add it. Then, improve as you learn what actually works.
Don’t overthink it. Start small, keep it honest, and you’ll get better results—and fewer glazed-over buyers.