Your go-to source for building a marketing program that works.
Thanks for joining me!
Twelve weeks. Twelve frameworks. One series that started with the question, “How can startup founders set marketing strategies that they can actually execute?” Before we close, I want to thank you for reading.
Our group was small but mighty. I appreciate all of your positive feedback more than you know!
For the final installment, we're ending where most startup deals are won or lost: the product demo. And after this week, we’re taking a summer hiatus while we build something new and exciting…stay tuned!
LET’S GO →
What’s trending this week? Junk journal aesthetic and lilac and tangerine for summer.
A Demo is Not a Tutorial
The single most common demo mistake isn't technical–it's conceptual. Most founders think of the demo as a tour of the product, but that’s more akin to a tutorial, and your demo audience isn’t interested in that level of detail.
A demo is a story. It has a beginning (the problem), a middle (the solution), and an end (the transformation). If your demo doesn't follow that structure, you're describing buttons to someone who needs to be convinced that their life will be better with your product. That’s a messaging misalignment.
The Three-Phase Framework
Phase 1 - The Pain Point: Open with the specific problem your buyer faces (not a general industry problem). Use the language you heard in their discovery call.
Phase 2 - The Hero Visual: Show two or three features that solve that exact problem–not every feature. A video is a great option here as well.
Phase 3 - The Aftermath: Close with the result. Time saved, money made, stress removed, etc. End on the transformation, not the interface.
If someone outside your industry can't understand your value proposition within 30 seconds, then your demo is too technical. The goal is to make the buyer feel the outcome, not understand the mechanism.
Video as Infrastructure
A 60 to 90-second demo video that captures your three-phase framework is one of the most versatile assets you can build. It works in a live pitch, on your homepage, in a cold LinkedIn DM, and in a follow-up email to a prospect who went quiet. Build it once and deploy it everywhere.
Continuing Education
Everything we read and loved this week.
Action of the Week
Record a 90-second demo of your product right now–no production budget required, just a screen recording tool. Watch it back and ask, does it lead with a pain point or a feature? Does it end with a transformation or a button? If the answers aren't what you want, you know exactly what to fix
Until next time!
