Seamless ERP Sales Demos: Roles, Responsibilities, and Best Practices

A successful ERP sales demo requires seamless collaboration between the sales team, presales team, and functional consultants. Each team member plays a vital role, from scheduling the demo to transitioning into the implementation phase. Clear roles and responsibilities (R&R) not only ensure a smooth demo process but also create a professional and cohesive experience for the client.

In this article, we’ll break down the key roles and responsibilities, address common mistakes (like overlapping roles), and highlight professionalism as a cornerstone for success.

1. Scheduling and Preparation: Setting the Stage

The groundwork for a successful demo begins long before the presentation itself. Scheduling and preparation are critical to align the team and ensure the demo meets the client’s needs.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Sales Team:
  • Understand the client’s pain points, industry challenges, and key decision-makers’ priorities.
  • Schedule the demo, ensuring all stakeholders are available and clear on the agenda.
  • Share detailed client insights with presales and functional teams for tailored demo preparation.
• Presales Team:
  • Prepare the demo environment, customizing it to reflect the client’s workflows and priorities.
  • Ensure all technical tools, software, and demo data are tested and ready to go.
  • Collaborate with the sales team to identify key focus areas for the demo.
• Functional Consultants:
  • Provide insights into industry-specific workflows or configurations to tailor the demo further.
  • Review the client’s technical requirements and ensure the demo aligns with their operational challenges.

Best Practices

• Host a pre-demo alignment meeting between sales, presales, and functional consultants to define roles, key messaging, and flow.
• Use a demo checklist to verify all logistical, technical, and content-related tasks are completed.

2. Delivering the Demo: Engaging and Inspiring Confidence

The demo itself is the moment to shine. This is where the team must work cohesively to present a polished, client-focused session.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Sales Team:
  • Act as the primary presenter, opening and closing the demo with a focus on business value and ROI.
  • Connect ERP features to the client’s strategic goals and pain points.
  • Defer technical or process-related questions to the presales or functional team to avoid confusion.
• Presales Team:
  • Lead the demonstration of technical features, workflows, and system capabilities.
  • Address client questions about system configurations, integrations, or scalability.
  • Adapt to on-the-spot requests, showcasing additional functionalities if necessary.
• Functional Consultants:
  • Provide in-depth insights into how the ERP supports industry-specific processes or compliance needs.
  • Answer detailed technical or operational questions, adding credibility to the solution.
  • Highlight best practices and how the ERP aligns with the client’s specific goals.

Best Practices

• Define clear role boundaries: Sales handles business storytelling; presales and functional consultants lead technical discussions.
• Focus on client priorities: Tailor the demo to address the client’s specific pain points rather than showing all features.
• Use smooth transitions: Plan clear handoffs between team members to maintain a cohesive flow.

3. Avoiding Role Overlap: Staying in Your Lane for Demo Success

While collaboration is essential, overlapping roles during demos—especially when sales team members engage in technical discussions—can create confusion or conflict.

Why It Happens

• Good Intentions: Sales may step into technical discussions to support colleagues or clarify points.
• Role Confusion: Clients sometimes direct technical questions to sales, prompting them to respond.
• Debates: Differing perspectives between team members can lead to conflicting answers in front of the client.

The Impact

• Client Confusion: Multiple voices answering the same question may erode trust.
• Loss of Focus: Off-topic technical discussions can derail the demo.
• Damaged Credibility: Disagreements among team members undermine the client’s confidence.

How to Address It

1. Define Clear Boundaries: Sales focuses on business context, while presales and consultants handle technical questions.
2. Train Sales to Defer Questions:
   • Example: “That’s a great question for our technical expert, [name], who will provide the details.”
3. Practice in Mock Demos: Simulate scenarios to refine team coordination and transitions.
4. Use a Communication Signal: Agree on subtle cues to signal when to defer or transition topics.

4. Professionalism in Demos: Dress Code, Appearance, and Time Management

First impressions matter. How your team presents themselves can significantly impact client perception and the success of the demo.

Key Elements of Professionalism

• Dress Code:
  • Align attire with the client’s industry (formal for corporate, business casual for startups).
  • For virtual demos, maintain a clean, distraction-free background.
• Punctuality:
  • Arrive early (in-person or virtual) to manage setup and last-minute adjustments.
  • Start and end the demo on time to respect the client’s schedule.
• Presentation:
  • Use polished visuals and dashboards, avoiding clutter or overly technical slides.
  • Maintain a confident, positive demeanor throughout.

Why It Matters

• Builds Trust: Professional appearance and punctuality signal respect and competence.
• Supports Focus: A polished presentation eliminates distractions and keeps the client engaged.

5. Transitioning to the Kickoff Meeting: Aligning for Implementation

Once the demo concludes and the sale is secured, a smooth transition to the implementation phase is essential.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Sales Team:
  • Ensure a seamless handoff of client insights to the implementation team.
  • Participate in the kickoff meeting to reinforce trust and commitment.
• Presales Team:
  • Provide technical configurations and documentation prepared during the demo.
  • Support the implementation team in addressing any remaining questions.
• Functional Consultants:
  • Lead the kickoff meeting, presenting the implementation plan and next steps.
  • Share insights gained during the demo to align with the client’s expectations.

Best Practices

• Conduct an internal handoff meeting to ensure alignment between sales and implementation teams.
• Present a high-level roadmap during the kickoff to set clear expectations.

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Role Overlap:
   • Sales engaging in technical discussions can create confusion.
   • Solution: Train teams on role boundaries and transitions.
2. Feature Overload:
   • Demonstrating too many features can overwhelm the client.
   • Solution: Focus on client-specific priorities.
3. Poor Time Management:
   • Running over time or missing key topics reduces demo effectiveness.
   • Solution: Stick to a structured agenda and reserve time for Q&A.
4. Unaligned Messaging:
   • Conflicting answers from team members can erode client confidence.
   • Solution: Pre-demo alignment meetings ensure consistency.

Conclusion: Collaboration Drives Demo Success

From scheduling the demo to kicking off the project, seamless collaboration between sales, presales, and functional consultants is key. By defining clear roles, maintaining professionalism, and avoiding common mistakes, your team can deliver demos that inspire confidence and win business.

Ready to see how a tailored ERP demo can transform your business?

Contact Archer Solutions today to schedule your personalized demo and explore the possibilities!