A professionally produced automated demo is one of the most effective sales and marketing tools you can have. It can initiate the sales cycle for you, generate qualified leads, and be leveraged across multiple platforms for maximum ROI.

But for your software demo to be effective and make an impact on your marketing and sales initiatives, it has to shine. A poorly produced demo sends the wrong message and makes both your company and software appear second-rate.

If you've decided it's time to add an automated demo to your library of marketing and sales resources, there's a good chance that you have considered building it in-house. The costs you save will surely out-weigh the time and effort you spend on it…right?

Before you decide to take on the task of building your own software demo, here are four quick questions you should ask yourself:

1). Have you ever given a live demo before?

Building an automated demo is never as easy as it seems. Most live demos run anywhere from 20 to 60-minutes. A good automated demo should stay between four to six-minutes in length. No matter how robust your software is, four to six-minutes is the sweet spot for keeping prospects on the line.

If you've given live demos, you need to recognize what's essential and what can be cut so that you're automated demo provides enough information about your software without causing prospects to lose interest. If you've never demo'ed your software to someone in a sales capacity, recruit your best sales person to learn how she sells your software when giving a live demo.

2). What about content and design?

Now that you have to cut a 60-minute live demo down to five-minutes, what are you going to cut? Crafting the content for your automated demo is crucial. What actions will you show and how do you write the narration for each action? If this is your first experience creating an automated demo, then you need to do your homework.

It's best to leave the marketing jargon and sales messaging to a minimum when it comes to your demo. To help narrow your content, choose your three key selling points and demo those features.

This is not a sales sheet or product page, it is a demo of your software. Show—don't tell—how your software is going to make your prospects life easier. Good content includes narration that syncs effortlessly with the actions you demonstrate. To look professional, the content and design of the demo has to blend perfectly.

3). What about the voice?

First, to fully engage your viewer, you should include a voiceover to narrate what is being shown. Second, the voiceover you record could possibly be the one variable that makes or breaks your demo. When it comes to recording audio for your software demo, do not go lightly into the recording studio.

A demo that has expert content matched with professional instructional design will crash and burn if the voiceover sounds unprofessional. Choose a professional voiceover talent, someone who has been in a recording studio more than once. Speaking clearly or having a well-crafted demo script is not enough. You know what you sound like on your voicemail greeting…don't make the mistake of thinking your voice (or your CEO's) is good enough for your demo.

4). What technology are you going to use?

In the world of web 2.0, there is no room for patience. Now that everyone has access to hi-speed Internet options, no one wants to wait for anything online, especially your demo. If the technology you are using to build your demo takes forever to load, or asks the viewer to download a plug-in ( gasp!), then you are already behind the curve.

Choose a technology with an extremely high adoption rate and test it in multiple browsers. Don't assume that your prospects will wait more than 30 seconds to view your demo or that just because it runs well on your network that it's going to run smoothly on someone else's network or home desktop.

If you do choose to outsource the production of your demo, go with an agency that knows what they are doing and have experience creating software demos. Make sure they have processes in line for moving your project through in a timely and efficient manner. Ask if they have demo-content experts on staff and instructional designers. A reputable demo developer should be able to show you samples of their work and provide you with a process outline that shows what's to be expected at each stage of the project.

Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Your automated demo may just be the first time someone spends anytime with your company or software. Put your best foot forward by producing a professional demo that puts your software in the best light possible.

About the Author:

JC Stites is the founder and CEO of Autodemo LLC (www.autodemo.com), the leading developer of software demos. With more than fifteen years experience building product-centric demos, JC is an expert when it comes to the design and production of automated demos. Founded in 1998, Autodemo helps software companies initiate the sales cycle, generate leads, and increase marketing ROI.