Running a successful product demo is both an art and a science. Navattic and Iris teamed up for a live event featuring a reading from Mike McDowell's book Demotainment, followed by a Q&A with Chris Marby, a veteran SE on the Iris team and former Principal at PreSales Collective. Together, they shared hard-won tactics for making demos more engaging, resilient, and impactful.

Before you talk about your product, your energy has already made an impression. Mike opened the reading with a core principle: be "audience focused on the story you're telling and the confidence you bring to the stage."

Simple physical adjustments - staggered feet for balance, natural hand gestures, eye contact around the room - signal confidence and draw people in.

Chris echoed this for virtual settings: showing up on camera increases connection and often nudges prospects to do the same. Presence is presence, whether you're in a boardroom or a Zoom grid.

Product demos rarely have a single audience. You might be presenting to a hands-on practitioner, a skeptical IT lead, and a budget-conscious VP - all at once. A practical framework from the Q&A: open with content relevant to the full group, then weave in targeted moments that speak to specific roles. Verbally signal those shifts so no one feels excluded.

Watch the room. If someone looks puzzled or lights up, invite them in. Setting expectations about discussion time upfront also prevents tangents from derailing your flow.

Every experienced SE has a story about a demo that went sideways. Mike's framing is worth internalizing:

"The way you handle surprises doesn't just affect the flow of your demo, it shapes your audience's perception of you and your product."

He cited research showing that hotel guests rate their stay higher when a problem arose and was handled well than when their stay had no problems at all.

"Resolving demo surprises strengthens trust and creates memorable experiences."

Mike lived this firsthand: when Webex crashed twice mid-demo due to an audio driver update, he rejoined the call and joked,

"Of course, this is the perfect time to update my audio drivers." When the screen finally shared, the room erupted, "it felt like the end of an episode of Dora the Explorer, with everyone saying, 'We did it!'" That shared moment of relief built more connection than a flawless demo ever would have.

Grace under pressure is easier when you've already planned for failure. Mike was direct: "For each major feature, have a backup plan, screenshots, a prerecorded video, whatever allows you to still convey the value." If a feature doesn't load, pull up a screenshot and walk through the key benefits. The goal was never to show the feature, it was to communicate the value.

When something breaks mid-demo, keep it brief and keep moving:

"It seems like this feature is having a moment. Fortunately, this was just one of the amazing things I planned to show you — so let's move on. I'll send more information after the demo." That approach respects your audience's time and signals adaptability.

Chris added: always have your slides downloaded as a PDF and know in advance whether you have a backup video. An umbrella only keeps you dry if you packed it before it started raining.

Facts inform. Stories persuade. This came up in both the reading and the Q&A as one of the highest-leverage skills an SE can develop. Mike's framework: ground your story in a real character, outline the situation and pain they faced, and walk through how the solution delivered results, including what didn't work along the way. Authenticity matters more than polish.

Mike reinforced this: the stories that land hardest aren't triumphant case studies, they're the ones where something went sideways and got resolved. Prospects are assessing risk as much as evaluating value. A story about how your team handled a hard situation tells them far more than a pitch deck ever could.

Don't rush straight into product specs. The first few minutes, before you share your screen, are some of the most valuable you have. Make casual conversation, find common ground, and notice environmental cues on video calls. Chris noted that getting prospects talking early changes the entire dynamic: if you fill the first five minutes without giving anyone space, it becomes a listening exercise rather than a conversation.

That five-minute investment pays compound interest for the rest of the call. Come prepared, stay human, and remember: the best demos don't just show a product, they make the prospect feel understood.