After a long time of qualifying leads, nurturing prospects, and cold calling, you’re finally at the demo scheduling phase. Well done – but the process isn’t over yet, not by a long shot. How you schedule a demo will determine whether your prospect shows up and the effectiveness of your demo meeting, too.That’s because, although an invitation email might sound like an easy thing to pull off, it actually involves a lot of thought, not to mention following best practices.To help you get it right, here are a few tips and five demo meeting invitation email templates for various scenarios to save you time.
Tips to write a demo meeting invitation email:
- Be clear and to-the-point
- Use the tone that fits best
- Provide all important information
- Personalize when possible
- Choose an effective subject line
Here’s a breakdown of our five tips:
- Be clear and to the point. An invitation email should be targeted toward, well, an invitation. Any small talk and information exchange you might have in other emails should be kept to a bare minimum in this one. Write short sentences and make sure their meaning is clear (e.g. write “the demo will be held on Friday, September 6”, instead of “the demo will be held at the end of next week”).
- Use the tone that fits best. Demo meeting invitations should be enthusiastic, yes. But, should they be formal or informal to go with it? That’s for you to decide based on your own brand and the type of customer you’re addressing. For example, SaaS companies – especially if they’re startups – may opt for an informal, upbeat tone in their software demo invitation emails. A company that sells industrial equipment, though, maybe not so much.
- Provide all important information. When prospective customers are invited to any event, they need specific information, namely: what, why, where, when, with whom, how long, and how. For example, the gist of the invite could be “We’re inviting you to our upcoming product line demo to showcase its new advanced features, at our downtown offices, on Friday, September 6. The demo will be done by our chief engineer and will last about an hour. You’ll get the chance to try out our new product and give us feedback, as well as place an early order.” Other useful information, like a map, or any catering arrangements, are worth including, too.
- Personalize when possible. Especially when the demo invite follows on from previous communications with a prospective customer (e.g. a cold call or a discovery call), you should tailor your message to show you understand the other person’s motivations to attend a demo. For example, if you know they’re looking for a way to engage customers, mention that you’ll show them how your software solution can do that.
- Choose an effective subject line. The subject line is often the most important, yet trickiest part, of emails – especially a demo meeting invitation email. The best thing you can do is to test what works best: which subject lines have the highest click rate? A few rules to keep in mind are to write subject headlines that are professional, intriguing, and give the recipient a clear idea of what the email is about.
Engage prospective customers
Strengthen sales by using Acquire's chatbots, shared inbox, video chat, and more to capture leads and organize messaging. Want to see how these all fit together?
How to use our invitation templates
Any words included in brackets are placeholder text – replace them with whatever makes the most sense for your business. In some cases, sentences inside brackets could be removed altogether depending on the type of email you’re sending. When you see this symbol {}, it means you can add a link to the text.Feel free to modify the templates and insert a touch of personality.
5 demo meeting invitation email templates
1. Online software demo invitation letter after contact
Re: Our call yesterday
Hi [Prospect name],[Your name] here. [We had an interesting chat on the phone yesterday]. [Thanks for taking the time to evaluate our product]. I think Acme’s software solution is in a good position to meet your current needs.As we discussed, the next step would be a [product demo] where I can show you how our product can help solve your challenges and you can ask me any questions you might have. Are any of the following times good for you?
- Tuesday September 4, 10 am
- Tuesday September 4, 6 pm
- Wednesday September 5, 4 pm
Let me know what works and I’ll send you a [Zoom] calendar invite. Looking forward to speaking with you again.Thanks,[Your name]
2. On-site software/physical product demo after contact
Re: Our call yesterday
Hi [Prospect name],[Your name] here. [We had an interesting chat on the phone yesterday]. [Thanks for taking the time to evaluate our product]. I think Acme’s software solution is in a good position to meet your current needs.I spoke with my [colleague/manager/office manager] and we can definitely come to your offices for an on-site product demo, as discussed. Are any of the following times good for you?
- Tuesday September 4, 10 am
- Tuesday September 4, 6 pm
- Wednesday September 5, 4 pm
Once we settle on a time that works, I’ll make the necessary arrangements for the demo meeting. We’ll need a [room with a big screen / a room without obstacles / access to your warehouse], if possible, so it’s easy to look at points of interest in our product.Also, can you confirm your office’s address and who we should ask for at the front desk?Thanks,[Your name]
3. Physical product demo invite for event
[Invitation] Try our new receptionist robot
Hi [Prospect name],Did someone say [smart robot?] We’re excited to invite you to a product demonstration showcasing our [new amazing receptionist robot] that uses [advanced tech to streamline your front desk operations – yes, that’s right, it talks.]We’ll be holding the demo at [Boston Trade Show/Corporate Event] on [Friday September 7, 2020] at [5pm]. The [demonstration] will last about [an hour] and [you’ll be able to ask us questions, try out our robotic solution yourself, and even purchase using an one-off discount exclusively for attendees].Come give it a try – [and rest assured, we’ll have plenty of refreshments for everyone].Please RSVP in this {link}, so we can prepare properly to accommodate you.[If you have any questions, feel free to call us on +123456789 or send us an email at demo@acme.com.]We look forward to seeing you there,[The Acme team]
4. Demo meeting invitation email for online event
You're invited to our biggest demo event!
Hi [Prospect name],Have you ever wished for [a better way to engage customers online]? Well, we’ve got good news for you: your wish has finally come true. We’re pleased to invite you to a demo where you’ll be able to see exactly [what our new customer engagement platform can do for you].Our [CEO/COO/VP of Product] {Suzanna Brown} will hold the demo via [Zoom] on [Friday September 7, 2020] at [5pm]. She’ll go through the most important features of our product and discuss their value to businesses like yours. You’ll also have the chance to ask questions through a chat widget.The demo will last about [an hour]. Please RSVP in this {link}, so we can send you the Zoom event link and some useful content.Also, if you have any questions, feel free to call us on +123456789 or send us an email at demo@acme.com.We look forward to seeing you there![The Acme team]
5. Demo meeting invitation after demo request
Keep in mind that it’s useful to first call the prospect who asked for a demo and do a short discovery call. This will help you learn more about their challenges and why they’re interested in your product or services in the first place.
Re: Your demo request
Hi [Prospect name],Thanks for requesting a demo – we appreciate you giving us a chance! I’m [your name] and I’d be happy to show you around our [platform/solution/product line].Here’s a {link} you can use to book a demo meeting. A [Zoom/Google Hangouts] link will be generated automatically. Demos usually last [45 minutes to an hour] but let us know if you have other requirements.[Here’s a general agenda for our demo meeting:]
- [Introductions
- Your company
- Our product’s purpose
- Demo/Product tour
- Questions
- Next steps]
Also, feel free to forward the invite to any colleagues who may want to join – the more, the merrier! And, if you have any questions, you can reply to this email or call me on +1233456789.Thanks,[Your name]PS: If you don’t already have Zoom installed, you may need to download it. It’s free, secure, and will only take a few minutes to set up – here’s a {link to learn more}.]