7 Ways to Ensure Prospects Show Up for Demos

"Book a demo" holds a special place for B2B SaaS companies—it’s a signal of potential sales amid fierce competition.

But what happens when too many of these demos requests turn into no-shows? Maybe your calendar is filled with tire kickers—people who sign up but with no intention of committing—or leads who ghost you last minute.

Whatever the reason, low attendance rates can be frustrating. The good news? With the right strategies, you can filter out unqualified leads and ensure more prospects actully show up ready to engage.

1. Attract the Right Audience from the Start

One of the key reasons for no-shows is that the wrong audience is booking your demos. People who aren’t part of your ideal customer profile (ICP)—such as tire kickers, mismatched industries, or those who simply can't afford your product —may book a demo out of curiosity but likely won't show up.

Solution: Be crystal clear on your website and marketing and sales activities about:

• What your product does.

• Who it’s for and, as importantly, who's it not for.

• The product's cost and the budget required.

• The amount of work to implement and embrace it successfully.

A strong filtering mechanism is a simple way to make sure that only the most relevant and serious prospects appear on your demo calendar. This approach helps you avoid wasting time on tire kickers or individuals whose needs, budgets, or goals don’t align with what your product offers.

Instead, demos are reserved for high-quality prospects who are interested in exploring how your solution can address their need and challenges.

2. Require Corporate Email Addresses

While it’s tempting to let anyone book a demo, filtering leads by asking for a corporate email address can weed out unqualified prospects. Many bots and casual browsers use Gmail, Yahoo, or other personal email accounts, which can contribute to demo no-shows.

Why This Works: In theory, corporate email addresses signal serious interest. Prospects willing to use their work email likely have legitimate interest and fewer reservations about engagement.

Tip: Some prospects may avoid corporate emails due to concerns about being added to marketing campaigns. Be transparent about how you’ll use their information to build trust.

3. Make Scheduling Seamless

Nothing kills momentum like a cumbersome scheduling process. If there’s too much back-and-forth around choosing a time, prospects are more likely to lose interest.

Solution: Use scheduling tools like Calendly, TidyCal or HubSpot that allow leads to pick an available slot on your calendar instantly. This removes barriers and ensures they’ve committed to a specific time.

4. Create a Demo Nurture Sequence

Booking a demo is just the beginning of the journey. Between the time of booking and the demo, you want to keep the prospect engaged and excited. The last thing you want to do is have an information void before the demo, which could make the prospect rethink their decision.

Steps to Build a Demo Nurture Sequence:

1. Confirmation Email: Send an immediate email confirming the date and time of the demo. Put your value proposition in the spotlight by highlighting how your product solves their problems or meets their needs.

2. Personalized Follow-Up: Use follow-up emails to gather more information about the prospect’s needs. For example, ask what they’d like to learn during the demo. This makes it easy to tailor the demo and show that you’re invested in their success.

3. Educational Resources: Share high-value content like blog posts, videos, or case studies before the demo. Focus on educating them about how your solution meets their challenges.

Example: If a prospect shows interest in improving team collaboration, send them a short video on how your product enhances workflow communication.

5. Strategic Reminder Emails

A simple reminder email isn’t enough to guarantee attendance. Instead, make your reminder part of your overall nurture strategy.

Tips for Reminder Emails:

• Include Extra Value: Beyond reminding them of the demo time, share an additional resource, such as a customer success story or a product feature overview.

• Be Friendly and Excited: Create a sense of anticipation for the demo. A positive tone reminds prospects why they booked in the first place.

For example: "We’re looking forward to showing you how [Product] can transform your [specific pain point]! In the meantime, here’s a quick success story about one of our customers who achieved [specific result]."

6. Set the Right Expectations for the Demo

Many prospects fear that demos will be out and out sales pitches, which can spark last-minute cancellations.

Instead, frame your demos as opportunities for learning and problem-solving, rather than trying make a sales. Be clear about what will happen

How to Set Expectations:

• Focus on understanding a prospect's unique challenges and goals, and what success looks like.

• Emphasize that the demo will provide tailored solutions based on their needs and interests.

• Ensure them that your goal is to educate, not push for a sale.

This customer-focused approach will hopefully make prospects more comfortable showing up.

Below is an example of how a B2B SaaS company is setting expectations on its "Ask for a Demo" page.

7. Embrace the Reality of No-Shows

Despite your best efforts, some no-shows are unavoidable due to bots, casual browsers, and unexpected conflicts. Accept that a small percentage of prospects will disappear and focus on optimizing the factors you can control.

Tip: Treat no-shows as an opportunity rather than a negative. Send a follow-up email to re-engage people didn't show up for a demo. Sometimes, life gets in the way, and a friendly nudge can lead to rescheduling.

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