Yeah, we're David in a world of Goliaths.
The SaaS landscape is full of solutions, right? Pretty much any use case you can think of, and there's a tool that's just right for it. And yet, the search for the perfect demo automation solution continues. So much so that I had to develop my own solution because I just couldn't find the right tool to do what I needed to do, as a very frustrated and overworked Sales Engineer.
I wanted a tool that simplified demo creation for me. Now. And I wanted a tool that my sales rep could use on their next call - no messy deployments, no learning curve, and no coding experience required. A simple, effective, smart solution for busy, overworked sales folks. Enter, SmartCue.
I get it. You've probably never used SmartCue. Or see it in action. Maybe this is even the first time you're hearing of us. That's understandable: we're the new kids on the block, after all. This is why I'm comparing ourselves with other players out there that you have heard of. And I'm being honest (as honest as I can be, given that SmartCue is my brainchild!).
Simply put, SmartCue is demo creation software that takes the grunt work out of demo creation - Sales Engineers, Sales Enablement Managers or Product Marketing teams can rapidly create custom, personalized product demos with loads of contextual cues. This is a double win: time saved on making demos, and time saved in meetings which they no longer need to attend, because the sales reps are confident enough to deliver the demos themselves, without the SE in the room.
How? Contextual cues. SmartCue presents cues to the presenter (and only to the presenter!) based on where they are in the product. It also provides a step-by-step demo playbook or demo flow, so the sales rep can simply follow the flow. It's a little bit like having a second brain (or an SE!) in the room. Without needing to do all this additional admin, the sales reps can focus on what they do best: selling your product.
There are things SmartCue can do better than most, and somewhere we have ways to go. This comparison with Goodmeetings and Walnut lets you assess whether SmartCue might be a good fit for you: now, or in the future.
Goodmeetings vs Walnut vs SmartCue
Key Benefits
Walnut: The key advantage Walnut brings is its ability to create its own sandbox/dev environment. This is great when your tool isn't highly customisable and your demo environment is unstable. Using Walnut, you can rapidly create a number of demos with customisation using dynamic text. However, none of these customisations carries over to your next demo - you start from scratch each time. Also, should the client want to explore screens not covered in your demo, there's nowhere to go.
Goodmeetings: is great for helping peers learn from one another, and from their own call recordings. The tool spits out performance analytics and AI suggestions in real time, allowing sales reps to pivot accordingly. Of course, it also provides these analytics to sales leaders who can then feed them into coaching and training interventions. However, it doesn't really simplify demo creation, nor empower sales reps to do away with cumbersome scripts.
This is where SmartCue can add enormous value. Imagine doing great demos, then watching the recordings to adjust for soft skills alone, as the product piece is completely covered by SmartCue anyway.
Why our clients chose SmartCue
There are some things you can only do on SmartCue. For instance, SmartCue sits atop your demo environment, and even your production environment!
As long as you've created a demo using SmartCue, it's in the library. Now, if your client wants to explore a screen that isn't covered by your current demo, but you have covered in another demo, have no fear! SmartCue can pull cues from linked demos. So you can go into screens you haven't practiced, with confidence, knowing that you have all the information and cues you'll need to deliver the goods and answer whatever questions come up.
SmartCue's demo dashboard screen is where you can see all demos created by you and your team.
SmartCue also helps keep track of the agenda - the client wants to explore functionality out of turn? No problem! No need to madly flip through slides or move your demo video back and forth. Just go into your demo as always, and SmartCue will cue you on the basis of wherever you are in your product. When done, it will cue you into what you can cover next, based on your agenda.
Also, no more cumbersome and long-drawn-out emails covering the demo play-by-play. Take notes within SmartCue itself, and export them as a PDF. This way, everyone gets exactly what you're referring to when you ask a question, provide additional information, or clarify something: because your notes are in context.
Of course, the core function of the tool is to make demos super simple to make for Sales Engineers, and super simple to deliver for Sales reps. No more starting from scratch, no more scripts, no more memorizing jargon (or anything!) EVER.
Smart, right?
