Your 30-Minute Demo is Killing Deals

Hello Predictable Revenue community,

Book update: I just approved the Kindle version and found a solid new audiobook producer (should be ready in 3 weeks). Initial sales projections just hit ~2,500 worldwide, including 300 from India where it's getting locally produced and sold - which is honestly the most interesting part of this whole thing.

If you haven't ordered already, you get a VC list, investor list, and potentially a founder sales guide (see the last section for details) as a pre-order benefit. Just send me your receipt.

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled sales advice...

You're Not Getting Second Calls Because You Didn't Earn Them

Most founders default to 30-minute discovery calls thinking shorter equals easier to book. But here's what's actually happening: You're trying to cram discovery, demo, and next steps into 30 minutes, which means you're either rushing through discovery (so you don't understand the problem) or scrambling to book the next call in the final 30 seconds while they're hitting "end meeting."

The result? Pipeline quietly dies because you never built real momentum. Your 30-minute demo is killing your pipeline - and you don't even know it.

The "Do Not Pass Go" Rule

Just like in Monopoly - do not pass go, do not collect $200. Do NOT demo until you deeply understand their pain.

The green light moment comes when you can say their problem back to them and they respond with "Exactly!" or "Yes, that's exactly what we're dealing with." Only then do you demo. For example: "So if I understand correctly, your engineering team is spending 40% of their time on deployment issues, which is causing your product releases to slip by 2-3 weeks consistently, and that's directly impacting your ability to hit Q4 revenue targets. Is that accurate?" When they confirm with "Yes, exactly" - then you show them the 90-second solution.

The hard truth is that most founders are showing features, not how they can solve the prospect's problems. Discovery isn't a checkbox to get to the demo - it's the most important part of the call.

The Best Demos Are 90 Seconds

Great demos last 30-90 seconds and answer one specific question. The formula is simple: "Based on what you just told me about [specific problem], let me show you exactly how we solve that." Share screen, show the exact feature or workflow that addresses their pain, then explain: "This is how you'd go from [current bad state] to [desired good state] in about 30 seconds."

You might have multiple of these 90-second clips, each one tied to a pain point you found in discovery. Your demo should be closer to a TikTok video than a Lex Fridman podcast.

If you truly understand their problem and can articulate how your software solves it, what it looks like almost doesn't matter. The demo becomes proof, not persuasion. The hard part isn't the demo - it's asking more questions than feels comfortable, especially for first-time sellers. Most founders stop asking questions too early because silence feels awkward.

Stop Cramming Everything Into 30 Minutes

Here's a better framework: 5-10 minutes for intros and agenda setting, 40 minutes for deep discovery (this is where deals are won or lost), 5 minutes for targeted demo of only relevant parts, and 5 minutes for clear next steps.

Most founders think "30 minutes equals easier to book." Test this assumption. Try asking for 45-60 minutes and see if people actually push back. You might be surprised. Use honest positioning: "Typically these conversations take about 45 minutes because I don't want to just show you everything and hope something sticks. I'd rather understand your specific challenges first and show you exactly how we solve those. Does that work for your schedule?"

If they push back, that's actually valuable information. If someone won't commit 45 minutes to potentially solving a real business problem, they might not be serious about solving it. When discovery comes first, your demo becomes proof of understanding, not a fishing expedition.

Call Management Is Deal Management

Sales calls are like reading sheet music - you need to know where you are in the song. Are you in the verse? The bridge? The solo? Every song ends, and you need to nail the ending. Psychology research shows people remember peak emotions and ending emotions more than anything in the middle. A rushed "sorry I gotta run" creates a negative ending memory that kills momentum.

Start every call by asking: "I see we're scheduled for 30 minutes. Does everyone have a hard stop at the top of the hour, or do we have some flexibility?" This single question gives you crucial information without asking for more time upfront.

When you're 10 minutes from the end, check in: "I've got a couple more important questions that typically take about 15 minutes. Do you all have a hard stop, or can we continue for a few more minutes?" If they do have a hard stop, pivot professionally: "No problem. Let me prioritize the most important questions, and we can schedule 30 minutes next week to dive deeper into [specific area]."

Pro tip: Always leave a 2-inch sliver on your monitor showing the time. Put it right between your notes and their video. You can't manage what you can't see. End with confidence instead of scrambling to schedule in the last 30 seconds: "Based on what we discussed, I think the next logical step is [specific action]. I can send you times that work this week, or we can find something right now. What works better for you?"

You're the Expert in This Decision Process

Here's the mindset shift you need: You're not just selling software - you're the expert in how companies should evaluate and buy this type of solution. You help teams make this decision every day. They do it maybe once every few years.

This expertise gives you the authority to guide the process. When a prospect says they only have 30 minutes, or they want to send materials to someone else, or they need to "think about it" - you know from experience what usually happens next. Most of the time, nothing happens. The evaluation stalls, gets deprioritized, or they make a rushed decision they regret later.

Your job isn't just to pitch your product. It's to help them follow a process that leads to the right outcome, whether that's buying from you or not. When you approach sales calls with this expert mindset, you naturally become more consultative and less desperate. You're not begging for their time - you're investing your expertise in helping them solve a real problem.

Don't Lose the Thread, Multi-Thread

The next time a prospect wants to "show someone else," don't lose momentum by forgetting to book a next step with the core decision makers. Use new entrants as "in-between" calls. Respond with: "Great, I'm glad you're getting [engineering/other stakeholders] involved. What we find is that [specific role] typically cares about X and Y. Do you know what specifically matters most to them?"

If they can't answer, push for a live conversation: "I'd love to have a quick 15-minute conversation with them to understand what they care about, so I can make sure this is a good fit. Can you introduce us, or should I reach out directly?"

Use confident positioning: "You probably don't buy this type of software very often, but I help people make these decisions every day. Part of following a good process is getting all the right stakeholders involved early." Always avoid "send me a demo video" requests. Materials can't answer questions or handle objections. Always push for live conversations.

Founder Sales Guide

I'm considering putting together a Founder Sales Guide as my next project. I haven't started yet because it's a lot of work. But after everyone flooded my inbox for the mutual action plan template last week, I think it might be worth doing.

If you're interested, reply with "playbook." If you're really interested, reply with "playbook" plus a receipt. The more interest there is, the more time I'll spend on it.

Collin 

PS - Stop asking for 30-minute calls, your solution is better than that.