Virtual Demo Tech-Check Checklist

The #1 demo killer isn't a bad narrative — it's 90 seconds of dead air fixing audio while the prospect's attention evaporates. Run this every time, no exceptions, even on your 500th demo.

T-24 Hours

• Confirm meeting link, dial-in, and calendar invite sent to all attendees (including any added late)
• Confirm demo environment/account is loaded with realistic data relevant to this prospect's industry (not blank or generic seed data)
• Confirm any custom slides, ROI numbers, or logos in the deck are prospect-specific and spelled correctly
• Test screen-share of the exact browser tab/app you'll use — not a different device than the one you'll actually present from

T-2 Hours

• Restart your laptop (clears memory leaks, notification backlogs, forces updates to finish now instead of mid-demo)
• Close every application and browser tab except what you need — no email, Slack, or chat clients running
• Turn off ALL notifications: OS-level, browser, Slack, email, calendar pop-ups, phone (put phone in another room or on airplane mode)
• Confirm wired ethernet connection if available; if Wi-Fi only, run a speed test (need reliably 10+ Mbps upload)
• Charge laptop to 100% and plug in — do not run on battery
• Confirm backup device (second laptop or tablet) is charged and has the meeting link ready
• Confirm mobile hotspot is set up and tested as an internet backup

T-15 Minutes

• Join the meeting room alone to test video, audio in, audio out, and screen share end-to-end
• Check camera framing, lighting (face lit from front, not backlit by a window), and background
• Log into the demo environment and navigate to the exact starting screen — don't start cold from a login page
• Open only the tabs/windows you'll actually show, in the order you'll show them
• Silence/mute any desktop widgets, dock badges, or messaging previews that could pop up on shared screen
• Have the Demo Storyboard printed or on a second monitor — never scroll through it on the shared screen

T-2 Minutes

• Re-join or confirm you're still connected with stable audio/video
• Mute yourself until the prospect joins to avoid open-mic noise
• Have water within reach, phone silenced and out of view
• Confirm recording tool (if used) is armed and consent language ready if required

First 90 Seconds of the Call (the danger zone)

• Confirm everyone can hear and see you before you start sharing your screen — ask directly: "Can you all see my screen clearly?"
• Do not start screen-share until audio/video is confirmed two-way
• If anything fails in these 90 seconds: acknowledge it once, calmly, execute your backup plan (switch device, switch to phone hotspot, or send the backup recorded walkthrough link) — do not apologize repeatedly or narrate the troubleshooting

If Something Still Breaks Mid-Demo

• Have a backup device already logged in and standing by, not to be set up from scratch after failure
• Have a pre-recorded 3-minute version of the core scene ready to share as a fallback if live environment goes down entirely
• Know your one-line recovery script in advance: "That's actually a good moment to show you what this looks like from a recorded walkthrough — one second." (Never: "Sorry, this never happens, let me just—")