In a sales and presales function, demo crimes are considered especially heinous. The dedicated demo detectives who investigate these presentation felonies are an elite squad of facilitators, executives, and presales leaders.
These are their stories.
Picture this: You're three minutes into your demo, confidently describing how your platform delivers a "360-degree view" through a "single pane of glass," all powered by "Agentic AI." You're using all the latest terminology from your last SKO. You're feeling good about your presentation.
But your prospects? They're giving you blank stares.
Here's the harsh reality: Your catchphrases aren't catching anything except confusion. A catchphrase is not a catch-all and is not a substitute for clarity.
SEs use repetition to build continuity across a presentation, especially by incorporating catchphrases that are industry buzzwords, to establish credibility. Catchphrases feel safe because they're market-approved, company-sanctioned, and have been circulated internally when describing your product. They give you confidence because they sound professional and current.
But here's what's really happening: They create distance between your solution and your prospect's reality. They sound rehearsed rather than authentic and conversational. They waste precious time that should be spent demonstrating the impact of your solution. They bury the value of your solution under a mountain of meaningless jargon.
You expect heads to nod in awe when you mention your "AI-powered digital transformation platform." Instead, you get confused looks because your prospects are still trying to figure out what that actually means for their day-to-day operations.
Imagine a top salesperson who had a peculiar habit. Every time he described multiple software features, he'd trail off with "et cetera, et cetera."
"In this field, you can price the item using list price less a discount, target margin, et cetera, et cetera."
What does that even mean? Why not actually finish explaining the other pricing methods that might apply to the customer's specific needs? By the third or fourth "et cetera, et cetera," that phrase became the focal point of his demo—not the beneficial features of his product.
While showcasing an analytics dashboard, an SE refers to the user experience of the view as "a 360-degree view on a single pane of glass." This may have been a hype slogan at the seller's SKO, for example, and is used in marketing communications. During the presentation, the SE refers back to this experience, but there is a problem: the prospect doesn't understand how the dashboard works as a hub, so things are not as easy to find.
Your solution is obscured by this phrase, which lacks context and purpose in the minds of your audience. The SE thinks he's being strategic with messaging. The prospects think he's reading from a marketing brochure.
Inexperienced SEs and seasoned SEs can both fall prey to the catchphrase crime. Using repetition is a regular part of sales presentations. Many use repetition, thinking it will build credibility, and repetition can be powerful in psychology. The "illusory truth effect" shows that repeated exposure can increase perceived credibility.
But here's the catch: This only works when people understand what you're talking about in the first place.
When you repeatedly use phrases that lack context or clarity, you don't build credibility—you build frustration. Your prospects start wondering why you keep returning to this mysterious phrase that has zero connection to their actual business objectives. Using the example above, if you fail to connect the value of your analytics dashboard to your prospects' issues, you lose credibility and distract your audience.
Correcting the catchphrase-as-a-crutch crime is a matter of awareness and a few steps and reminders throughout your demo.
First, if you intend to use a catchphrase, translate the phrase into real language. Replace "360-degree view" with: "You can see every customer interaction—from support tickets to billing to upcoming renewals—all in one place."
Additionally, show the value, don't narrate it. If the phrase is "one-click insights," actually click and explain what insight appears, and why it matters to their specific situation.
Tie all the features to their benefits. For example, if we continue with this scenario, "This dashboard helps reduce handling time by 20%, because your team no longer has to toggle between five systems." These corrections specifically address features and benefits, but other soft skills also contribute to resolving this issue.
First, mirroring buyer language and how they describe the problem helps you become part of their team, addressing their needs, rather than echoing your product marketing team's terminology. Second is putting authenticity and connection over cleverness. Buyers are looking for clear, plain language that connects with value; this should be your priority in your demo.
Catchphrases aren't inherently evil, they're just lazy. When they become a crutch and fail to add value to buyers, they erode confidence and undermine a demo.
Most people using catchphrases don't even realize they're doing it. Ask your colleagues to point out when you're overusing company phrases. You'll be amazed at the ones you've latched onto without realizing it.
Your prospects don't need to hear about your "best-in-class, AI-powered, omnichannel solution." They need to understand exactly how your software will make their Tuesday afternoon less frustrating.
We help teams build demos that translate complex solutions into clear, compelling stories that effectively communicate business impacts. Forgo slogans in favor of tangible outcomes that speak like humans, not marketing decks.
Build demos that say something real. Let's make every word count.