Free Trials vs. Demo Bookings: How to Actually Convert Signups 🤔
If you’re a B2B startup with a free trial or demo option, there’s one golden rule: every customer interaction needs to feel personal and intentional.
Here’s how to think about it 👇
➾ Free Trials: It’s All About the Events
Offering a free trial is great, but it’s only as good as your follow-up. You need tools like Intercom to track exactly what your customers are doing—and more importantly, not doing.
Hotjar and Google Analytics might show you overall trends, but they don’t help you understand individual users.
Instead of relying on time-based follow-ups (“Day 3: Send an email”), build event-based workflows to guide your trial users through their journey.
➾ Business Email or Nothing
If you’re letting anyone sign up with a personal email, you’re leaving data on the table. Without a business email, LinkedIn profile, or website, you can’t enrich their data to learn who they are.
Think of who is your scrapable ICP (shoutout to Nadja Komnenic for this one 🙌)
Pro tip: Always ask for a business email. Or, if you really want to allow personal emails, add a post-signup popup to capture more information. It’s not the smoothest UX, but it’s better than having zero insights.
➾ Demo Bookings: Personalisation Wins
If you’re skipping free trials and going straight to demos, the experience has to feel tailored. Tools like zcal and Sendspark Bethany Stachenfeld can help you create personalised meeting invites and videos.
Want to go deeper? Check out Hyperise Ian Naylor for personalised website experiences based on visitor IP. These small touches make a big difference.
➾ Live Chat and Exit Popups: Yes, You Need Them
Live chat isn’t optional—it’s how your customers ask questions in real time. If you don’t have it, you’re basically saying, “We’re not available to talk.”
Exit popups might feel old-school, but when done right (looking at you, RB2B Adam Robinson), they work. Use them to ask for feedback, share offers, or even just provide a way to stay connected.
Whether it’s a free trial or demo, your job is to remove friction and build trust. Tools are great, but what really matters is making every customer feel like they matter—because they do.
What tools or strategies have worked for you? Let me know!