Inside Violet’s Product Demo Evolution: How They Cut Sales Conversations from Hours to 6 Minutes

Inside Violet’s Product Demo Evolution: How They Cut Sales Conversations from Hours to 6 Minutes

When your product solves a complex technical problem, the temptation is to explain every intricate detail. But in a recent episode of Category Visionaries, Brandon Schulz from Violet revealed how they flipped this assumption on its head, dramatically shortening their sales cycle by leading with visuals instead of technical specifications.

The Old Way: Wrestling with Technical Complexity

Initially, Violet faced a common challenge: how to explain a product that unifies data from hundreds of ecommerce platforms into a single API. The complexity of their solution often led to lengthy technical discussions that delayed getting to the heart of customer needs.

The challenge became clear through their work with customers like Throne. “They were doing this for every single product and every single order that came in. Right. Like essentially a mechanical Turk approach to handling a version of integrated checkout,” Brandon explains. While the problem was obvious, explaining their solution wasn’t.

The Visual-First Breakthrough

The turning point came when they radically reimagined their demo approach. “We actually started with the images first, and I said, how do we land what it is that we do in two or three screens? What would that look like?” Brandon shares. This led to their distinctive “x-ray view” approach to product visualization.

Instead of beginning with technical specifications, they focused on showing the transformation their product enables. This visual-first strategy helped prospects immediately grasp the value proposition without getting lost in technical details.

Measuring Success: The 6-Minute Marker

The impact of this new approach was dramatic. Brandon notes, “We try to track how much time are we spending on the sales call trying to sell the product versus trying to explain how they use it…last I checked, we’re at like six minutes of quote unquote sales discussion and then it turned into like, okay, so hang on. So what does my developer have to do?”

This shift from selling to implementation discussion became their key metric for demo success. When prospects quickly move to asking about implementation, it signals they’ve already bought into the value proposition.

Beyond Pretty Pictures: Architecture as Story

What makes Violet’s approach particularly interesting is how they connect visual storytelling to technical depth. “Core to the problem that we’re solving is an architecture question,” Brandon explains. “What should the architecture of this next phase of ecommerce look like?”

By leading with visuals but maintaining their technical credibility, they’ve found a sweet spot that resonates with both business decision-makers and technical implementers.

The Results: Triple-Digit Growth

The streamlined demo process has contributed to significant growth. “We tripled our customer base in the last twelve months or so,” Brandon shares. But perhaps more importantly, it’s changed the nature of their customer relationships, shifting conversations from technical capabilities to business outcomes.

For B2B founders, especially those selling technical products, Violet’s evolution offers valuable lessons. Sometimes the key to shortening your sales cycle isn’t explaining more—it’s finding ways to show rather than tell. When you can help prospects visualize the transformation your product enables, the technical details become part of an implementation discussion rather than a sales obstacle.