From Trust to Traction: How To Keep Momentum After the Demo and Move Teams to Action.
What Happens After the Demo
You earned the demo. You made a connection. Now the hard part begins.
A good first impression doesn’t guarantee a next step.
You’re not getting ghosted because the demo didn’t go well. You’re getting ghosted because your message didn’t evolve.
In Part 2 of the Speak Vet series, we focused on how to earn attention and trust, using tone, empathy, and real-world language that reflects the floor, not the pitch deck.
Now, in Part 3, we’re moving into the next phase:
What happens after they believe you?
This is where most founders stall. Not because the solution isn’t strong but because the messaging stays stuck in pre-demo mode.
You need a new approach. One that reinforces trust, supports the decision-maker, and gives the team confidence to act.
Why This Stage of the Journey Matters
The Marketing Hourglass™ breaks the customer journey into seven stages:
Know – They discover you
Like – They resonate with your tone and message
Trust – They believe you understand their needs
Try – They take a small, low-risk step
Buy – They commit
Repeat – They return as customers
Refer – They become advocates
In Part 2, we covered Know–Like–Trust—the part of the journey where you prove that you're relevant, respectful, and believable.
But Trust isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting point of adoption.
And most early-stage messaging breaks down right here, between believing and buying.
Because now your message needs to shift again:
From storytelling to clarity
From empathy to enablement
From resonance to reinforcement
If you don’t speak directly to what they’re thinking in the Try, Buy, and Repeat phases, they’ll lose momentum and you’ll lose the deal.
In Practice: What Actually Works
Each edition, we bring you insights from industry leaders shaping the future of veterinary innovation and just as importantly, from the people living it every day: veterinarians, practice managers, and veterinary technicians.
In this issue, we'll feature Mark Massaro, DVM, The Digital DVM Consulting. His perspective offers a grounded look at what post-demo adoption really requires inside a busy clinic, where messaging needs to do more than convert. It must reduce friction, build buy-in, and support overwhelmed teams making real-world decisions.
“I love this series so much. It truly speaks to several of my real-life experiences as I transitioned from practicing veterinarian to PIMS Director, or the less formal, “[insert name of our PIMS here] Guy” (“Pulse Guy” > “Instinct Guy” > “Vetspire Guy” > “Digitail Guy” > “ezyVet Guy”).
One joke I used to make with my boss, the owner of 7 animal hospitals, was that my favorite part of being his PIMS Director was being “The Belle of the Ball” for all these software companies. I went from asking these companies for a demo as a consultant trying to help hospitals choose between the myriads of options, to having my email and LinkedIn inbox full of messages from companies asking me if we could schedule a demo for our group. But as Fotine so smartly points out in this article, “What about after the demo?...”
If I had a dime for every time a veterinary software founder asked me “OK so next steps? When can I meet with your boss?” It reminds me of that episode of Parks and Rec if you’ve seen it- where April Ludgate schedules all of Ron Swanson’s meetings for March 31st. “You know how you love me because you haven't had a single meeting with anyone since I became your assistant?” So, I used to simply explain, “Listen, our software stack is already full. I did this demo because I like to keep my finger on the pulse of the industry and where things are going, and because I might wake up one day and my boss will ask me ‘Hey have you ever heard of a program that does this’, which does happen from time to time! But if I pestered him with every single demo I do, I would be fired tomorrow. He hired me so that he doesn’t need to filter through all of this… I do that for him.”
Which was true! We already had our PIMS, an AI Scribe, a payment platform, a payment plan platform, an internal messaging platform, and were about to implement a full CRM. To echo one of my quotes from Part 1 of this series…“If I ask our teams to learn one more software program, I will be burned at the stake.”
Not literally of course. Or even figuratively. Honestly, that is not giving my teams enough credit. I was very careful early on not to bring them anything new for at least the first few months and just learn the existing programs and their workflows. To visit each clinic in person and have them get to know me as a person and colleague first. That way, when I did bring them something new (the first in my case being an AI Scribe), they already knew me and knew that I had already gone through all the options and would only be bringing them this if I truly believed it would benefit their day-to-day and save them time.
Now did I still get “What about [insert name of competing program here]?”. Of course! And this speaks to Fotine’s point about trial sites, or what we software folks call a “sandbox”. I was incredibly lucky to have multiple clinics and teams at my disposal (especially after I got to know them and who would be a good fit for what) to employ as Beta Testers / a Pilot Hospital / Department. One of my other favorite quotes from Fotine’s Part 2 was “Use messages that sound like relief: ‘Megan doesn't need to check six tabs anymore’.” Getting to know your potential customer’s team(s) / operation and who might be good beta testers is so important! But running that pilot is really only possible with a FREE, fully functional sandbox for them to test out for at least a couple weeks, if not a month or longer. As Fotine keeps pointing out in these pieces – vet teams are BUSY! They might not even log in for the first week!
And on the flip side, if I had a dime for every time I had to ask one of the founders of one of these software startups at the end of the call “So do you have a sandbox for me to play in?” only for them to pause and say “Uhhh… yeah I think that’s something we can set up for you… let me get back to you on that…” I shouldn’t have to ask! This should be a common protocol! As I always say “If you wanna do business with the big boys (large, ER / specialty hospitals or groups) you gotta have… [insert name of feature or protocol here]”. And a sandbox immediately available for the PIMS Director or Practice Manager to play around in is definitely one of them!!!
OK, as usual my little excerpt has run long again, but I could talk about this stuff forever! Again, reading through these pieces by Fotine and adding my thoughts has been so fun because it reminds me so much of my real-life experiences. Looking forward to the next one!!”
This kind of lens bridges the gap between what founders want to communicate and what veterinary teams actually need to hear to move forward.
And if there’s anyone who captures that balance with clarity and heart, it’s Mark Massaro, DVM
I love Mark’s energy and passion for this space. He doesn’t just know how the tech works, he knows how the team works. That combination of insight, empathy, and no-BS communication is exactly why I’m so grateful to collaborate with him on this series.
Working with Mark always reminds me why this matters: because adoption doesn’t start with a feature. It starts with trust.
And when someone like Mark tells you what actually earns that trust inside a busy clinic, you listen.
Common Messaging Mistakes After the Demo
Even great products lose momentum when the message doesn’t evolve.
Here are some of the most common post-demo mistakes founders and teams make and how to avoid them:
❌ Assuming the deal is done Demo went well? Great. But if you start talking contracts before you’ve reduced uncertainty, you’ll stall.
✅ Instead: Reinforce early wins and outline the next low-risk step.
❌ Returning to pitch mode Don’t repeat what they’ve already seen. That’s not reassurance, it’s redundancy.
✅ Instead: Shift from storytelling to support. Show how this fits into their real day.
❌ Overloading your champion A long PDF. A complex onboarding doc. A new tool to explore “on their own time.”
✅ Instead: Equip them with one clear next step and a ready-to-use internal explainer.
❌ Under-communicating after the sale The sale closes, and so does the communication.
✅ Instead: Celebrate early milestones. Acknowledge wins. Stay visible.
These moments shape how your product is remembered and whether it’s adopted, renewed, and recommended.
How Messaging Should Evolve After the Demo
Most early-stage messaging is designed to earn the meeting.
But after the demo, your message needs to do something else: Help the clinic team say yes with confidence and without friction.
That means the tone, structure, and focus of your communication need to shift:
From attracting attention → to removing resistance
From getting interest → to earning internal buy-in
From explaining what it is → to showing how it fits
Your job post-demo is not to re-sell the product. It’s to support the people who are now imagining what implementation would look like on top of a packed schedule and a burned-out team.
Three Strategic Shifts to Make in Your Messaging
From Promise to Process Instead of restating benefits, show them exactly what happens next. “Here’s what your first week would look like using this tool.”
From Features to Friction Removal Anticipate objections and reduce perceived effort. “This replaces your whiteboard, sticky notes, and Slack handoffs, with no extra logins or new workflows.”
From External Proof to Internal Confidence Help them advocate internally without having to translate your deck. “Here’s a one-pager your PM can use to talk to the team.”
These shifts don’t just make your message more effective they give your champion inside the clinic the clarity and confidence to carry it forward.
Earning a demo is a milestone, but it’s not the finish line.
In fact, this is where things often fall apart.
Not because the team didn’t like what they saw.
But because the next steps weren’t clear, weren’t supported, or didn’t feel worth the effort.
Here’s what clinic teams are really thinking post-demo:
Will this actually work here or just in theory?
Will this help our team or create more work for me?
Is this going to stick or will it become another tool we half-use, then abandon?
If your message doesn’t speak directly to these doubts, you lose momentum. Fast.
And unlike the pre-demo stage, you’re no longer marketing to curiosity.
You’re marketing to skepticism, decision fatigue, and risk aversion.
What Try-Stage Messaging Should Actually Sound Like
The Try stage isn’t a commitment. It’s a test.
Clinic teams are deciding whether your product will disrupt their flow or improve it, without adding to their already overloaded day. Your job is to make this first step feel light, fast, and friction-free.
Try-stage messaging isn’t about features. It’s about giving someone the confidence to act with as little risk as possible.
Here’s what great Try-stage messaging sounds like:
✅ Simple, low-lift, and specific
“You can test this with just your front desk team for a week, no setup, no training required.”
✅ Grounded in the current workflow
“Most clinics start by using it for surgery days only. That way you get a feel for the flow without needing a full rollout.”
✅ Supportive of the champion
“Here’s a quick-start guide and a clinic-ready email you can send to your team. We’ll handle the rest.”
✅ Fast time-to-value
“You’ll see whether this reduces task confusion within the first 3 days, or you can shut it down, no strings.”
Try Messaging in Action
Let’s take a typical feature-forward Try-stage message:
❌ “Start your 14-day free trial today and explore all features.”
Now rework it with a Try-stage mindset:
✅ “Test it with one department this week, see how it handles your surgery schedule without changing your whole system.”
The Try stage is about one thing: lowering the barrier to belief.
Not belief in your product’s potential, but belief that it will work here, with this team, on this timeline.
And when that small step lands, when one department sees relief, not resistance, you earn something more powerful than attention.
You earn the right to move forward.
That’s where the Buy stage begins.
Because now they’re not asking “Will this work?” They’re asking “Can we make this stick?”
When curiosity turns into real consideration, your messaging needs to evolve—again.
Not to push harder.
But to build confidence without pressure and make belief easy to act on.
How to Guide Buy-Stage Messaging
By the time a clinic team is ready to consider buying, they’ve already taken a small step. They’ve tested. They’ve talked internally. Now they’re weighing whether this is something they can commit to.
This is not the time to push harder. It’s the time to make belief easy.
Buy-stage messaging needs to speak to:
The practical impact your product has already demonstrated
The emotional and operational costs of doing nothing
The internal decision-making dynamics still in play
What They’re Asking Themselves:
Is this really worth the change?
Will this make our lives easier consistently, not just in the pilot?
How do I explain this to leadership or the rest of my team?
What to Say Instead:
✅ Reinforce what worked in the trial
“You saw what this did for your surgery day, now imagine that across your whole week.”
✅ Make the commitment feel safe
“No long-term contract. We start with a 60-day plan focused on rollout and results.”
✅ Give them internal proof points
“Here’s how other clinics made this part of their daily workflow in under 30 days.”
✅ Shift from vendor to partner
“We’ll support your team through setup, questions, and early feedback loops, so no one’s flying blind.”
The goal isn’t to convince. It’s to equip. Help your internal champion feel confident enough to say, “This will work here. Let’s move.”
The Buy stage is where confidence crystallizes, but it’s also where nerves set in.
You’ve earned belief, now you have to deliver on it. And once the decision is made, the clinic isn’t wondering if it works anymore, they’re wondering how well it will hold up in real life.
That’s the work of Repeat-stage messaging.
Because post-purchase is when your message either reinforces trust or quietly disappears.
And in a busy practice, silence doesn’t signal satisfaction. It signals forgettability.
If you want your solution to stick, you need to stay visible, reinforce trust, and help belief become behavior.
How to Reinforce Repeat-Stage Messaging
The sale isn’t done once the invoice is signed. In fact, the real work starts once the product hits the floor.
The Repeat stage is where belief turns into habit and where your message can either reinforce value or disappear completely.
This is where many startups go silent. But if you want clinics to stick with your product and build advocacy over time, your message needs to evolve again.
What Repeat-Stage Messaging Should Do:
Validate the clinic’s decision to try and buy
Surface and celebrate small wins
Make the internal champion feel like a hero
What That Sounds Like:
✅ Reinforce progress
“You’ve reduced task handoffs by 30% in your first month. That’s huge and it’s just the start.”
✅ Celebrate team impact
“Your techs saved 20 minutes per shift last week. That’s time back on the floor and a lighter load on the PM.”
✅ Highlight momentum
“You’ve already completed 70% of the onboarding steps without anyone needing extra training.”
✅ Support further rollout
“Here’s how one clinic expanded adoption department by department in 4 weeks without burning out the team.”
The goal is to make your product feel like part of the team, not just a tool.
When your message continues to reflect their reality, celebrate their wins, and anticipate their next steps, you’re not just driving retention.
But retention isn’t the finish line. Advocacy is.
When your product becomes part of a clinic’s daily rhythm, when it earns trust, saves time, and actually makes their work easier, they don’t just keep using it.
They share it.
They recommend it to peers. They bring it up in meetings.
They become the voice that carries your message further than any sales deck ever could.
That’s where we’re headed next.
In Part 4 of the Speak Vet series, we’ll explore how to turn real-world adoption into advocacy, so the teams you support become the ones who spread the word.
Because in this space, the most powerful kind of marketing? Is a trusted recommendation from someone who’s been there.
Scripts & Takeaways
You’ve seen how messaging needs to shift from demo to adoption. Now here’s how to make that shift real with words that work in the moments that matter.
Plug these into your post-demo follow-up, onboarding flow, or in-app copy to move teams from belief to behavior:
Follow-Up Email After a Positive Demo "Thanks again for the conversation today. Here’s what a light-touch trial could look like with your front desk team next week—no training required, and we’ll handle setup."
Try-Stage Nudge "Most clinics start with one use case. Want to test it on surgery days for a week? No pressure—just real feedback."
Buy-Stage Confidence Builder "You already saw results in your pilot. We’ll help roll this out without adding work for your team. Here’s a 60-day implementation snapshot to make it simple."
Repeat-Stage Trust Builder "It’s working. Let’s make that visible. Here’s a one-page win recap you can share with your team. We’ll use it to build the next round of success."
Staying Power: What This Work Really Builds
These aren’t just scripts. They’re signals.
They show your champion they’re supported. They show the team you get it. And they show your message has staying power, because it doesn’t stop at the sale.
Trust doesn’t end with the demo, it begins there. If you want adoption, not just agreement, your message has to evolve alongside the clinic’s journey.
Support the first step. Reinforce the wins. Equip your champion. And keep showing up, not to resell, but to re-earn trust every step of the way.
Because when you Speak Vet after the demo, you’re not just closing deals. You’re building momentum that sticks.
From Belief to Advocacy: The Next Chapter of Your Message
If you've made it this far, you're not just learning how to market, you’re learning how to lead with your message.
You’ve shifted from curiosity to clarity. From features to friction-removal. From demos to decisions that actually stick.
This is the inflection point.
Because once you’ve earned belief, your next job is to multiply it. Not with louder tactics, but with messaging that builds trust on every floor and in every inbox.
This is where real momentum starts. When your message stops pushing and starts spreading.
And that’s where we’re going next.
In Part 4 of the Speak Vet series, I’m teaming back up with the one and only Mark Massaro, DVM to explore what it takes to turn adoption into advocacy.
We’ll show you how to support your internal champions, design for word-of-mouth, and make your message easy to share, not just easy to hear.
Because when clinic teams start repeating your message as their own? You’ve stopped marketing. You’ve started mattering.
Learn how Strategy First helps early-stage founders build momentum that lasts: Explore Services
Want help building messaging that actually connects? Book a consult
Access our free strategy resources and learn more about Thavma Consulting.
Let’s connect on LinkedIn: Fotine A Sotiropoulos
