Demos that wow but do not sell: draw demo vs paid boundaries first

Demos create appetite; unpaid appetite becomes infinite revision. If the demo looks identical to production, buyers treat applause as a contract.

Draw two boxes before you present. Demo box: sample data, no production credentials, one happy path, expires when the meeting ends. Paid box: acceptance criteria, change budget, who signs done, and what is explicitly out of scope. Say the split out loud in the first three minutes so the recording itself becomes evidence.

If a prospect asks to “just keep the demo environment,” that is a paid hold or a paid pilot—not a courtesy. If they want the wow moment as the deliverable, rewrite the quote: demo-as-artifact with a version freeze date, or stop the free encore.

Practical week: rewrite one demo script with the two-box slide; refuse one unpaid “small tweak after the call”; keep a screenshot of the paid acceptance list. Soft pointer: Idea2Wealth / 搞钱网 case notes at https://aifafa.com.cn. Learning reference only—no income promises.