Creating a SaaS Demo Agenda

If you were to choreograph a perfect call, what would it look like? Generally speaking I'd declare the initial demo call a success for all involved parties if the following objectives are achieved:

• Brief professional introductions and small talk are completed.
• The purpose of the call is clearly stated.
• The lead has been provided ample opportunity to describe their problem and why they thought your product could possibly help.
• You have completed some version of the product demo. I stress some version because it's often the case that you'll run out of time before completing a full demo due to the lead asking questions, or because the lead is particularly interested in a feature subset. This is a perfectly acceptable outcome and in fact it's preferred.
• You have answered all technical questions, or promised a prompt response after speaking to colleagues and doing additional research following the call.
• If the lead hasn't already started a trial, prior to ending the call you have either guided the lead through the trial registration process or confirmed the desired trial start date. I'm using the term trial a bit loosely here, because more complicated products might instead require a proof-of-concept period which may necessitate additional calls.
• The lead has identified any scheduling roadblocks which could prevent timely completion of the trial period.
• You've invited the lead to schedule a follow-up call, and have confirmed availability.

This is undoubtedly an ambitious agenda. So how much time should you allocate? In my experience, leads will typically not want to allocate more than 30-45 minutes for an initial call.