In the world of enterprise SaaS sales, delivering a demo that feels authentic and responsive is the difference between sparking interest and losing attention. Presales teams know that personalization is essential, but not all demo solutions are created equal.
Two methods dominate the space: overlay and data injection. While overlays merely dress up the UI with superficial edits, true data injection integrates custom data directly into the live product experience. The result? A demo that’s not only interactive and visually compelling, but also functional, scalable, and rooted in reality. Between the two, only data injection delivers the flexibility, accuracy, and authenticity today’s buyers expect from a live demo.
Here’s how Saleo handles even the most complex architectures:
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Web Architecture Type
|
Data Injection
|
Overlays
|
|---|---|---|
|
iFrames
|
Injects or customizes data within embedded apps, ensuring demo data consistency even inside iFrames.
|
May struggle to overlay or update content inside nested iFrames, leading to incomplete demos.
|
|
WebSockets
|
Can intercept and inject real-time data streams, supporting authentic live updates in demos.
|
Overlays are static; real-time updates are hard to replicate, reducing demo authenticity.
|
|
BI Tools
|
Populates dashboards and analytics with demo-specific data, reflecting real product behavior.
|
Overlays may not capture full interactivity or dynamic data changes in BI dashboards.
|
|
Shadow DOMs
|
Operates at the API/network layer, so can inject data regardless of encapsulated UI components.
|
Overlays may not reliably access or modify encapsulated elements, causing display issues.
|
|
Server Side Rendering (SSR)
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Injects or modifies data before/during server rendering, ensuring demo data loads with the page.
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Overlays only affect the client-side view, so SSR changes can cause overlays to break or drift.
|
|
JSON & REST API
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Intercepts and responds to REST API calls with authentic, demo-specific JSON data.
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Overlays simulate UI changes but cannot modify underlying data or API responses.
|
|
Protocol Buffers (Protobuf)
|
Can intercept and respond to binary API calls, supporting complex, high-performance demos.
|
Overlays are not compatible with binary data protocols, limiting demo depth and accuracy.
|
Web Architecture Type
Data Injection
Overlays
iFrames
Injects or customizes data within embedded apps, ensuring demo data consistency even inside iFrames.
May struggle to overlay or update content inside nested iFrames, leading to incomplete demos.
WebSockets
Can intercept and inject real-time data streams, supporting authentic live updates in demos.
Overlays are static; real-time updates are hard to replicate, reducing demo authenticity.
BI Tools
Populates dashboards and analytics with demo-specific data, reflecting real product behavior.
Overlays may not capture full interactivity or dynamic data changes in BI dashboards.
Shadow DOMs
Operates at the API/network layer, so can inject data regardless of encapsulated UI components.
Overlays may not reliably access or modify encapsulated elements, causing display issues.
Server Side Rendering (SSR)
Injects or modifies data before/during server rendering, ensuring demo data loads with the page.
Overlays only affect the client-side view, so SSR changes can cause overlays to break or drift.
JSON & REST API
Intercepts and responds to REST API calls with authentic, demo-specific JSON data.
Overlays simulate UI changes but cannot modify underlying data or API responses.
Protocol Buffers (Protobuf)
Can intercept and respond to binary API calls, supporting complex, high-performance demos.
Overlays are not compatible with binary data protocols, limiting demo depth and accuracy.
The Bottom Line
Saleo works anywhere your data goes—across any architecture, protocol, or frontend framework—because it changes the data driving your app, not just how it looks.
