Does forced demo scheduling kill early SaaS conversions?

We spent months perfecting a fully automated, self-serve signup flow, assuming developers would hate talking to sales. Our conversion rate stayed stubbornly low because users got lost inside the app and gave up without asking for help. Out of frustration, we removed the instant signup button and replaced it with a simple "Book a 15-min Demo" calendar link. Signups dropped, but our deal close rate jumped significantly because we could explain the value proposition face-to-face.

​Are self-serve models overhyped for complex tools, or is direct human onboarding still the fastest way to hit initial revenue?