For suppliers: Do's and don'ts when evaluating business software

Evaluation workshops are of great importance in the process of selecting new business software. This is true both on the customer as well as the supplier side. On one hand, the key users get a first impression of the possible new solution and the partner. For the partner, the presentation also plays a significant role as it influences the decision for or against the provider and its solution directly. For this reason I would like to show positive aspects with which you as a provider can impress in the next workshop. On the other hand, I will point out pitfalls that you should best avoid.

How to make your evaluation workshop a real success

Good preparation is already half the battle – this also applies to evaluation workshops. Prepare your solution with the corresponding customer data and processes in such a way that your customer can directly identify with it. In addition, learn more about the customer and make certain assumptions in order to present your solution as comprehensively as possible. This shows that you have actively dealt with the challenges and understand your customer.

After good preparation, it's up to you to successfully get the message across. Try to present sympathetically: Work out a clear structure with clean timekeeping and clever management of questions. In this way, you give the customer the feeling that you are also keeping track of the project and not getting lost in details.

Dare to involve your audience and prepare live examples to make the workshop lighter. It often helps here if you show simple use cases. The complexity of a new solution coupled with complex processes can otherwise quickly overwhelm the participants.

What you should avoid at all costs in your evaluation workshop

Everyone present at a workshop is aware that the provider has a great deal of expertise and knows the solution well. Nevertheless, it is important to communicate with the customer at eye level and not to give the customer the feeling that there is only one truth - that of the provider. After all, if the customer perceives the provider as arrogant, it is very difficult to revise this first impression.

The next point is also related to expertise: Don't get lost in details. During a workshop, a lot of questions come up. Some of them go very deep into the technical functionalities. Of course, you could show every little detail at this point. Often, however, you will not have the time afterwards to present other, but more basic functionalities and processes. Therefore, try to answer important questions, but also have the courage to reject detailed questions. These can certainly be clarified afterwards or in a separate meeting.

Ultimately, it is essential that you show the topics given of your customer. Limit yourself to the points mentioned in the script to enable your customer to compare different solutions at all. Of course, you may additionally present the highlights of your solution as long as this is possible within the time frame.

At a glance: The do's and don'ts in evaluation workshops

Do’s:

• As part of the preparation
• Integrate customer data into your presentation
• Collect details about the customer and go into the presentation well informed
• During the workshop
• Involve your audience in your presentation
• Show concrete examples and/or bring in use cases
• Be aware of the given time frame
• Answer open questions directly or take them with you for a later time/date
• Show that you have given some thought to your presentation in advance
• Show simple use cases to avoid becoming too complex
• Less is more: Don't show everything, but what really interests the customer and, if necessary, the highlights of your solution as an add-on

Dont’s:

• Avoid arrogance and communicate at eye level
• Stick to your customer's script and ensure comparability
• Do not get lost in details, keep complexity low

Is your next evaluation workshop as part of selecting new business software coming up in the near future? Then be sure to keep our tips and pitfalls in mind. This way, you can certainly go into the contract negotiations with optimism in the end.

About 2BCS AG

2BCS AG, based in St. Gallen and Zurich, was founded in 2006 as an independent, process-oriented consulting company in the field of digitalization. Our offer includes digitization strategies, evaluations in the ERP, CRM and MES environment as well as implementation services. More than 300 medium-sized industrial and commercial companies in Switzerland and abroad have used our services to date and, according to the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung", 2BCS is the largest and most successful independent evaluation and implementation consulting company in Switzerland. Our secret of success is competent consultants and the ability to bring in knowledge, experience and competencies in such a way that our clients benefit maximally.