10 questions builders should ask software companies, but don't
TRANSCRIPT
10 Questions You Should Be Asking Software Companies - But Aren't
Expert Webinar Series
Presented by Erik Cofield
www.FindConstructionSoftware.com
Link to Webinar Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx_zMdUFUtA
Erik Cofield, CGAErik Cofield, CGABuilder Tech Consulting LLC [email protected] 832-277-4805
10 Questions Builders Should Ask Software Companies, But Don’t
Just ask for the handoutsThis .pdf presentationA MS Word narrativeA MS Excel 200+ questions
How to Buy SoftwareAccurately, Profitably
• Builders lose money every day by making
uninformed software purchasing
decisions. We will hear typical builder
questions, why they are not the strongest
you could ask, and then some rather
touchy, but important ones you should be
asking. This session could save you hours
of misspent time, and more importantly,
thousands of dollars in misspent money.
Learning OutcomesLearning Outcomes
Learn how to "peel the layers of an onion" to detect brochure-ware vs. software.
Get the 10 key questions you should be asking that will give you the upper hand in purchasing software.
Explore the strategy of how you should connect to the answers, not just get the answers.
Discover the subtle ways to tell fact from fiction and amateur from professional.
The wait time for this ride is…0 Minutes!
Software companies want you to focus primarily on the software itself, no matter what industry you are in. Many builders only focus on the software system and the features and benefits.
Don’t do that.
One of the most important features is the company itself. The correct software system ‘buy’ has to include what or who THEIR company is, as well as yours, and your needs.
Typical Questions Many Ask
How long have you beenin business?
Will I talk to one person or many people along the way?
How many employees do you have?
Who is your biggest competitor?
What if I don’t like it?
BETTER
QUESTIONS
BETTER
QUESTIONS
1) How many customers do you lose a month?
Talk about sensitive. How many customers do you lose, is a big deal and a very touchy question.
Good reasons….Bad reasons….
The average MONTHLY churn rate (customers leaving) for cloud based software is 2 to 4%.
Psycho: What they say/How they respond
2) Have you been involved in lawsuits?
It’s a Trap!
Sub Questions:
Have you ever filed a lawsuit againsta builder?
Have you ever had a lawsuit filed against you by a builder?
Psycho: What they say/How they respond
3) When I call tech support, who will I talk to?
It’s actually a big deal. Common answers:…dedicated support rep…an assigned manager
Stronger answer:…an account manager with a team of support as back up
The not so obvious -- Why?
Psycho: How difficult is the system, really?
4) What is your Support Satisfaction Rate? Trick Question. Perfection isn’t attainable.
90% is not really all that good95% is reasonable & minimum expectation97-98% is excellent
Now you know. Don’t get fooled.
Psycho: If you struggle with intuition, as many men do, ask a woman to be part of your decision making or questioning and data gathering team. NEVER underestimate a woman’s intuition! If it sounds like they are making it up….
5) How many hours per MONTH is your system down?
What goes up, must come down, but not much.
Average = 1-3 hours per year!
Don’t be fooled by: “I don’t know” or “Couple of hours”- amateur, dumb, liar, u-pick
Psycho: Use “month” to allow them, to slip in to telling you a number that seems small.
If they are not stable, you won’t be either!
6) What are your 2 primary user profiles?
Typical answer: All Builders– Maybe, probably not.
Better answers: Custom Builders, Production Builders or Marketing Managers, Owners, Remodelers
…..something more specifically targeted.
Alternative Questions: Who are most of your customers?What are all the profiles of your customers?
Psycho: Are your needs general/specific?
Psycho: Ask them before they know who you are
7) Do you turn down customers, and if so, why? Nobody wants to admit they turn downcustomers.
But they do. They should.You should too. (for the right reasons)
Psycho: Ideally you want to get their answer
Before they know a lot about you.
It’s your burden to determine if you fit. That’s for you to decide, not them.
8) What is your ratio of sales to support?
What sounds better?“Oh a lot. You will never wait long.”“About 5 to 1 I would say. There are plenty” “1 to 1. We have 2 in sales, 2 in support”
Trick: “Do you have at least one tech support person for 100 companies? The amateur sales person will just walk in to your trap and respond with something like,“Oh yeah, at least”. That’s way too high.
Psycho: low sales/high support can mean the system is difficult. Why do they need so many?I know why. Now you do too.
9) Will you Price Match Your Competition?
Will you? You shouldn’t.
In the case of software, there is no suchthing as exact apples to applez.
Software company racing to the bottom?You going to trust your world to them?
Psycho: The psychology of price matchingis not really in your interest. Ask what theirbest deal is. Many companies have affiliationpricing, show specials, or something to offer.
Flaky Pricing = Flaky Processing
10) How often do you roll out new features?
Reverse psychology-Amateur sales person, “All the time”.
‘All the time’ is the exact wrong answer.
All the time? Is it new, basic, buggy, what?
3 Bears of Software Development (2-4x/yr) Not too Much, Not too Little, Just Right
Psycho: “What are the next two things coming out?”Shouldn’t they want to tell you?
We Hope This Helps. Q&A Next
Our intent at Builder Tech Consulting: - Help builders run a better business - Raise the bar for professionalism in
our industry
Remember:If you have no system of record, you will have a record of no system.
Erik Cofield, Managing MemberBuilder Tech Consulting, LLC
THANKS! LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK
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Head Shot
10 Questions You Should Be Asking Software Companies - But Aren't
Expert Webinar Series
Presented by Erik Cofield
www.FindConstructionSoftware.com
Link to Webinar Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx_zMdUFUtA