Presenting a software product. How to convince the customer of your choice

“Eloquence produces a strong, but momentary effect. People who are easily aroused are just as easy to calm down. A cold and powerful conviction does not produce such an upsurge; but if it envelops a person, it penetrates into him, and his action is indelible. ”

Jean-Jacques Rousseau


In his last article, “Choosing a software product. Collection of requirements ”, ” I talked about the very beginning of a business consultant’s collaboration with representatives of small and medium-sized businesses. About how to get acquainted with a new company for you, how to build a dialogue with a business owner or company director, how to offer your services.

Let me remind you that the first step in the work of a business consultant is the selection of a new software product, one that will effectively solve the tasks. We figured out how to convince the head of the company of the need to introduce a new software product and why the choice in this case should be provided to a business consultant. We discussed how to get the most information about the company, study all stages of the enterprise, and finally, choose the most suitable software product for solving the problem.

Today I continue to acquaint you with the work of a business consultant and, fulfilling the promise made in the last article, I will tell you about how to present the software to the client.

Most IT professionals go the usual way of demonstrating software capabilities based on test cases.

This is mistake! The client does not need tests, the client needs the result!

Now you have done some work, you have chosen a software solution that is really suitable for a particular company, you understand why this solution is better than others. Believe me, your client is not interested in the test show, he still will not have time to figure out how the program works during the presentation. He needs answers to questions. And therefore, do not waste your time, give the client what he really needs.
Tell us how your chosen product can solve the problems of a particular business and why it turned out to be the most effective. In addition, it is very important to explain how exactly you will be able to help in solving the problem using the software product you have chosen. Remember, you are selling your services, not software!

It is important to understand that in most cases the client is not interested in the technical nuances of the implementation of the software product. And he perceives all slides or test displays as beautiful, but obscure pictures. The client is not yet familiar with this software environment, he does not understand where to look and where what information is displayed. And now he doesn’t need all this.

Do not forget that in most cases you are presenting the program to non-IT specialists who will be interested in looking at the interface and discussing the nuances of implementing a particular module, you are talking about a software product to a businessman, a person far enough from the “IT kitchen”, often not ordinary too experienced user. It is important for him to understand that the software product can really solve the tasks, and will do it more efficiently than the current solutions, as well as what additional opportunities the client will receive after switching to this program.

How to answer customer questions?

You should be prepared for the fact that during the presentation there is someone who will ask you tricky questions. Often this person turns out to be quite aggressive towards you and your proposal, behaves appropriately, and diligently searches for shortcomings in the product or gaps in your knowledge.

The most important quality in this case is stress resistance. Understand, such people are very common. I see them as an inevitable evil. Sometimes they are even specially invited to the presentation as specialist critics. This may be your own system administrator, marketer, accountant, or even a person invited by your client whom you trust. Some with the help of critics try to identify the "weaknesses" of your proposal, while others are simply too conservative and subconsciously resist change.

In any case, you should be calm, friendly, in no case change your tone and not switch to the proposed aggressive or even sarcastic style of communication. At the same time, you should be well prepared to be able to answer most of even the most difficult questions.
On the other hand, it is impossible to know everything in the world. To know what concerns the solution of the task, you must. Know in general a software product - as well. But you cannot know all the nuances of the program. It is simply not possible. Especially if you yourself have never implemented this product.

What to do if you are asked a question for which you do not know the answer? I believe that the best solution is to honestly answer: “I don’t know.” You have already demonstrated your competence, managed to answer most complex questions, explained to the client all the advantages and features of working with a new software product. Therefore, in a particular case, admitting that you also know far from everything in the world will be the best solution. After all, if in a situation where you are "swimming", try to get out, the client will definitely notice. In personal communication, such nuances are almost always visible. And such an attempt to save face ”can be mistaken for insincerity and stubbornness. Thus, you will show yourself not being honest enough, but also difficult to communicate with a person who is not able to admit a lack of knowledge or his own wrongness. Also, very often, your attempts to get out look more like a manifestation of a blinkered faith in a certain software product. Therefore, I advise you to always be honest and not hide the fact that you are not ready to answer a specific question. The client should see that you are always very frank with him, and then he will trust you.

Remember: you are now a seller!

Once I made such a mistake myself. I thought the software product was so cool that it would sell itself. Therefore, there is no point in displaying any kind of extra activity. You just need to show the chosen solution and stand aside. Alas, this approach most often does not work.

It is very important to understand that now, at this presentation, you are not even selling a software product, you have no particular interest in it, because you are not a representative of the manufacturer. You sell yourself, your knowledge, skills. Right now the attitude of the client towards you is being formed. And if he will trust you, then in the future you will be able to work a lot and fruitfully.

Remember: you are not selling a program, but a solution to a problem. And always proceed from this.

Therefore, you do not need test cases and impressions. It is important for you to show the solution to the problem, and not the features of the interface and the beauty of the diagrams. Explain how exactly this software product will help solve the client’s problem, what advantages it will bring. And do not forget that you are selling, first of all, your competence.

To the question of price

“How much will it cost”, “what is the price of your services” - questions that you will definitely hear. On the other hand:

1. You do not sell a software product, but your services as a business consultant. Therefore, one should speak both about the program and about possible subsequent cooperation.
2. Before you have a tool for "accurate diagnosis", you can not name the price. Just because any preliminary calculations may turn out to be erroneous. To overstate the cost in advance - to frighten the customer with too large amounts. Trying to calculate the amount based on the data that I already have - most likely, to deceive myself. After all, if you announce a certain cost of work, it will be difficult to change it in the process, not to mention the fact that such behavior reduces the trust of the client in you. And without trust, the work of a business consultant in small and medium-sized businesses is impossible.

Therefore, I chose the following solution. Firstly, I’m sure to say that the choice of software and preparation for the transition to it (for example, the transfer of balances) is only one of the steps to solve its problem. I also explain that at this stage I do not have enough data and can’t even roughly estimate what kind of work will be required and how much it will cost. At the same time, I always focus the client’s attention on the fact that my services always have certain deadlines.

My services are limited in time! I solve the client problem and leave.

Thus, already at the time of the offer of services, I denote the fact that after some time there will definitely be a final collaboration. It can be six months, maybe 1.5 years. But the final will definitely be.

Understanding this fact helps the client to be more sympathetic to your offers. He understands that you are discussing the final project, where a business consultant will do a certain job, help to overcome the crisis or find new ways of development, after which it will be eliminated. Otherwise, the idea of ​​cooperation with you, especially until any specific solutions appear, may seem incomprehensible and, in some cases, even suspicious. A person must understand that they are offered help that will be with him as much as he will really need, and will be eliminated (along with the need to pay for it) when the need for it ends.

But back to the issue of price. It is not realistic to name the total cost and even outline the stages of work at the beginning of cooperation. For this, you simply do not have enough data. I found this solution: I propose to work in stages, and discuss each of these stages separately. And the first of them I call work with a software product. I select it, carry out the transfer of residues, i.e. preparing for implementation. This stage is not difficult to calculate. The amount and terms most often turn out to be very small. The client sees a very affordable cost of work and the opportunity in the near future to get something specific for their money. Most often, this proposal meets with understanding and, as a result, approval.

In addition, I do not hide that in the process of work very often additional tasks arise. As you know, appetite grows with food. I also tell my clients about this in advance. As a result, the client understands that, on the one hand, it is not realistic to calculate the total project cost in advance, on the other hand, I do not hide anything from him, it will be convenient to work with me, and it will always be possible to discuss cooperation and make the necessary adjustments. The result of this approach is mutual trust, which is further confirmed by the results of my work on each stage. As a result, the cooperation is quite long and very fruitful.

In the meantime, I take on transparent and clear obligations: I transfer the rest, prepare the system so that it can start working on it. The client understands what he pays for, the amount is quite democratic, and the terms are short.

In addition, I definitely agree with the client on the results of this stage to meet and discuss the next. And this very next stage almost always turns out to be necessary and paid, as well as a rather large number of stages until the moment when I myself understand that I have done everything that is needed for this company. And I'm leaving. I always leave, never waste time unnecessarily. More often than not, customers then call themselves again. And this is much more profitable than trying to accustom customers to ongoing service.

Briefs and terms of reference: do without them!

Almost every IT specialist does not think of cooperation without these documents. Clients fill out briefs, a technical task is drawn up, and only then does work begin. Many of you now nod approvingly, because you are sure that in this way they protect yourself and your interests, and make cooperation as civilized as possible.

If you work with a large company, then everything happens just like that and nothing else. But when working with small and medium-sized businesses, technical tasks only interfere with mutual understanding.

Let me remind you that a business consultant is usually called for help just for the reason that you need to change something, and what exactly - the clients themselves do not know. And they call him as the same expert who will help to figure out what needs to be changed, how and why.

Further, when choosing a software product, the consultant proceeds, first of all, from the real need of the company, and not from the wishes of the client and his habits. We talked about this a lot in the last article, including, I talked about how to convince the customer to give you the choice of software product.

It is clear that with this approach, both the brief and the terms of reference will be superfluous. In order to protect your interests, there is a contract, there is an advance payment. Although I personally mainly work on trust. Because we communicate with customers, we see each other, and not only communicate by correspondence, we often switch to informal communication outside of work, and, of course, I try to make the customer trust me. As a result, I also most often can safely trust my client.

Moreover, for small and medium-sized businesses, just mentioning the technical task may turn out to be a seller’s mistake, and this applies not only to business consultants, but also to software sellers.

A business director cannot independently draw up such a document; he does not have a suitable specialist of his own. Most likely, he does not have enough knowledge even to understand all the nuances of a correctly drawn up technical task that you will bring him for signature, as professional terminology is used there, an approach from the point of view of a programmer, etc. Remember: you are not talking with an IT specialist, but with a businessman!

As a result, the head of a small business such a document causes distrust. He fears that they might deceive him, but he can’t verify how accurately and honestly the document is drawn up.

And if the company already has experience in buying unsuccessful solutions, then the situation looks even sadder. Because along with boxes with unsuccessful software solutions that are gathering dust on shelves, usually there are briefs, technical specifications, multi-page additions to the contract. And the result for some reason is not in the work, but in the box. Why? Did not fit. Not understood. I didn’t like it. Failed to implement.

I have seen a similar situation many times. And so I found a completely different approach, in which neither a brief nor a technical task is needed, and I work perfectly. Customers are very grateful, as I understand their needs, delve into them, then instead of them I make a decision on choosing the best software product, help to implement it, and only when everything is working “like clockwork” I calmly leave.

Instead of an afterword

I tried to outline, first of all, the correct approach to the presentation of the software product that you have chosen. But in the work of a business consultant for small and medium-sized businesses, it is very difficult to distinguish clear steps. And even the presentation of the program is, first of all, a presentation of the business consultant himself, a demonstration of his ability to make the right decisions, his knowledge, flexibility, and other qualities. At the same time, it is often discussed not only and not so much a software product as the stages of work to identify and solve problems in business. You must remember that either you will have a trusting relationship with the client when he agrees with your offers on the issues for which you were invited, or nothing good will come of such cooperation.

Yes, trust is hard to gain. Of course, this will have to work. It is even possible that the first sprouts of trusting relationships will appear only after you transfer the leftovers or even begin to train the staff and manager personally to work with the new product. We need to work on this constantly.

I hope that I have given enough information on the issue of the presentation, and I propose to talk about the next time about the implementation of the software product and other stages of cooperation of the business consultant with small and medium-sized businesses. I can talk a lot about my work, and am ready to generously share information.