One of the most important aspects of purchasing software is making sure you did your research about the product in question. Your CTO will want to know why part of their budget should be spent on a product that wasn’t essential to running your company previously. Here are a few tips about making strong purchasing tips when suggesting a new software product:
Be confident in your decision
Confidence is the most important factor people will take into account when you are giving your presentation. Your role in the purchasing process is not the buyer, it is being an internal salesperson. This means you need to be not only persuasive, but mentally prepared to go up against people opposed to your idea. Make sure you are ready to back your decision and present a strong case about why this particular product is needed.
Research the competition
One of the first questions you might hear will be about what other options are out there on the market. Do your research on your particular product’s competition and put together a brief cheat-sheet about why the product you chose is the best option out there on the market.
*star negotiator skill: ask your sales rep for some tips about their competition. Chances are they have lots of insider information about why their product beats their competitors hands-down in the SharePoint marketplace.
Educate yourself
Do your homework before making your case to your CTO. Nobody wants to waste their time listening to a presentation that goes around in circles. Be sure to research your desired product’s functionality and capabilities. Compare what the new product can accomplish versus what your current product is lacking. Make sure to include any technical installation requirements and guidelines. Your CTO will be very impressed that you took the extra initiative!
Go beyond price, but keep the numbers
Price is a very easy category to compare other products to, because it is hard to argue with numbers. What happens when your product is the more expensive choice? This is the time to go beyond price, but still use numbers to make your case. Use metrics that show how much time you would save with this new product. Once your CTO sees that this product will start saving her/him money long term, your case is hard to argue with. After all, time is money!
Put together a spreadsheet
Let’s be honest, putting together powerpoint presentations occupy a lot of our time. Just thinking about the idea of creating another one can get overwhelming. You might even start to regret researching a new product to begin with! One way to save time is to create a small spread-sheet that highlights the high-level facts about each product. This can include price, installation time, customer service, and functionality.
by Dylan Lake via Everyone's Blog Posts - SharePoint Community
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