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Getting the most from a software demo
CONTRIBUTOR: DAVID KOUTEK
As a SalesPlus Business Development Manager, David Koutek excels in helping field service businesses streamline their operations and find solutions to increase profitability. Nick has provided business consultations and support for a wide range of trade professionals, and he is passionate about aiding in their success. David resides in sunny Florida with his wife. He loves to spend any of his free time at the beach and SCUB diving!
By David Koutek, SalesPlus Business Development Manager
If you are currently considering a software solution to help manage your field service business operations, you’re probably spending a lot of time researching different platforms to see what will work best for your needs. You're looking at websites, reading reviews, narrowing down your list of potential platforms, and now you're ready for a demo. This is a big step in the software buying process! As a Business Development Manager, I've given hundreds of software demos. Here are some of my top recommendations to help you get the most of the demo process.
Why it’s important to take time for a demo
Think about a software demo as your chance to check out the system in a more detailed way. In a good demo with a product expert who knows the software’s capabilities inside and out, you’ll see how you can use that software platform in your day-to-day work. It’s one thing to be enticed by the features a software platform claims to provide. It’s another thing entirely to understand how those features provide practical, useful solutions for your business.
A true software demonstration is not a “trial run” where you attempt to work your way through the software with limited assistance.
You want to seek out demos that provide a guided tour through software features so you get a clear understanding of your upcoming investment.
Keep in mind that a software demo should start with a consultation where the software expert asks questions about your business, your goals, and your challenges. Once they have this information, they can tailor the demo to your specific needs. This time should be all about you! Think of it this way: if you only work on commercial HVAC projects, and I focus the demo on how to handle residential service calls, then that demo wouldn’t be relevant to you at all. Once I know exactly how your business operates and what you would like to solve with a new platform, I would know to show you examples of automating commercial HVAC processes in our software.
Although you’ve got a lot on your plate and probably want to make a decision quickly, you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to receive a software demo. No one wants to invest time and money in a platform, only to discover it doesn’t actually perform as you had hoped. By taking the time to receive a thorough demo, you can avoid making a poorly-informed investment.
How to properly prepare for your demo
If you want to get the most out of a software demo, I recommend that you do some preparing before you jump in:
Invite all necessary participants: Think through who needs to be involved in the demo. Who are the stakeholders this software will impact? Will people from multiple departments use the software? Are certain staff going to be using the software more heavily than others? While you don’t need to involve every single software user in the demo process, I highly suggest including a few members of your team.
Think through your challenges: Maybe, you are just looking for a quick solution to make estimating faster. Maybe, your primary concern is project management. While you may have just a few specific pain points that drove you to look for software, you might be surprised by how many other processes in your business could be more efficient or streamlined. Think through other areas of your operations and ask your team about their frustrations and what process could be automated through software.
- Write down notes or questions before the demo: This is your chance to ask as many questions about the software as you can. Trust me, you don’t want to wait until the time of the demo to pull together questions in your head. Take some time and write down some of those questions you have from thinking through your challenges and needs beforehand. This is also a helpful tip for those who can’t participate in the live demo, but would like to submit some questions as well.
What to expect in a software demo with SalesPlus
When I’m giving a demo, my goal is to make sure SalesPlus is a good fit for your business. I always start by asking questions to clarify your needs and goals. Our SalesPlus software demos are NOT a pre-recorded video or a trial run. I give you a detailed walk-through via video conference or on-site consultation that is tailored to your business. I will show you how SalesPlus operates and the features that can help you with every area of your workflow from the estimating and quoting stage all the way through the invoicing stage and everywhere in between. We will walk through your pain points, and then take a deep dive into the product, showing you exactly how your business can use SalesPlus to reach your goals.
If you’re considering SalesPlus for your field service management needs and haven’t requested a demo yet, contact us now. Or, learn more about what SalesPlus can do for you.