I have a major pet peeve with software vendors, particularly those that service Not for Profit clients. And it’s so bad that I think it’s time to say something about.
First, let me set the scenario of a conversation I had last week.
I was speaking to the CEO of an aged-care charity. They had just selected a software vendor to support some of their services.
When I asked, what lessons learned or concerns she had from that progress, she said, “I just hope that we get the software that we think we are buying.”
It puzzled others in the room, but I knew exactly what she meant as it relates to my pet peeve. It is…
Software salespeople will often answer any function question from a client with, “Yes, we can.”
Many software vendors purposely use vague language in answering this question because they don’t want to lose a potential client. Still, this does a complete disservice to Not for Profits, who are usually on tight budgets and don’t often have strategic IT expertise in-house.
The problem when they say this is that it can have multiple definitions. It can mean:
- Yes, we have that functionality now.
- No, we don’t have that functionality now, but it’s on the roadmap.
- We could have that functionality if you add another piece of software we have or a 3rd party app for an additional cost.
- We could have that functionality if you pay us extra to do a major configuration change.
- We could have that functionality if you pay us extra to customise it for you.
With so many possible definitions, it’s no wonder that Not for Profits are unsure of what they are buying.
So, what can you do to provide yourself with more clarity?
How to gain more clarity when a vendor says, “Yes, we can” for a function in their software.
Before selecting a preferred software vendor:
- Know what your minimum requirements are for the software.
- Confirm in writing that these minimum requirements are available now, out of the box and for no additional fee.
- For other features you would like in the future, ask them to provide you with their development roadmap with dates related to the scheduled rollout.
Final thoughts:
It’s important to remember that software vendors are motivated to sell their product. Still, you have every right to know what you are buying and the price you will spend on it.
So, ask as many questions as you need to do that, and never feel that you are ignorant or annoying the vendor by doing so.
I regularly help Not for Profits with software vendors and software selections. Let me know if you need some help.
P.S. If you found this article helpful, you might want to read these too:
- When IT vendors behave badly during a procurement process
- When you asked for a Rolls Royce CRM on a Kia budget
Tammy Ven Dange is a former charity CEO, Association President, Not for Profit Board Member and IT Executive. Today, she helps NFPs with strategic IT decisions, especially around investments.