Focus on your needs during software demo

Great news: There are now just two final contenders that you’re going to ask for an accounting or payroll software demo. So now you’re ready to see the products in action.

But you may be dreading the thought of interacting with a vendor rep focused on closing the sale.

What can you do to keep your eyes on the prize and not get distracted by the inevitable sales pitch that will be part of the software demo?

Software demo strategy

According to SoftwareAdvice.com, when requesting a demo, you should schedule two specific kinds:

1. a live demo of how the software will support your business process that involves key stakeholders from your company, and
2. a demo involving your IT team and the vendor’s tech team to discuss compatibility.

On demo day, come prepared with two relevant use cases. For instance: “My A/P manager needs to review and approve purchase orders in bulk and be able to reassign a batch to a processor to correct errors. How do I do that with your product?”

Ask plenty of other questions, too. Some examples:

• “Can we customize that feature to fit this need we have?”
• “Can I see what those steps look like on the mobile app?”
• “Is there a different way to perform that function?”

After the demo, get documentation of what the implementation will look like, including an itemized total cost and what your team will be responsible for doing to get implementation going.

And don’t hesitate to tell the vendor about any concerns you have.