“Accountants tend to buy from other accountants, not vendors” – from a conversation with Mr 1%
“I only tend to read emails from people whose reputation I trust” – from a conversation with Bob Harper
“Yes, I think I will ask. Every time. No auction, not game it, not fix it – converse and find it.
Conversed Pricing as it is.” – Sig Rinde on pricing applications in the market.
“Right now, I am seeing a new piece of email has arrived at the same time my phone is ringing. Hmmm – given this choice, I’m taking the call. Maybe, it’s someone who’s got something more interesting to tell me.” Brian Sommers on Make service selling more than a web process
This is the connection I make between these apparently unconnected dots. Until recently, the perceived wisdom for software acquisition has been the Request For Information (RFI), the successor to the Invitation To Tender. But in reality, people buy on the basis of recommendation. People like to talk to other people to find out the ‘truth’ behind vendor claims. If you think I’m wrong then look at this series of comments at AccountingWEB that slams IRIS Payemaster v5. Pretty ferocious isn’t it?
So the question has to be, why do you need a detailed technical document to help you select software? The argument has traditionally been along the lines of ensuring you don’t get trapped with product that goes out of date any time soon. That’s a false premise. The minute you make a decision, the software is out of date because technology moves on at a furious pace. That’s not the point. It is about the value software delivers to your business – not its technical prowess or cost. And you can only truly discover that by talking to others and engaging in conversations. Now flip that on its head.
If markets are indeed conversations, then doesn’t that mean you need to engage with your clients? It’s how you and I learn. Look at the thought generated by my question about data input. I found that enlightening for all sorts of reasons. I see for example that there is no cookie cutter approach to helping clients take responsibility for their books and records. There are alternatives and each has its place.
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