In an era where email is pretty much dead — at least that’s what I think — how do you decide which software or technology service is financially best for your company? Let’s discuss the three methods I can think of that are commonly used for selecting a software or technology service, along with my concerns for each method.
Do you simply Google the software or technology service you’re looking for and check out the top recommendations to decide which one will work best for your company?
If so, how can you be sure whether the recommendation you get will be the best fit for your company? I mean, there are a lot of people who’re promoting only for the sake of making money.
They don’t care whether your company will benefit from their recommendations.
So how do you know whether the recommendations you find on Google are actually your best option?
2. Referrals
Do you make your purchases on referrals? If so, then where do you get your referrals — from your friends, experts in your industry, or through emails from online gurus?
I think most people today use only their own referral network — which is a good choice, in my opinion. But I wonder how do folks who never reach out or build a referral network actually reference?
If you’re one of those people who don’t build their own referral network, let me know how you make your purchasing decisions in the comments section.
Lastly, how do you guys separate a good referral from a bad one? Do you only use referrals from trusted friends or do you rely on proven experts for good referrals?
3. Review Sites
Do you read recommendations on review sites?
If so, how do you deal with the fact that not all sites are unbiased and the reason why they’re recommending a service may not be because it’s the best in the industry, but because it’s sponsored or because they’re an affiliate?
Paying to Find the Best Fit for Your Company
Besides the three free methods, you can always hire a software selection service.
But I have two major concerns with those services:
- They’re rarely unbiased or experienced in all the products you need.
- In the SMB space, hiring someone to help with the selection process can end up costing you more than the software itself.
Which Method Do You Use?
Do you use one of the free methods I mentioned, or do you hire a software selection service to do the work for you? If you use another method that I don’t know of, I would love to hear about it.
Whichever method you use, let me know in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear your answers!
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