COVID-19 has possibly been the no.1 catalyst that the world has ever seen in digitalising businesses. With the pandemic forcing many organisations to adopt a remote working policy, and many now opting for a hybrid strategy, software that facilitates these changes have seen an incredible uptake. Specifically, cloud-based solutions – like CRM, ERP and VOIP – have all experienced exponential growth in sign-ups, with businesses readily admitting that COVID-19 has accelerated their digital strategy.

But despite this trend, many organisations still have their reservations when choosing software. And they’re right to be cautious…but there are two sides of the same coin. So, we’ve put together the top 4 turn-offs for businesses buying B2B software, and why you shouldn’t write them off. 

Turn-off #1: Cost  

Spending money is always a turn-off, especially for business owners, founders and Directors who are tasked with keeping costs low. But truth is, without investment in the right software, you’ll stifle business growth. 

Target Internet’s “Digital Marketing Podcast” summed this conundrum up perfectly – they were debating between two CRM systems, but ultimately didn’t go with their preferred choice because the cost was prohibitive. A year down the line, having battled with configuration problems and meeting countless bugs along the way, they decided to scrap it and go with the other, more superior solution they’d considered initially. After all that painstaking set up and time wasted using an ill-fitting system, they made the change anyway. And, as you can imagine, once they switched, everything clicked into place almost instantly – leaving them question their closed-minded approach those 12 months ago. 

They persevered with the wrong solution, all because of cost.  

So, here’s why cost shouldn’t automatically be a non-negotiable… 

Expected ROI 

Implementing the right type of software for your business should give you ROI from day 1, even if it may seem more expensive. But this won’t happen without your input. Start off by analysing your business and customer buying behaviour – what’s the size of your business? What do you sell? How do you sell it? Who buys it and how often? How do they like to buy from you? These sorts of questions can help steer you in the right direction in your search, and will ultimately help you choose the right solution for your business. 

Efficiency Gains 

Software that can genuinely improve a process, customer experience or team productivity is always worth considering. For example, if the system could help your Sales team input orders more quickly, send better looking quotes, or provide critical customer intelligence that’s hard to calculate without it, not only will your customers have a great experience (and re-order!), but the Sales team will be more productive and their work will be more accurate. 

Put it this way – even if it retains one customer for longer, that’s one more revenue stream you wouldn’t have had without it! 

Turn-off #2: Onboarding 

As well as the ongoing subscription cost, most software vendors offer some kind of onboarding package, often at an additional cost. Depending how complex the software is, it can even be a mandatory requirement, or strongly advised, when you come to subscribe.  

It’s easy to see this as just another cost – but its value shouldn’t be underestimated…onboarding can really be the make or break of software adoption and success. According to Wyzowl, 8 in 10 users say they’ve deleted an app because they didn’t know how to use it.  

Well-designed onboarding packages should help you get your whole team up and running quickly and help reduce staff frustration, so look out for vendors who can illustrate what’s included (ideally a documented plan). Other tools, like how-to guides, videos and support via chat/email are their resources to look for too when making a shortlist. 

Whilst you know your business best, a good fit software vendor will have likely worked with hundreds of businesses like yours, so an onboarding programme should help you get the very most from it long-term. 

Turn-off #3: Team Adoption & Usage 

Change can be scary – it’s a fear of the unknown, and most of the time people hate it. Will your employees use it? Will they adopt it successfully? What if it’s too big of a change? Arguably, a lot of these worries come hand-in-hand with onboarding.  

Any kind of business change, particularly software and process changes, will be met with some form of pushback. So, communication is key – involve your team in why you’re making this change, and get their input from the outset. If there’s a free trial or demo, take them. Play around with the software ahead of signing on the dotted line so you and your team feel confident. The more you in control you feel of the change, the more likely you’ll get people on-board with the idea and make it a success. 

Turn-off #4: Minimum User Counts & Feature Lock-offs 

Plenty of software providers place minimum user counts on their subscription packages. Particularly for smaller businesses, these can be off-putting, especially if you’re not yet making use of them all! And same goes for functionality. Often, certain features are only available in the more expensive packages. 

But the software you’re implementing should help you succeed and grow, getting you to a place where you are making use of these things – even if you aren’t right now. If you have any concerns, speak to the vendor directly. They should help you make a plan with timescales to work towards so you reach this user count/take advantage of those extra features. Ultimately, software vendors want to keep you as a customer for as long as possible, so it’s in their interest too!

Evaluating software for your business isn’t easy. So, invest in a solution that addresses your business’ challenges, and weigh up the positives against your time and spend commitments before jumping in head first.