Red Flags and Green Lights in Software Comparison

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Hello again! This is Brandy your host and you are listening to Elevated, the snackable, weekly podcast helping Kitchen & Bath Designers build a better business. In this episode we're developing your software "spidey sense." You know that gut feeling you get when you walk into a kitchen that just feels wrong? We're going to build that same intuition for software selection!

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Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Hello again.
This is Brandy, your host, andyou are listening to Elevated
the Snackable Weekly podcast,helping kitchen and math
designers build a betterbusiness.
Us in this episode, we'redeveloping your software Spidey
sense.
You know that gut feeling youget when you walk into a kitchen
and it just feels wrong?
Well, we're gonna build thatsame intuition for software
selection.

(00:25):
Think of it like teaching aclient to spot quality
cabinetry.
Sure, you could give them a 50point inspection checklist, but
what they really need tounderstand is what quality looks
and feels like.
That's exactly what we're doingtoday.
But with software, let me tellyou about Melissa's recent
software venture.
She was looking at this supersleek project management tool
and everything seemed perfectuntil she started noticing some

(00:48):
tiny red flags that added up toone expensive mistake.
But don't worry.
Her pain is about to become yourgain.
Grab [e-mail] slash
choose if you need it, and let'sdevelop your software evaluation
radar.
So first off, the red flagparade.
Just like those luxury cabinetswith chipboard sides, some
software problems are hiding inplain sight.

(01:10):
Here's what made Melissa'sspidey sense tingle.
Um, first off was like thepressure cooker, the scarcity
tactic.
That gets used a lot because.
It works.
Even we, when we know what'shappening, the pressure to
purchase can sound or look likethis special price ends
tomorrow.
Only two spots left inonboarding.
Sign up now before the priceincreases.
A barrage of emails, calls andtexts, messages from

(01:32):
salespeople.
Real quality doesn't needartificial urgency, period.
Next up is, um.
The mystery meat pricing, youknow, custom pricing for your
needs.
Contact sales for quote,enterprise features available,
or a pricing page that looks amore like a scientific
calculator with tiers andadd-ons that are hard to follow
if they can't be straight withyou about costs.

(01:55):
Maybe there's some other thingsthat they aren't being straight
with you about.
Uh, third up the empty promisemenu.
Certainly software might listsome coming soon features.
But if what you need is on thatlist, then think twice.
That could be like the AIintegration coming in Q2,
advanced reporting anddevelopment, new interface,

(02:15):
launching soon.
Never buy software for what itmight become.
You need to buy it for what itis today.
And fourth, the Data HotelCalifornia, you can check in,
but can you check out if there'sno clear data export options, or
if they give you vague answersabout moving your information or
they talk about proprietary fileformats.

(02:37):
That's a problem.
Your data belongs to you nomatter what system you use.
If they don't make it easy toleave, think twice about going
in there.
Uh, okay, so now we've talkedabout the red flags.
Let's talk about green lights.
Uh, the first one I call theconfidence show.
These are signs that thesoftware is being upfront about
its capabilities.
So something like, here's your30 day trial, let's schedule a

(02:59):
personalized demo, or check outour help documentation.
Good software sells itself byletting you actually use it
next.
Um, I say it's the transparencytrophy.
These aspects can build yourconfidence that there won't be
surprises later if they haveclear.
Simple pricing, a public productroadmap.
If they have an active usercommunity, then these are good

(03:21):
signs that there's no smoke, nomirrors, and just straight talk.
Third, the support swagger.
In an ideal world, you don'thave to ask for much help, but
if you do need help, you want itto be there.
So look for quick response timesfrom support.
Detailed help articles andtraining resources.

(03:42):
These are signs that they'reready to help you succeed.
So let's wrap up talking aboutyour evaluation radar.
Here's what I tell my clients.
Rate each interaction on theuhoh two awesome scale.
So that's like away, proceedwith caution, neutral, looking
good, or we have a winner.

(04:03):
Let's use Melissa's example.
When it came to sales pressure,that was a no go.
Pricing clarity.
Also low on the scaleintegration proof.
Hmm, that was looking good.
Support response off the charts.
Did export options we'reneutral.
This isn't about perfect math.
It's about training your gut tospot patterns.

(04:25):
Just like you can walk into akitchen and immediately sense if
the layout works.
When it comes to reality check,try this.
For any software you'reconsidering, track how many
times they dodge a directquestion.
How many features are comingsoon?
How many pricing details arecustom, and how many support

(04:46):
resources are readily available?
After spotting these red flags,Melissa found a less flashy but
more honest solution and gotclear pricing upfront.
She was able to then testeverything in a free trial and
actually paid less than thespecial offer price that the
other software had.
Pro Tip, the best softwarecompanies act like great design

(05:09):
partners.
They're confident in theirvalue, clear in their
communication, and committed toyour success.
Next time we'll get into thenitty gritty of cost benefit
analysis, but for now, startdeveloping that software
evaluation instinct.
If you're ready to spot thosered flags and green lights, head
to fire effects.com/choose.
Grab that worksheet and let'sbuild your software selection

(05:32):
confidence.