Smoke and Mirrors

Trying to make an intelligent choice when selecting a new financial package can be a very exasperating experience! 

Trying to make an intelligent choice when selecting a new financial package can be a very exasperating experience!  Trade magazines of the past were useful, but today they’re more interested in covering the latest PC gadgets.  Now everyone uses the Internet for research, and that can lead to real frustration.

I like to do my research without outside interference.  This means I don’t want a salesperson breathing down my neck and calling me everyday.  Almost all web sites require you to provide complete information about yourself and your company before you can even peek at their product information.  I don’t mind sharing that information if it looks like they have a good product that might do what I need, but how would I know that without some preliminary information? I resent these demographic data collections and know at least one site that even requires a deposit (via credit card) before releasing product information!

Then, after you give them everything but the names of your first-born, they usually will do one of two things: send you a CD with a Power Point presentation (accompanied by annoying phone calls from a staff salesperson), or turn you over to one of their Certified Resellers.  Again, you’ll have a salesperson calling.  The Power Point presentation won’t answer your questions and neither can the salesperson, whose prior experience was selling used cars.

They don’t even know your company’s needs. So, now you have these idiots calling you everyday with such statements as, “We have a 83% fit for your company;” and, within the same breath ask, “What is it that your company does?” And you still have no idea if their software even begins to meet your needs!

Too bad they don’t have the “you know what” to provide REAL information without obligation.  What are they hiding?