ERP Software Sales: trick or treat?

Mark Canes

As we get ready to dish the Halloween candy, I'm seriously contemplating dressing up as the nefarious "ERP Snake-oil Sales" guy. While they're not as common as they used to be a few years ago, they're still out there. It sometimes seems like choosing an ERP Software system is a little like trick or treat - some will trick you, and other will treat you well.

 I was reviewing the post on how to select an ERP Vendor, and doing so reminded me of a couple of stories that prospective customers have shared with me recently about the "other" type of ERP salesperson - the "promise them anything to get the sale" type - thankfully a diminishing breed.

In one case, the salesperson answered "yes" to every question about functionality. The prospect was suspicious, so after doing a little research and finding something the software did not do - according to the vendor's website - he asked the question, and again got a "yes". TRICK! Happy ending here - he knew he should run away from this sales person as fast as possible.

The other one is not such a happy story. To close a sale (and make quota for the quarter), the salesperson deeply discounted the monthly fees, and got the customer to sign on the dotted line. However, the fine print stated that the monthly fee would increase (by close to 100%) in year 2, and imposed a minimum 3 year commitment. TRICK!

My recommendation is this: an ERP salesperson who tells you what you want to hear, who always answers "yes", is more likely to be a trick. One who tells you what you need to know, and is willing to answer "no" when necessary - now that's a TREAT!