Selecting the right email marketing automation software or an Email Service Provider (ESP) is a strategic decision that demands thorough preparation. While it shouldn’t feel like a battle, the success of your vendor selection process often hinges on gaining authentic insights from existing clients.
The crucial first step in evaluating a potential ESP is to engage with companies that have direct experience with your intended supplier. However, it’s vital to identify references whose operational needs closely mirror your own. Once you pinpoint suitable companies, ensure you connect with the right individuals—those directly involved with the ESP’s implementation and day-to-day use. The most critical aspect of preparing for these reference calls is having a clear understanding of the specific information you aim to acquire.
1. Plan the Call Effectively
Treat reference calls as invaluable strategic engagements. Always reserve ample time for the discussion and request the same commitment from your reference. A planned, structured conversation is significantly more productive than an impromptu cold call. While an in-person meeting offers the richest interaction, the realities of busy schedules often make phone or video calls more feasible, especially at an executive level.
Remember that the reference is doing you a favor, so approach the call from their perspective. Focus on the “What’s In It For Me” (WIFM) mentality for them, perhaps positioning the call as a valuable networking opportunity where they can share their expertise. Clearly articulate the call’s purpose beforehand, ensuring they understand the topics to be covered and the value of their input.
2. Be Informed Before You Call
The primary purpose of a reference call is to gather client insights and validate vendor claims. It is not an opportunity to discuss your specific needs and wants, nor is it a forum for basic questions about features and functions. By this stage, you should have already conducted your initial research, narrowed down your potential ESP vendors, and possess a foundational understanding of each platform’s general capabilities, pros, and cons.
Use the reference call to delve deeper into areas like real-world performance, customer support quality, the ease of integration, actual implementation challenges, and the vendor’s responsiveness to issues. This call should fill in the nuances and subjective experiences that brochures and sales pitches cannot convey.
3. Check Within Your Organization
A collaborative approach to vendor selection yields the most comprehensive results. If you’re part of a dedicated selection team, work together to compile a comprehensive list of requirements and questions. If a formal team isn’t in place, solicit input from various colleagues and stakeholders across departments who will interact with the new ESP.
This collective effort not only creates a more robust and exhaustive list of criteria but also fosters crucial organizational buy-in for the eventual decision. Once your requirements list is finalized, put it to practical use. Develop a structured form or scorecard that allows you to systematically check off which requirements each vendor satisfies. During the reference call, it’s paramount to verify if the features and functionalities promised by the vendor were actually delivered and are performing as expected in a live environment.
4. Acknowledge Your Own Doubts
It’s entirely natural to experience doubts during a complex vendor selection process. Uncertainties about a supplier’s long-term viability, the solution’s scalability, or its ability to meet your company’s evolving future needs are common and healthy. Rather than ignoring these concerns, document them rigorously.
Create a dedicated list or spreadsheet for these doubts. This structured approach will help you formulate precise, probing questions to ask your references, turning abstract worries into concrete inquiries. Furthermore, addressing these doubts upfront will prove invaluable later when negotiating your Service Level Agreement (SLA), ensuring critical concerns are explicitly covered.
5. Use a Structured Reference Sheet
To maximize the value of each reference call, employ a structured reference sheet. This pre-designed template should outline your key questions and provide ample space for detailed notes on the responses. If you plan to record the call, always inform your reference beforehand for legal and ethical reasons.
A standardized sheet ensures consistency across multiple reference calls, making it significantly easier to compare answers, identify recurring issues, and glean additional insights from different sources. This systematic approach facilitates easy recall of critical information and contributes to a more objective and informed final decision.