False Expectations When Selling SAM Tools

False Expectations When Selling SAM Tools

On a recent webinar a vendor stated:

“We have the most advanced software recognition in the market”.

This was something I was guilty of quoting when I used to sell tools. A grand statement with no substantiating evidence. Worryingly, very few organisations test these statements before parting with their cash.

The same vendor also said that they made SAM “As easy as making a cup of tea”.

It’s a shame to let the facts get in the way of a perfectly good sales pitch – but I can’t help but feel discouraged for the poor users who fall into the trap that buying a SAM solution will be a silver bullet that will cure all of their woes.

Whilst there are some great, innovative software solutions out there – nobody has the Holy Grail. Every vendor’s software needs a great deal of human oomph behind it to make it work.

I would love to be corrected and told otherwise: but I am yet to find an organisation that has a perfectly automated system for managing their assets.

I think it is important to set expectations from the outset. To sell SAM software otherwise:

• is a disservice to end users and only leads to disappointment
• shows a lack of experience with implementation
• does not bode well for keeping hold of the customer in the longer term.

In my experience, for even the most advanced organisations, it’s less making a cup of tea and more like herding cats.