There are questions that should be asked during every sales demo for healthcare staffing software and these questions are missed almost every time I do a demo. There are some basic questions that I think NEED TO BE ASKED that people just DON’T ASK.
So listen up if you are searching for new healthcare staffing software, because I am going to tell you my secret. Everything that you need to be asking my competition and me before buying.
If you don’t know me you are probably thinking, “Who is this girl and what gives her the authority to tell me the questions I am forgetting to ask.” I have been in IT related sales for almost 10 years serving as the Director of Sales four of the last six years at BlueSky. And I can tell you after working the help desk and as an implementation specialist at BlueSky the software you choose needs to be a good fit. Period.
My guess is you are asking for references but taking references to the next level is so important. Talk to a client that has left the software and what forced them to move systems. If you cannot get this type of reference then this is an immediate red flag.
A very wise CIO of a public staffing agency once told me that if you can get your software to cover 80% of what you need out of the box then you are doing great. If a salesperson says that their amazing software can do everything they are lying – it’s just not true. There is not one staffing agency I have come across in my tenure that staffs the same way as the other guy. Each healthcare staffing agency is unique and has unique scenarios. Insist the salesperson show you how to do your job by teaching the salesperson about your processes so they can show you how to business in the new system. This is crucial because you don’t want to stick a square peg in a round hole.
Your staffing software will be running your business and if this software has downtime then you could have some serious side affects and costs associated it such as payroll not getting out on time or worse your business comes to a complete halt. So this is so important to ask and again while you are talking to the references ask this question too.
I cannot begin to explain how important the rollout process is for a successful adoption of the new software. The salesperson should be able to explain or demonstrate a successful deployment and how they see the implementation working. Oh, and while you are at it... ask the references in detail about the deployment process and overall adoption from your staff.
There are things that a system should be able to do without a huge development fee. In BlueSky we have over 1200 permissions that can be turned on and off without the need of developers. This is huge because you do not want to be paying development costs every time you need a small change done. I always say BlueSky is configurable to a fault as most SAAS systems should be!
I always say at the end of the day if I do not feel if the customer is a good fit for BlueSky then I don’t want their business. I am not trying to be harsh but why would I want to put you and my team through a forced sale. It never works out well.
So please heed my warning and take my final advice: Buying staffing software is like buying a house – it’s a HUGE decision and you wouldn’t move into a house that has two bedrooms when you need four. Don’t rush the process and make sure that you are a good fit for the software. Ask the tough questions and make sure that you are not just being sold into something that isn’t what it seems to be.