selling software with a steep learning curve

we wrote a nice new commercial software for computer aided rostering.

As the target is very large, we decided to sell it using the web and
the phone, limiting travels as much as possible.

People want to try it before buying. Very reasonable.

However the learning curve is steep. When used without some education,
people get fed of the program and we often lose the sale.

We recorded a few educational films and made them avaiable on our
site.

They raise the curiosity about the product, but are not enough to
qualify users.

We are studying a new simpler user interface , but are afraid that the
program will stay at least as difficult to use as an accounting
program.

If you have never met an accounting program, it is hard to think you
will master it by yourself in a few hours .

Nowadays it is easy to find people who know accounting and is easy to
find people who can use an accounting program.

However people who prepare a rostering today make it using more their
"nose" than logics. They move the pawns until they get something not
too bad.

Nobody ever met a rostering program.

After a couple of hours spent fighting with abstract rules, they end
up thinking that the program is too difficult and quit.

It is a pity, because after proper education, they would do in seconds
what they do in hours now.

What do you advice to increase sales ?

Thank you

Peppe Polpo

"Peppe Polpo" <peppepolpo@libero.it> wrote in message
news:113k8c2ospir644@news.supernews.com...
>
>
> What do you advice to increase sales ?
>
> Thank you
>
> Peppe Polpo


What would help is if users could toggle on and off certain advanced
functions so that they can get some use out of it easily while they become
familiar with the more advanced functions.

You product Replaces a problem instead of solves it... so...

Set up a service and offer it complete with a human brain...
or...

Complete your product development Process to meet market expectations
or...

Change your target

~zion

"Peppe Polpo" <peppepolpo@libero.it> wrote in message
news:113k8c2ospir644@news.supernews.com...

> What do you advice to increase sales ?

Is there a way to do remote training whereby you could walk people through
the learning curve without actually being present? Perhaps a solution like
that would help. I believe Macromedia has software whereby you can put
together a step-by-step sort of training demo.

In addition, if possible, make the software easier to use. The thing is that
there is a profession of bookkeeping and people accept that there is some
training needed and that the field involves some level of complexity. Do
they accept that for rostering?

--
Robert Anderson

Yikes.

According to 'research' the 4 pre-imminent human motivations are

FEAR
MONEY
PRESTIGE
and
EASE.

(I have no idea how these people missed ***.. but thats another story)


Sounds like u are trying to sell the benefits of EASE (?)

Unfortunately, by the very nature of that type of sale, it can't be sold
well as long as it is "difficult". Follow me?

Can you drop the self-demos, train local contracted reps/ trainers for
your markets and concentrate on free seminars in a number of metropolis
areas starting close to your home office?

If you can't, again, you options are limited to redeveloping/
redeploying your product, or changing your target to an exclusive market
(and raising your price).

However, If you still need to push forward as is.. try this:

Develop a "Certified Program" for clients and hope for the best.

Offer free certifications. Throw in some boosted benefits to becoming
certified such as 36 months FREE unlimited (you fill in the blank) for
the client company.

Break your training down into four steps and certify each one. Develop
a line of "Verification" modules which enable trainees to "test their
learning" at each of the four phases... and get little pats on the back
along the way.

Limit each Phase to 3 sets of 20 intense minutes alternated by something
(light) for five- minutes- putting a total of three 20 minute segments
to a certification.

What this does it changes the perception of difficulty. By putting
tons of mental breaks and landmarks in you lets them observe their own
progress. This gives them a change to choose to "ignore your format, go
too fast ahead, then cool it, and get back on track" rather than to feel
beat by the complexity of your curve.

In doing the above strategy, demonstrate the END result and the
"practicality" of one of your training modules-- not the whole product
learning as a One-sitting demo.

One more thing... Don't sell it as easy.
Swap out your USP from ease to the second on my list above -- MONETARY
savings.

In those 5 min. breaks you could even throw in several new examples of
how they are about to save their company a heap of money (because time
is money) over the coming fiscal year etc. Who wouldn't want a little
struggle to get that on their resume?

Best of Luck,

~zion

"Peppe Polpo" <peppepolpo@libero.it> wrote in message
news:113k8c2ospir644@news.supernews.com...
>
> we wrote a nice new commercial software for computer aided rostering.
>
> As the target is very large, we decided to sell it using the web and
> the phone, limiting travels as much as possible.
>
--snip---

First of all you must convince your prospect of the positive payback
possible through the use of your software. If an employee is generating $60
an hour in revenues, and you can make it possible for that employee to do
five hours of work in one hour, then the revenue enhancement potential for
that company is $240 per day or per week, whatever measurement you use. Once
your client sees the $$$$ factor, it would be easy to put a training price
on your software along with the price of the software. This game is being
played with CAD/CAM and ERP software on a regular basis. They buy the $6,000
package then pay $3000 to train the first group of users. The buyers see the
real payback from the investment.

So... you must show a return on investment before you can get anybody's
attention.

Show us how you intend to do this and let us comment on your approach.

Wayne Lundberg
Business Development Tactician
www.pueblaprotocol.com

>users could toggle on and off certain advanced functions

we have many ideas re how to improve the application and your
suggestion is surely one of the possible improvements.

However we feel that there will always be a hill to climb for the new
users.

Many of them have been preparing the rostering by trial and error for
the last 20 years and are suddenly put in front of a computer program
that asks them to input abstract logic rules.

It is the same shock met by old technical designers that are put in
front of a CAD program.

It would be interesting to study how Autodesk launched Autoplan in the
80's

Thank you

Peppe Polpo

>Can you drop the self-demos, train local contracted reps/ trainers for
>your markets and concentrate on free seminars in a number of metropolis
>areas starting close to your home office?

yes

We can give the product for free to nurse schools and to universities
that offer management courses.

But this is a long-term strategy and we eat every day

>If you can't, again, you options are limited to redeveloping/
>redeploying your product, or changing your target to an exclusive market
>(and raising your price).

other than the general purpose application, we developed a number of
vertical applications that optimize the rostering of companies that
do:

- catering
- night-watchman service
- supermarkets
.....

as we hardcoded large part of the rules, the application is much
easier for the user.

We are earning much more from the vertical applications than from the
general purpose one, even if the latter was a much more difficult
program to write.

>What this does it changes the perception of difficulty. By putting
>tons of mental breaks and landmarks in you lets them observe their own
>progress.

very interesting.

I guess we could write a tutorial program that does it.

Thank you

Peppe Polpo

"Tech 22 22" <projectteamiii@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:113mr34k5ll96eb@news.supernews.com...
>
> Yikes.
>
> According to 'research' the 4 pre-imminent human motivations are
>
> FEAR
> MONEY
> PRESTIGE
> and
> EASE.

Please cite the research source. To me this seems like a oversimplication of
people's motivations.

--
Robert Anderson

Wayne,

>you can make it possible for that employee to do five hours of work in one
hour...

better than that

There is another side effect: the rostering is optimized, so that -
for instance - night shifts and worked holidays are equally shared btw
all employees.

This translates into employees satisfaction.

>This game is being played with CAD/CAM and ERP software on a regular basis.

CAD came to my mind, too !

>Show us how you intend to do this and let us comment on your approach.

as soon as we sell to target X, I will use mailing to reach the
directors of companies in the same sector.

The letter will explain how many advantages they will receive by using
our software. Also the letter will list the names of the competiting
companies who already bought it.

I'd like to cooperate with companies who specialize in education to
reach hospitals and clinics, take part to trade shows etc.

They can sell courses on computer aided rostering and we can sell the
software.

I'd like to contact pharmaceutical companies to see if they are
interested in an OEM application to sell or donate to hospitals.

Thank you

Peppe Polpo