To their credit, database providers often upgrade their products or migrate to new platforms. As technology changes and new content becomes available, these upgrades are a necessary part of the job. In the information world, we’re used to change.

Unfortunately, sometimes an upgrade turns out to be a downgrade, and it’s not always easy to clear up the mess. In fact, two recent experiences with “upgrades” have been so bad, they’ve inspired me to add to my vendor wishlist – This time with some suggestions for smoother transitions to new products:

• Make improvements, not changes – Change for the sake of change is a waste of time. Does your new product actually make search and retrieval any easier? Does it ease our workflow or just make more work? Ask your customers, and don’t assume.

• Make sure it’s ready for prime time – Thoroughly test the new product before the roll-out, and not just in your lab. Every customer uses your product differently, so ask several from each segment to run their searches to make sure the product works for them.

• Fix your problems – I’m amazed by the technical issues with these recent changes. “I think you’ve found a bug” shouldn’t be your final answer. Fix it, and then follow up with your customer. If a database isn’t working, I’m shopping for alternatives.

• Communicate – Keep your customers informed, and check back after roll-out. Let them know about training and submitting requests for technical support. Return their calls quickly and provide frequent progress reports. It takes more than a couple of form emails to accompany a customer through a transition.

The common theme running through this list is personalized communication – Talking to your customers before, during, and after the upgrades to minimize the impact on their time and workflow. Very few database companies get this one right, and it’s a shame.

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One nice trend is that smart vendors have replaced selling with teaching. They’ve finally realized that promoting their informative whitepapers, blogs, podcasts, videos, and other content attracts more attention than unwanted emails, phone calls, and sales pitches. And guess what? They’re still making sales.

I have always demanded transparency from my vendors. Perhaps it’s my training as a librarian, but I want to know what is and isn’t in your database and where you get your information. How do I use your product in my work process? Yes, I’m the  grouchy customer with too many questions.

Lately, though, I’ve noticed that many information vendors have developed what Dave Ramsey calls “the heart of a teacher.” They aim to gain our trust through knowledge and guidance, rather than the usual pitch. And, lately, I’ve noticed that I’m getting more answers to my pesky questions.

Here are some examples of vendors who have attracted my attention by teaching rather than selling:

Thomson Reuters – In their public records podcast series, I not only learned something new, for the first time ever I heard an aggreggator say that it’s never a good idea for investigators to rely on aggegated results. This is progress.

CyberTOOLBELT – At this year’s OSMOSIS conference, Chad Los Schumacher filled in for another speaker at the last minute and did an excellent job of explaining the basics of DNS searching, teaching this PI a thing or two – without pitching the product.

Dow Jones Factiva, For years, one of my go-to news sources has shared whitepapers written by industry expert Mary Ellen Bates. Bates also creates content for several other information providers that have jumped on the content marketing bandwagon.

Yergey Insurance – Mike Yergey, one of our sponsors at the recent Rocky Mountain Private Investigators conference, used his introduction time to provide what amounted to a public service announcement about bond requirements for PI licensing. I’ll be getting a quote from Mike when my current policies expire.

Nothing good comes from the hard sell these days, and I hope to see this teaching trend continue.

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1. Offer a variety of payment options – Make it easy for your customers, regardless of where we live or how our we prefer to pay our bills.

2. Provide real-time customer support – When technical problems or search questions come up, I’m usually in the middle of a project and facing a deadline. Don’t make we wait two days for your response to my inquiry.

3. Offer options for customizing search and results pages – I don’t know who’s in your focus groups, but they don’t search the way I do. Let me select the features that work for me.

4. Design for speed – A few unnecessary clicks here and there add up to a lot of wasted time and money. Put things where we need them and when we need them.

5. Fix your glitches – If your interface isn’t working, don’t offer workarounds. Just fix it. LexisNexis is one of the biggest offenders, and requests to speak with a product manager remain unanswered.

6. Don’t take away our command searching – Menu-driven search forms may work for some searchers, but many pros still live and die by their complex search commands.

7. Give us some time – I understand the need to close a session after a period of inactivity. But sometimes we need to cross-check, and logging back in after a short time is yet another time-waster.

8. Eliminate download limits – Many large organizations allow fast, large-scale data access, so why can’t information vendors? Don’t needlessly force your requirements on me.

9. Ask for my opinion – I’ve been using these services for more than 15 years and can count on one hand how many times I’ve been asked what I value.

10. Don’t make up answers to my questions – If you don’t know, refer me to someone who does. And do some checking to make sure it’s the right person before sending me their way.

Any others?

The post My wish list For information vendors – Part 2 appeared first on Marcy Phelps and Associates.

So, with input from some of my AIIP colleagues, I’ve put together this wish list for information vendors – 10 suggestions I’m sure will transform our relationships and lead to more sales:

 1. Accept that yours isn’t the only game in town – On a daily basis, I may use at least five or six databases for completing our background reports. I don’t care how great it is, your product will never replace my other professional tools, so tell me how yours works with or complements what I’m using.

 2. Follow up when you say you’re going to follow up – While attending a conference last week, I couldn’t get any face time with one of the vendors. I gave him my card and told him I definitely want a subscription. He said he’d call on Monday, and, as of today, I haven’t heard from him.

 3. But don’t harass me – I’m busy and sometimes can’t take time away from client work to discuss how your product will change my life. Find out when to check back, and respect my time frame.

 4. Get to know me – If you take a minute to look at my website, you’ll learn I run a small business and specialize in due diligence background investigations for investors. Don’t waste our time pitching an enterprise product or something more suited for a different industry.

 5. Offer flexible pricing models – Just about every one of my colleagues who responded to my query put this at the top of their wish list. Not all firms can afford an annual subscription or will use it enough to make it cost-effective, and some might be interested in daily, weekly, or pay-as-you-go access. Make it reasonable, though. A monthly pass shouldn’t cost almost as much as an annual subscription.

 6. Get your team on the same page – I’ve had one person tell me yes while another – in the same department – said no. And while we’re at it, why is “no” your best response? It looks chaotic, unprofessional, and inflexible from this end, and I’m reluctant to recommend your product.

 7. Be willing to negotiate – You can see how I’m using your product, so let’s use that info. Maybe I don’t need the full suite, so offer modules or other ways of slicing and dicing the content. On the other hand, maybe I use your product and refer others so often that I deserve a little break.

 8. Play fairly – While a little negotiation will go a long way, don’t cut a deal with one person that you aren’t willing to offer to others in similar situations. The information community is small, and we do talk to one another.

 9. Check in occasionally, and not just at renewal time –  Maybe my needs are changing, or, based on my use case, I’m not taking advantage of available features. One of the best at this was the late Bob Schmitt of Skyminder. Even though I wasn’t his biggest customer, he checked in regularly to see how things were going and fill me in on any upcoming product changes.

10. Remember that it’s not just about the sale – I may not become a buyer, but our relationship and what I learn from you will go a long way. Like many of my colleagues, I frequently speak and write about information trends and products, and, if I like what you’re selling, I will become your biggest evangelist.

What else would you add to this list?

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