Beyond the POC: Why Buying Decisioning Software Requires a Different Approach
Introduction
After spending over 15 years selling enterprise software solutions to banks, insurance companies, and other large organizations, I’ve learned one fundamental truth: customers don’t always know how to buy software, and sometimes, we vendors don’t make it any easier. These hurdles become even more pronounced when dealing with transformative technologies like automated decisioning solutions and the specific challenges of enterprise software sales. What’s needed for success long after the proof of concept (POC) is established is partnership with potential customers to transform them into advocates that speak to vendor excellence and overall ROI.
The Universal Challenges in Enterprise Software Sales
The enterprise software buying process has become increasingly complex. More stakeholders are involved than ever before, especially with remote work becoming the norm. Everyone wants credit for success, but nobody wants the blame for failure, leading to cautious decision-making and extended sales cycles.
One of the most critical phases where deals are won or lost is the initial discovery period. Technical buyers often lack familiarity with business challenges and KPIs, while business owners may not understand how a solution fits into their technology stack. This disconnect can lead to misaligned expectations and requirements.
The vendor evaluation process itself can be problematic. Companies often base their shortlisting decisions on analyst reports, marketing materials, or specific features without thoroughly understanding how these align with their actual needs. This high-level evaluation can result in selecting vendors that aren’t the best fit for their unique circumstances.
Perhaps the most significant universal challenge is the lack of clearly defined business cases and ROI justification. Too often, companies approach software purchases with vague objectives like “we need a rules engine” or “it takes too long to make changes,” without quantifying the expected benefits in terms of time savings, error reduction, or cost efficiency.
Specific Challenges in Automated Decisioning Solutions
When it comes to automated decisioning solutions, there are unique challenges that compound the standard universal issues. The transition from traditional rules management to automated decisioning represents a fundamental shift in how organizations approach their business operations.
One major hurdle is the philosophical change required within IT departments. While many IT teams acknowledge they don’t want to spend their days making rule changes or responding to business tickets, they often struggle with letting go of control. It’s a significant mindshift to transition from managing all rule changes to enabling business users to make these changes independently.
This transition requires redefining roles and responsibilities. IT needs to understand their new role in delivering data to the decisioning service while allowing business users to manage the decisions. When Business and IT are truly aligned, decisioning software implementations can transform organizations. IT provides robust data infrastructure and governance while business users rapidly deploy and iterate on decision logic to meet market demands. Without this partnership, projects are often stalled or deliver limited value. This redefining of responsibilities is often downplayed or overlooked during the sales process, leading to resistance — to put it mildly — during implementation.
The POC Paradox
A particular pain point in general software sales and especially in decisioning solutions is the POC phase. I’ve seen countless POCs initiated without clearly defined success objectives. We’re often so eager to demonstrate our technology that we jump into building out proof points without first establishing what success looks like.
For decisioning solutions, this becomes even more critical. Are we testing the right scenarios? Are we involving the right users? If the goal is to enable business users to change rules, why are we only demonstrating capabilities to the technical team? Without clear success criteria and the right stakeholder involvement, POCs can drag on, requiring multiple iterations and delaying the overall sales process.
Moving Forward: A Better Approach
Based on my experience, success in enterprise software sales, particularly for decisioning solutions, requires addressing these challenges head-on. Namely:
- Investing more time in initial discovery to truly understand both business and technical requirements
- Working with clients to develop concrete, measurable success criteria before starting any POC
- Explicitly addressing the organizational change management aspects of implementing decisioning solutions
- Getting executive stakeholders involved earlier in the process to prevent last-minute surprises
The Final Word
The goal isn’t just to sell software; it’s to make our clients so successful that our solution becomes a career highlight for them. When we achieve this, not only do we create a satisfied customer, but we often gain an advocate who will bring our solution to their next organization, creating a virtuous cycle of success.
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