Template

Vendor evaluation call template

You are the buyer: the same questions for every supplier, so the answers can be compared afterwards.

45 minutesFor Anybody choosing a tool or a supplierAgenda room
Change the agenda first

The agenda, with a time for each part

  1. What we need it to do5 min
    • Here are our three must-haves. Which do you not do?
  2. Show us that, on our example15 min
    • Can you do it with our data, not your demo?
  3. What it costs, all in7 min
    • What will the bill be in month twelve, with everything we need?
  4. Security and where our data goes8 min
    • Where is our data kept, and who at your company can open it?
  5. Who else uses it like us5 min
    • Can we talk to a customer our size?
  6. What happens if we leave5 min
    • How do we get our data out, and in what form?

How the notes read afterwards

A made-up example, so you can see the shape. In a real call each line carries the words that were said and who said them.

Must-haves. Does two of three; single sign-on is on the higher plan only.

Cost. $18 a seat, $14,400 a year for our team, with sign-on included.

Leaving. Everything exports as CSV and JSON; recordings are kept for thirty days after.

Running it well

Ways to change it

Second roundOnly the two finalists, with the people who will use it asking the questions.
Renewing with a supplierSwap the demo for what went wrong this year and what they will change.

When to skip it. When it costs less than the hour. Try it for a week instead.

Questions

What should you ask a software vendor?

Whether it does your must-haves, what it costs in full, where your data is kept, who else like you uses it, and how you get your data out.

How many vendors should you compare?

Three. Fewer and you have no comparison; more and you will not remember who said what.

What happens in the room

Everybody joins from the link, with no account. The agenda sits beside the call and each item fills in with what was said about it, under the name of the person who said it.

More templates

Sales pipeline reviewDeal by deal: what changed this week, what is stuck, and what the next step is.Weekly sales meetingThe whole sales team, once a week: the number, what was won and lost, and one thing everybody gets better at.Client kickoff meetingThe first meeting with a new client after they sign: what success looks like to them, who does what, and how you will keep in touch.Renewal callA few weeks before a contract ends: what the customer got from it, what they want next, and whether they stay.Sales discovery callLearn how they work today, what they have tried, and what a good outcome is — before pitching anything.Client check-inWhat changed, how it is going against the goals you agreed, and what is next.Quarterly business review (QBR)Once a quarter with a customer: what they got for their money, what did not work, and what the next quarter is for.Customer onboarding callThe first call after somebody buys: what they want to get done, who needs setting up, and the first result to aim for.

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