Mike Kelly On Vendor Hype

Mike Kelly wrote an excellent piece about dealing with product/service vendors.  Go read the full post:

I think I’m ready to close the dialog… 

It is a rant, but the points he makes are right on the mark. If you want to cut through the crap that vendors like to spew, Mike has some great points and observations to think about. He defines some of the common sales terminolgy, what they actually mean. Vendors should take a close look at this.

I have been in the meetings he described where slicked up sales guys try to hawk some product that will not only solve all of your problems, but will also cure world hunger and save baby seals. This is usually followed by some fancy powerpoint and the same talking points that you have already read in their website's FAQ. Half of the time it takes everything I have to not stand up and just yell: "just give me the damn white paper and tell me the price already!".

My favorite observations he makes about terminology:

“Additional value add”:

"It’s a superfluous phrase. I’m tempted to ask, “What services or products do you provide that don’t add value? I just want to know so I can be sure I’m not paying for any of those.” I hope all your services add value. If they don’t, don’t offer them. When you use terms like “additional value add,” in my mind you become the used car salesman of your industry."

"Opening a dialog”

"The last thing I want to do is “open a dialog” about my problems. If I put a specific problem in front of you, I’m interested in specific solutions. Put the person in front of me who can help me understand what we need to do, and what you can do to help. If you’re not that person, I’ll find another vendor who is. I don’t have time to dialog, I have problems."

Nice post Mike!