posted by admin on March 4, 2009 11:53 PM

Sounds too good to be true and often is. Many companies claim they let you try before you buy, however how many really let you TRY? The retail industry lets you try clothes on before buying, however how many national retailers (with the exception of Nordstrom) will let you remove the tags, wear the clothes and return them no questions asked? Not many. The auto industry lets you take a new car for a test drive, but dealerships don’t let you crash the car to see the responsiveness of the service department. Do they?

It is great to be a part of the SaaS industry that embraces the try before you buy philosophy. As Chris and Matt mentioned in a recent podcast, there is no such thing as a free lunch in the SaaS industry. There may be no free lunch, but there are free trials in the world of SaaS. If you are fortunate enough to try before you buy, I challenge you to put the product or service you are trying to the SaaS Crash test.

Remember: “You can learn a lot from a Free Trial”

Put your SaaS Free Trial to the Five Star Crash Test:

1. Total Your Data. If the company claims to have great back-up services, ask for a back-up. Even if they don’t claim to have a great back-up service, ask for one because they should.

2. Test Drive all the Features. Test all features and if there are any not accessible during a free trial ask to experience them. If the company says no, that is a red flag.

3. Challenge the Service Department. Contact via phone, email, twitter, etc. See how responsive they are to your needs. Ask an easy question. Ask a hard question. Ask multiple questions. Remember there are no dumb questions, and support replies should not make you feel dumb. When you call, see who answers the phone. Does a human answer the phone or are you routed through a maze of prompts with the ever familiar pre-recorded operator voice? Are you able to get management on the phone?

4. Read the Manual. Make sure there are adequate help documents and security procedures in place. Check out the blog and see if it is current. Watch a demo or check out the training library. If there is no demo or you want additional information, ask for a live demo.

5. Ask to talk to current drivers. If the company hesitates to put you in touch with a current customer, start exploring other options. Do you really want to sign-up with a company whose customers are not its biggest fans?

Does your SaaS provider receive a five star crash rating?

Additional Reading:
Three Things to Consider When Evaluating SaaS Providers
Benefits of SaaS in a downturn