Maximizing Software Adoption: The Essential Role of Services
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Understanding the Software Business
The software industry stands apart from others. Unlike traditional manufacturing, there's no need for continuous production of new units; the same software can be scaled to accommodate additional users from existing clients. Additionally, software can be adapted for various clients to meet their specific business needs.
Peter Thiel, a prominent tech entrepreneur and author of Zero to One, succinctly described this business model as "Linear first, exponential later." The goal of any software company is to reach that exponential growth phase, where value increases significantly with little human intervention. However, this isn't the ideal mindset for startups.
In my view, promoting services is crucial to fostering the adoption of digital products.
The Myth of Natural Adoption
The concept of natural adoption—where the belief is that simply creating a product will attract users—is one I find problematic. It seems to suggest that doing nothing will lead to financial success, which is a flawed notion.
Consider the following statistics: According to Statista, as of early 2021, there were 6,838,894 software applications available for download across various platforms. This number has likely surged in 2022. While we must account for duplicate software across platforms and recognize that many B2B applications (like SAP and Salesforce) aren't available in these public app stores, the sheer volume of options presents a daunting challenge. How can we ensure users choose our product over countless alternatives?
This challenge intensifies for enterprise-level applications, which aren't listed in major app stores. Therefore, it's imperative to reach clients in their environments. However, that's not enough.
The pressing question remains: How can we encourage and expedite the adoption of our software products? My answer lies in services.
The Importance of Services in Software Adoption
This is a point of contention I have with my Sales Director, Derrick (a pseudonym). He believes that if we build quality software, customers will naturally come. However, given that our Regional Headquarters in Asia-Pacific is relatively new, few people are familiar with our software or company.
Without proactive efforts, there is zero chance customers will engage with us.
Derrick is hesitant about my suggestion to use services to promote software adoption. He feels that direct customer engagement and consulting services provide little value to clients and our software. I disagree.
I presented several compelling reasons for incorporating professional services into our offerings:
- Software Immersion Workshops: Encourage potential clients to use our software and experience its benefits firsthand.
- Consulting Services: Enhance user engagement with our software, fostering loyalty.
- Strategic Partnerships: Demonstrate our commitment to our clients' success beyond just selling products.
Offering high-quality services sets us apart from competitors who rely on the idea of natural adoption. Our approach accelerates software adoption through direct human interaction, unlike those who wait for clients to come to them.
It's crucial to understand that software adoption is mutually exclusive. If a client uses our visual management software, they won't simultaneously use a competitor's offering. This insight is particularly vital for startups aiming for rapid growth. Bundling diverse high-end professional services with our software can create a significant competitive advantage.
Types of Services to Offer and Their Importance
I firmly believe in the principle of customer intimacy. A profound understanding of clients is essential for delivering relevant services.
In Asia-Pacific, I've noticed that many organizations operate with lean IT teams, often employing just five IT professionals to support over 300 employees and an average of 15 enterprise-level software solutions. This highlights the necessity for administrator outsourcing services, allowing business users to engage with our product without needing extensive IT support.
Furthermore, there are numerous opportunities for performance management workshops. Often, performance indicators are imposed top-down, with many regional teams inheriting metrics that may not be practical locally. These workshops prompt critical thinking, enabling business operators to step back and evaluate the relevance of existing performance metrics to their work. Through collaboration, they can develop performance indicators that align with their needs using our software.
These examples illustrate my point: understanding clients' businesses will reveal which services to offer.
Conclusion
Services play a vital role in initiating and accelerating software adoption. The notion that "build it, and they will come" represents a complacent mindset that can hinder startups.
To ensure clients can effectively use our software, we must be present in their environments, whether in institutional or retail contexts. By pairing high-end professional services with our software to address client pain points, we can drive software adoption. As we build a substantial user base, we position ourselves for exponential growth and increased chances of survival in the competitive landscape.
About the Author
As a contributor, I share insights gained from my daily experiences and business interactions. Our life experiences shape our unique perspectives. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter!
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