You don’t need the most expensive options out there when it comes to tools or software. Some years ago, when I was working on a project with a lead generation agency, they had this way of categorizing leads for a more premium client. They would categorize champagne for clients or prospective clients that fell on the premium range, wine for the medium range, and then the lower ticket prospects would be beer. I want to apply this because you could always look for a premium option, something more average, or a lower ticket option depending on the type of business you run.
If you’re a smaller business or team, you don’t always want to go for the more expensive option so that when it comes to the point of renewing it, it’s not something you dread. With smaller businesses, you always want to look for the best balance with cost, value, and long-term goals.
Even with larger businesses, you want a great balance, because you don’t need something that is so expensive that you cannot afford it a few years down the line. When you want to start, or if you’re working with an external service provider, it’s always best to ask them for a proof of concept if they are providing recommendations based on this balance. You want to see how these tools would fit your team or your business.
I’ll just say it’s for you to see how your business, problems, or environment is replicated in these tools, to see if it ticks the boxes of your non-negotiables. Remember, your non-negotiables list is a list of features that a tool must have for you to be able to produce excellent results. Now, when you are trying to pick a balanced option, if you’re a smaller team, you want the beer option and you’re not going to have a lot of choices when it comes to premium features. So this is the time where you’re working with someone who is going to give you a lot of workarounds. It’s important to test the tool. A little trial and error never hurts anyone. Try, test, see if it meets your standards. Spend a week or two, a few days or a few hours, and see if it has those things that can help you. See if the price is reasonable enough that you can continuously afford it as the years go by. As an external provider, I’ve come across features that are very good for a business, but when it comes to the cost, it’s simply not something I can recommend for a business that doesn’t have a lot of volume. I’ve worked with smaller teams that are very lean, because that is the objective of a company, to have a lean team, and they are not very specific about pricing. They are very okay with cost as long as they get the best features. You, as a smaller business or a smaller team, cannot afford that luxury.