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Ok, let me remind us all of the blatantly obvious: “SaaS”
stands for “software-as-service.” Yup, “service” is right there in the name.
But looking at the way most SaaS solutions are marketed, too
often it’s all about the “software”, and
On website, in videos, during customer presentations, and in
every other piece of marketing communication, it’s all about the software. “Look at this feature, look at that feature,
look at another feature.”
All this hyping of features reminds me of how we used to
market traditional licensed application packages. That made sense when we were essentially
selling a disc full of software.
The buyer expects
service with their software
But that’s not what SaaS is, and it’s not what the SaaS
buyer expects.
They’re paying a regular subscription fee for access to the
software features… and a whole lot more.
They’re expecting help with implementation. They need to get up & running with the solution. (See “Your
SaaS buyers could be afraid to buy.”)
They’re looking for help with training. That might include training for
administrators and for others in the organization that will be using the
solution.
And they’re looking for support. When they get stuck and run into a problem,
they expect that someone from the vendor will help.
Beyond that, a SaaS vendor should actually be providing
expert guidance on how customers can get the most from the solution. They can share tips, best practices, benchmarks,
and other help.
So, if this is what SaaS buyers are expecting, this is what
SaaS marketing should be promoting. Talk about your expert guidance and your implementation, training, support services.
Follow the software-as-a-service label: Market your services,
not just your features.
