Have you ever found a tool that will make you more efficient at your job? But you’re having trouble getting buy-in from the people who need to give you the green light to start using it? Maybe they just don't have the time to take a deep dive to validate your idea or you’re dealing with unnecessary corporate red-tape. We’ve seen this scenario play out time and again. Here are a couple strategies to help proactively move the process forward.
Use Real Data to Demonstrate the Value-add
Here's an example of a recent prospective customer at Toxnot. This individual found Toxnot and immediately saw how Product Passports on the Toxnot Exchange would allow him to communicate compliance determinations with his sales team. In his situation, his sales team was constantly bugging him to answer questions about product compliance. It was time consuming and unproductive. The Exchange would allow him to manage all compliance information and publish the data to an active database where his sales team could answer the questions themselves. However, he was having trouble conveying this value-add to his team.
Our solution was to create an example using real data to create an example his team could connect with. The next time he was asked a question, he forwarded the link to publicly searchable Toxnot Exchange where his sales team would see the compliance determinations. Seeing a product the team was familiar with and experiencing how the system would benefit the company allowed our guy to get the right people in the room and stimulate buy-in.
Demonstrate the ROI
Businesses are number driven, if you can make a clear argument for why the tool will help your bottom line, you will have a higher chance of success. We have a handy tool built exactly for this purpose. Check out the cost savings calculator - Toxnot is a money and time saving tool.
Start off by making sure to clearly demonstrate how many working hours you and your team would save by using the software. Additionally, Toxnot’s many functionalities might be applicable to other teams in your company. Toxnot supports supply chain outreach, chemical substance management, compliance determination calculations, sustainability initiatives, circularity initiatives … you get my point. If you can show how it would cast a wider use case, you’ll gain traction. Additionally, failing to comply with compliance regulations is a costly game, OSHA fines range in the tens of thousands of dollars. Lasly, what do competitor tools price at? Show that you’ve done your research and found the most economical option.
Get the Right People in the Room
We’re all familiar with internal politics and corporate red tape. We urge you to think about who really has to be at the decision making table. If someone doesn’t have to be there, don’t crowd the room. But on the other hand, if getting many people together could build momentum and demonstrate how important the acquisition is to the business, that’s an equally productive strategy. Depending on how big your company is, here is a list of people that usually have to be involved when buying a software product.
- Compliance Manager
- Sustainability Manager
- Supply CHain Outreach Coordinator
- IT Stakeholder(s)
- Customer Relationship Manager
- Procurement Team
Toxnot can help with needs across the company ranging from compliance, to sustainability to supply chain management. If you can show someone else how Toxnot could help them, you’ll have more people in your corner.
If you're looking for a compliance solution but don't know where to start or are having trouble getting your own internal buy-in, we suggest starting with Toxnot's free account subscription! Our open access solution for product compliance grants you a completely free suite of compliance automation for your products. For you, that means getting started now and having tangible value to show your team!
All you need to do is sign up for your forever free account here.
