How to run a dealership software demonstration

What to check before you decide

Ask the vendor to label each capability as it appears. Is it native, set up by configuration, supplied by a partner, or planned for later?

Write the label down. A feature that needs a partner has a second contract and a second support line.

A planned feature is not a feature.

Invite the people who will use the tool. A service advisor sees problems a manager misses.

Ask them to try tasks themselves, and count the clicks. Give them a score sheet.

Test the connections. Ask the vendor to show the integration with your DMS, in your DMS's real environment if possible, and to name the other stores running that exact setup.

Watch for avoidance. If the vendor skips a scenario, note it.

If it says that is configurable, ask to see the configuration screen. If it says the report exists, ask to see it with your sample data.

Record the demo, with permission, and score it the same day while memories are fresh. Keep a list of unanswered questions, and require written answers before the next meeting.

Afterward, compare demos by scenario, not by impression.

Plan the follow-up before the demo ends, with a named person who will confirm in writing every answer the vendor gave verbally, including the capabilities labeled native or configured, because a demo is a sales conversation and the written answers are what you can hold the vendor to when the contract is signed and the first problem arrives.

Share the score sheet with the vendor afterward, including the items it skipped. Vendors that respond with a clear answer and a follow-up date are usually the ones that will support you after the sale.