It can feel completely overwhelming when you have to choose event rental software. Shopping for the right solution can be intimidating. First of all, most people inherently dislike change. Therefore, they’re not eager to switch programs and they’re definitely nervous to make the wrong decision, which would lead to yet another change down the road.

Making the right decision, however, can lead to way less stress in terms of day-to-day operations, easier and faster sales, and data-driven business decisions that help you scale. Here are the questions you need to be asking both yourself and your potential software provider to ensure you are making the right decision for your business.

1. WHO?

Ask the salesperson: Who are your customers? First and foremost, you want to choose event rental software from a company that has customers who are aligned to your industry. If not, it’s likely they are missing core functionalities you require and, even worse, they’re unlikely to build features for you as you’re not their core audience.

Also ask: Who are the event professionals who like you? How many like you? Insider trick: check to see if the same 5 companies on the testimonial page are the only references a software company gives you. A software company that is truly loved by users should have tons of reviews on Capterra and should feature testimonials from a wide variety of companies across their social media, YouTube, and marketing pages.

2. WHAT?

This is actually a question you should ask yourself before you shop. What do I actually want? What do I actually need? Make your list of “must haves” and “nice to haves” before the sales demos. This helps you avoid “shiny ball syndrome,” where the salesperson showcases a seemingly “cool” feature, but it’s something you’ll rarely use and certainly don’t need.

For more tips on how to choose event rental software, watch this webinar with our VP of Growth, Karen Gordon, and AllSeated. She walks through all the best ways to prepare and sneaky tricks to watch out for throughout the process.

3. WHERE?

Ask them: Where is this software built? Is this being built in-house? Or are you shipping all the development overseas? Some software companies ship out all their development to developing hubs that they can barely communicate with due to time differences and language barriers. This means that features are often built slightly differently than intended. This leads to lots of glitches, confusion, and headaches.

Aim to find a software that is built by in-house, senior developers. Goodshuffle Pro’s co-founders are a UI/UX expert and a Full Stack Developer. We hire experts to build the fastest, smartest technology so that even the “non-tech” folks instantly understand the program and can use it without the frustration of slow, cluttered programs.

Also: Are there in-house event professionals on staff? While Goodshuffle Pro was started by tech experts, one of them was also a DJ who owned a lighting and sound business. They also instantly partnered with event companies of varying sizes and specialties to ensure they built a customizable program specifically for event professionals. Many of our team members today have event backgrounds which means they bring a genuine understanding and passion to their work with clients.

4. WHY?

Why should I pick you? Look, every software is going to claim to save you time. Almost all of them should— that’s sort of the point. But really try to get to the UNIQUE value proposition that the company offers. Then, be sure they have the goods to back it up. Goodshuffle Pro can instantly back up our ease-of-use claim with our clear, crisp user interface that you see from the instant you set eyes on the software. It’s also further backed up by unlimited customer support, which we could never afford to offer if the software was a confusing mess! Plus, you can read tons of reviews that typically call out those two value propositions right off the bat: Easy to get going and unparalleled customer service.

5. HOW?

Finally, don’t forget: How did you do that? Can you show me? Be careful for the smoke and mirrors that are sometimes involved in a sales pitch. And, be sure to ask clear, specific questions:

• Does that tax specify for sales v. rental or is there only one tax type?
• Does your delivery calculation go off of routing or mileage as the crow flies?
• How does the client sign that document? Do they need to sign in first?

A salesperson should be dying to show you the amazing features of a program. Don’t be shy to ask “can you show me how you did that again?”

Shopping for the right event rental software for your business can be tricky. Be prepared to ask these questions when shopping around so you have all the right information to choose the best solution for your event company.

Feature Image by Arden Photography