The Comprehensive Guide to CDP Vendor Questioning
It can be hard to perfectly assess which CDP vendor will be the best fit for your business as you dip into this pivotal marketing strategy. But fear not, at Zeta Global, we have a comprehensive staff with years of experience leading and managing these types of conversations. Below, you can find a comprehensive guide to help you keep track of CDP vendor answers over time.
Vendor name:
Meeting date:
Persons in attendance:
Ask how features work, not whether they’re present.
One way to ask this: Can you walk me through how some of your key features work?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Ask to see an updated product roadmap.
One way to ask this: I’d love to see your latest product roadmap. Can you walk me through some key milestones over the next 18 months-3 years?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Ask for case histories.
One way to ask this: Can you share case histories of clients who are similar to my organization?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Ask the vendor’s strategy for reaching your goals.
One way to ask this: Given what you know about our company, how do you envision helping us reach our specific goals?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Ask about vendor staffing.
One way to ask this: Can you tell me what kind of roles are represented on the team that would service our account?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Ask about the vendor’s expectations of your staffing.
One way to ask this: What are your expectations of our deployment resources? How many people do you think we would need to dedicate to making this transition a success? What roles are typical for your clients to staff?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Ask about costs.
One way to ask this: Can you walk me through your cost structure?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Do we need to hire a consultant?
One way to ask this: Given what you know about our organization, do you think a consultant is necessary? Why or why not?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Who should manage the process?
One way to ask this: Can you help me understand who, in your experience, is best suited to manage a project of this scope in an organization like mine?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Notes:
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
Next steps:
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
Vendor name:
Meeting date:
Persons in attendance:
Ask how features work, not whether they’re present.
One way to ask this: Can you walk me through how some of your key features work?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Ask to see an updated product roadmap.
One way to ask this: I’d love to see your latest product roadmap. Can you walk me through some key milestones over the next 18 months-3 years?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Ask for case histories.
One way to ask this: Can you share case histories of clients who are similar to my organization?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Ask the vendor’s strategy for reaching your goals.
One way to ask this: Given what you know about our company, how do you envision helping us reach our specific goals?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Ask about vendor staffing.
One way to ask this: Can you tell me what kind of roles are represented on the team that would service our account?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Ask about the vendor’s expectations of your staffing.
One way to ask this: What are your expectations of our deployment resources? How many people do you think we would need to dedicate to making this transition a success? What roles are typical for your clients to staff?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Ask about costs.
One way to ask this: Can you walk me through your cost structure?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Do we need to hire a consultant?
One way to ask this: Given what you know about our organization, do you think a consultant is necessary? Why or why not?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Who should manage the process?
One way to ask this: Can you help me understand who, in your experience, is best suited to manage a project of this scope in an organization like mine?
Answered thoughtfully? 1 2 3 4 5
Short answer:
Follow-up question for next meeting:
Best contact person for more information:
Notes:
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
Next steps:
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
