By Katherine Beaty
My husband is passionate about Viking culture and history, so I decided to surprise him with a Viking shield for our home. Its arrival proved unsatisfying: It turned out to be a small appetizer plate, a miniaturized version of our big Viking dream. Although we laugh about it now, at the time, we were both really disappointed.
I reviewed the product description multiple times, trying to figure out how I had missed such an important detail. However, no measurements were listed anywhere. It looked perfect online, but it just wasn’t the right fit.
Just like that undersized shield, many slick parking solutions look flawless at first glance. The product appears great, the sales pitch is convincing, and suddenly you’ve signed up for something that doesn’t really fit your needs. It’s easy to get drawn in by the latest technology, new designs, or trendy buzzwords.
You know the terms: AI-powered, cloud-based, next-gen. They sound impressive, but do they really solve your problem? Sometimes it’s like picking something flashy when what you actually need is something practical.
Try it in your own mirror
When I shop for clothes, I never try them on in the store because I don’t trust mirrors. I prefer to take them home and see how they look in my own space, with honest lighting and my husband’s honest opinion.
Business decisions work the same way. Demos and trade show displays are meant to impress. The real question is how the product works with your team and your current systems. To ground this metaphor in reality, challenge your team to calculate the “return on effort” during a pilot test. Track one week of use, noting the hours saved or errors avoided. This exercise can convert initial curiosity into concrete proof of a product’s actual value.
To effectively set up a pilot, start by selecting metrics that align with your goals. Involve key users from various departments to ensure comprehensive feedback. Once the pilot is underway, review results diligently to evaluate both quantitative and qualitative outcomes. This structured approach facilitates well-informed decisions, boosting confidence in the process.
I like to test out purchases before making a decision. When I shop for a purse or sneakers, I take them for a brief test drive, trying them out as I walk through the aisles. Often, I quickly realize if they’re not as practical or comfortable as I thought. Picture spending a day in those sneakers, feeling every step and how they mold to your feet, or seeing if a purse can handle the weight of your essentials, not just for now but for the long haul. What if we applied this same approach to business purchases and tried things out before making a purchase?
The fit test: Try it before you buy it
Here’s a checklist to guide you through that process. It’s designed to be applied in practical settings, such as during vendor demonstrations, team meetings, or procurement reviews:
- Does it fit your operation? Will it work with your current traffic flow, staff capacity, or existing systems?
- Does it fit your goals? Will it improve revenue, efficiency, or customer experience, or add complexity?
- Does it fit your budget and bandwidth? Will this “good deal” end up straining your resources?
- Can you move in it? Is it scalable, flexible, and easy to integrate with what you already have?
- Do your people like how it feels? If your frontline team, or customers, dread using it, it’s never going to succeed.
If it requires constant tailoring, it might not be the right size or the right solution.
Know when to walk away
It’s OK to walk away from a purchase that doesn’t fit. Really, it is. But it’s not always easy.
It’s easy to become attached to the search, especially after months of researching, obtaining quotes, and attending demos. This is where the challenge of sunk-cost bias comes into play, as the time and effort invested can cloud judgment. Acknowledge this tendency and refocus your evaluation based on current needs rather than past efforts.
Encourage your team to periodically reassess whether the initial choice still aligns with your actual requirements. When end-of-year pressure hits and you feel like you must spend the budget, you might end up buying something fancy when what you really need is something simple.
If you realize you made a poor purchase in the past, budget season can also be an opportunity for a course correction. Maybe that small shield belongs in the kitchen display, not on the battlefield, and that’s OK.
The right fit never goes out of style
The best purchases don’t just look good on paper; they look good in your operation. They make you, your team, and your customers feel confident, capable, and equipped to handle whatever comes next.
Because in parking, as in fashion, the right fit never goes out of style. Trust me, after the Great Viking Shield Incident of 2024, I’ll be double-checking every product description from now on.
Katherine Beaty is the CEO and president of Beaty Solutions. She can be reached at [email protected].
