For many companies that use visual configuration software, the point of doing so is to make sales. If you're not quite sure how a visual configurator would fit into your sales model, here are six ways others use such tools.
Differentiation
Everybody has a sales pitch, but not everyone uses visual configuration. While a glossy brochure and a slick website both have value, allowing potential customers to tweak configurations on the fly takes things up several notches. If only one sales pitch includes a visual configurator, you can bet that people who use it will remember who brought it to them. It reflects well on the folks doing the selling, and that can differentiate your level of excellence.
Many Changes
Some products require numerous changes before a customer can be happy with them. Visual configuration software speeds up that process, and that can get you to a sale sooner. If you're selling a vehicle that has several thousand unique combinations, for example, visual configuration condenses those options into something that feels intuitive rather than overwhelming.
Visual and Practical Learning
Many people just aren't going to learn quickly from text content and still images. They need to get a feel for what a product is like and how they can configure it. A visual configurator creates a hands-on experience without the need to deal with cumbersome demonstration models.
Side-by-Side Comparison
With several configurations completed, a customer can look at side-by-side comparisons of their options. This helps to defuse the paradox of choice, where having lots of options can make it harder for customers to decide. They can see what makes one configuration superior to another, helping them narrow down their choices quickly.
Sharing
Most visual configuration software packages now also make it easy to share selected options with others. If you need a friend's opinion about a configuration, you can easily share a digital or printed copy of the product with the selections you've made. They can then provide feedback and help with the buying process.
Salespeople can also share with customers. If there are several popular configurations, they can share these and then encourage customers to go from there.
Lowering Barriers
Especially with high-cost products, customers are often intimidated by what they perceive as barriers to entry. A visual configurator makes it easier for those people to cheaply interact with such products. Once they become comfortable in the configuration environment, it may be easier for them to make the leap to the real thing.
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