“We've just standardised on one BI platform”
Chief Data Officer · Data and analytics
A Chief Data Officer who has just standardised on one BI platform has fought hard for consistency, and won't reopen it lightly. Don't argue against the standard. Find what the standard doesn't cover: ask which questions teams still answer in spreadsheets, and why.
Practise it before the real call
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What the buyer says
We've just standardised on one BI platform across the business. I'm not reopening that.
How to handle it
Listen
Hear "across the business" and "not reopening". The worry is losing the consistency they've worked for, not the cost of another tool.
Acknowledge
Agree that one standard platform is valuable, and that undoing it would be a step backwards.
Explore
Ask which questions teams still answer outside the platform, in spreadsheets or exports, and why: missing data, slow changes, the wrong kind of analysis. Ask which teams push back on the standard most.
Respond
Position your product alongside the standard, covering the gaps they named, not replacing it. Be clear about how it fits their governance and where the data stays.
Say this
“That makes sense. Getting everyone onto one platform is hard work.”
Say this
“Which questions do teams still answer in spreadsheets?”
Say this
“Why can't they answer them on the standard platform?”
Variations
- Head of BI: “We've just retired four reporting tools. I'm not adding one back.”
- CIO: “One BI platform. That's the policy.”
Questions people ask
How do you respond when a data leader has just standardised on one BI platform?
Agree that a standard is valuable. Ask which questions teams still answer in spreadsheets and why, then position your product alongside the standard to cover those gaps, with clear governance.
How do you sell analytics software to a company with a standard BI tool?
Sell to the gaps, not against the standard. Most organisations still have analysis happening outside their main platform. Find out what it is and why, and show how you'd fit alongside what's in place.
More objections in Data and analytics
- “Moving would mean rebuilding everything”
- “Our budget is going on AI, not analytics”
- “People still make decisions in spreadsheets”
- “Data projects never change anything”
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.