Ask for the methodology before you buy, not after
Leverage is highest before the invoice and effectively gone after it. Four things worth requesting in writing while the asking still costs the vendor something.
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By Joris van Huët, Founder & CEOUpdated 3 min read
Your leverage is highest before the invoice and effectively gone afterwards. Four things worth requesting in writing while asking still costs the vendor something.
The four requests
| Request | What a good response looks like |
|---|---|
| The methodology document | A link, sent immediately, readable without an account |
| A sample output payload | A real file with every field a customer receives |
| The stated limits | A section that already exists, not one written for you |
| What happens at cancellation | A specific format and a stated period |
Why timing changes the answers
Before purchase, a request is part of a sale and gets attention. After purchase, the same request is a support ticket competing with everything else in the queue. Nothing improper is happening; incentives simply shift, and it is worth using the window while it is open.
The sample payload request
The most informative of the four and the least asked. Ask for a real export, and compare the fields in it against the fields shown in the interface. Anything present in one and absent from the other is worth a question, and the answer tells you what the product considers optional.
The limits request
Phrase it as: which questions is this tool the wrong instrument for. A vendor that has thought about it answers in a sentence. A vendor that has not will describe more features, which is itself an answer.
The cancellation request
Ask what a departing customer receives, in what format and within what period. Speed and specificity here predict the rest of the relationship, and the question is covered in what you keep when you take the refund.
The deadline that is real
Not a sales one. Your analytics retention setting governs how far back you can evaluate against, and it expires quietly. If you plan to test a tool on a past window, check that the window still exists before you plan the evaluation, as covered in the two-month retention trap.
What we publish without asking
The method in plain language on how it works, readable with no account.
First read €99, once, on a Google Analytics export, refundable within 30 days, no questions asked, with no subscription attached.
The one-line version
Ask while the answer is free. After the invoice it costs you a ticket and a fortnight, and by then you have already decided.
Related answers
Frequently asked questions
What should I request from a vendor before buying?
The methodology document, a real sample output payload, the stated limits of the method, and what a departing customer receives and when. All four are cheap to ask for before an invoice and slow to obtain after one.Why request a sample output payload?
To compare the fields in the file against the fields in the interface. Anything present in one and absent from the other reveals what the product treats as optional, which is usually the uncertainty and coverage information.How do I ask about a tool's limits?
Phrase it as which questions this tool is the wrong instrument for. A vendor that has thought about it answers in a sentence; one that has not will describe more features, which is itself a useful answer.
Go deeper: Incrementality testing, explained.
Sixty-second versions of these ideas: Causality Engine on YouTube Shorts.
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Keep reading
Terms in this article
- Ad SpendAd Spend is the total amount invested in advertising campaigns. It is measured against Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) to evaluate campaign effectiveness.
- AnalyticsAnalytics is the systematic computational analysis of data. It reveals customer behavior and measures campaign performance.
- AttributionAttribution identifies user actions that contribute to a desired outcome and assigns value to each. It reveals which marketing touchpoints drive conversions.
- Google AnalyticsGoogle Analytics is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
- Multi-Touch AttributionMulti-Touch Attribution assigns credit to multiple marketing touchpoints across the customer journey. It provides a complete view of channel impact on conversions.