FAQ
How recent is the information in the VEST?
The VEST was updated in Janauary 2012 based on information gathered during December 2011 and January 2012. The first edition was published in January 2011.
Where did the information come from?
Raab Associates sent each vendor a detailed survey covering nearly 200 items. For most items, the vendors rated themselves on a scale of 0 to 2 depending on whether the item was fully available, partly available or not available. Other items, such as number of clients or years in business, were converted by Raab Associates into the 0 to 2 range. Raab Associates reviewed the vendor answers based on our own knowledge of these systems and raised questions when appropriate. Although Raab Associates can’t guarantee that every answer is accurate, we feel the results fairly reflect the relative positions of the different vendors.
What do the fitness scores mean? And what’s the difference between the Small, Mid-Size and Large scores?
The fitness scores are designed to measure how well each vendor “fits” with the buyer requirements. They were created by assigning a weight to each item in the original survey. These weights reflect how important the items are to buyers. We created created separate weights for small, mid-size and large marketing departments because they have different needs.
Actual score calculations multiply the weight assigned to each item times the 0-2 vendor rating for that item. Results are grouped into seven product fit categories (lead generation, campaign management, lead scoring and distribution, etc.) and two vendor fit categories (company strength and industry expertise). These are summarized into product and vendor fitness scores, which are plotted on the sector charts. There are separate charts for the small, mid-size and large buyers.
Why should I pay for this information when there are so many free vendor comparisons available?
There’s a lot of great information available for free. We offer quite a bit of it ourselves. But if you look closely, you’ll see that it’s nearly always generic advice rather than specific product details. Putting together accurate, detailed information is too expensive for companies whose business is based on giving out free content.