Challenge Vendor Promises
Learn the 7 red flags of vendor theater — from fake demos to vague timelines. Plus a demo checklist so you never get sold a product that doesn't exist.
Vendor demos are theater. Here are seven warning signs that what you're seeing isn't what you'll get — plus a checklist to take into every meeting.
RED FLAG 1: THEY CAN'T SHOW YOU THE OUTPUT
What you hear: "We're still building that feature." "The output is proprietary." "Just trust us." The problem: The feature doesn't work, quality is poor, or they're overselling future capabilities. Your action: Demand 10 real, unedited output examples from actual clients. Walk away if they refuse.
RED FLAG 2: "PROPRIETARY AI MODEL"
What you hear: "We built our own model from scratch." "Trained on exclusive data." The problem: Building a competitive model from scratch costs $5M–$50M. If a startup claims a proprietary model, they're almost certainly using OpenAI or Anthropic underneath. Your action: Ask directly which base model they use — GPT-4, Claude, Llama? Dodging the question means they're hiding something.
RED FLAG 3: VAGUE TIMELINE GUARANTEES
What you hear: "We'll have you live in 2–4 weeks." "Up and running by end of quarter." The problem: These estimates hide real dependencies — IT security reviews, data migration, custom configuration, training. Your action: Ask them to walk through every onboarding step with estimated hours for each. Get it in writing.
RED FLAG 4: "AI LEARNS YOUR BRAND VOICE"
What you hear: "Just upload your style guide and the AI learns your brand." "It adapts automatically." The problem: Real brand voice training requires 50–100+ writing samples, expensive fine-tuning, and months of iterative feedback. Your action: Ask how many examples are needed, what the "training" process actually involves, and request before-and-after samples from existing clients.
RED FLAG 5: NO MENTION OF HUMAN REVIEW
What you hear: "Fully automated." "Set it and forget it." "End-to-end AI." The problem: AI without human oversight guarantees mistakes. This creates legal, brand, and accuracy risks. Your action: Ask what happens when the AI produces incorrect output. Who reviews before content goes live? Can you see error logs?
RED FLAG 6: OVERPROMISED ROI WITHOUT PROOF
What you hear: "300% ROI in the first quarter." "Save 20 hours per week." "40% increase in conversions." The problem: No named case studies, no methodology explanation, and numbers that sound too clean. Your action: Request three client references with specific metrics. Ask what else changed during the measurement period.
RED FLAG 7: UNCLEAR PRICING ESCALATORS
What you hear: "Starting at just $X per month." "Scales with your usage." "Premium features available." The problem: Per-user fees that balloon. API overages that 10x the base cost. Essential features locked behind premium tiers. Your action: Ask for the all-in cost at 2x your current scale. What triggers price increases? Can they show a sample invoice from a company your size?
DEMO CHECKLIST
Before the demo: Have they shared access to a live product (not just slides)? Did they ask about your specific use case? Can you bring your technical team?
During the demo: Ask for unedited output from real clients. See the admin and backend interface, not just the end-user view. Ask what happens when things break. Request API documentation access.
After the demo: Get three client references in a similar industry and size. Request a detailed implementation timeline with milestones. Get all-in pricing for 12 months including potential overages. Ask for a trial or pilot with clear exit clauses.
KEY TAKEAWAY
A vendor who can't clearly answer your questions probably can't clearly deliver the product. Use these red flags and the demo checklist to protect your budget and your team's time.