How you can choose the right athlete/player monitoring solution?

If you are in the market for the first-time to an invest in athlete monitoring solution or indeed if you feel deep-down that you present solution is not fit-for-purpose or is delivering poor price-to-value ratio it’s probably worth your while to get some expert advice.

An applied and experienced expert in this area will be able to assist you and help you make the correct and appropriate buying decision through understanding the priorities, objectives and concerns of your and your colleagues across the club/organisation. Note that this is a drastically different process to the traditional “tell me what keeps you awake at night” sales approach.

There are a number of key points to keep in mind throughout this process

1. Why exactly do you want an athlete-monitoring solution?  

On many occasions when I broach this subject with clients I consult with I am met with…..silence. It brings to mind the passage from Alice in Wonderland when Alice arrives at the cross-roads and asks which way to go. 

“Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?

The Cheshire Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.

Alice: I don't much care where.

The Cheshire Cat: Then it doesn't much matter which way you go.

Alice: ...So long as I get somewhere.

The Cheshire Cat: Oh, you're sure to do that, if only you walk long enough.”

The best first step to avoid this is to land on the primary questions which you want answered with regard to training and performance. Your other solutions like video analysis will shine a light on ‘what’ and ‘how’….athlete monitoring will help you with the ‘why’ -but only if you have all the appropriate questions to present to the data.

2. What’s (really) important to you?

First off, yes, price is an important factor. However if that is the sole benchmark and lens for comparing and contrasting various solutions you’ll likely, in my experience (and that of many many clubs, teams and organisations) venture down the path of ‘false economy’. With how many other investments is it appropriate and responsible to focus on price only?? 

Would it be unrealistic to take some time to sit down and consider the non-visible factors? 

How important is accuracy of data to you? 

How vital are reliability and convenience? 

What about owning your own data…nice to have or need to have? 

What is the back-up support and warranty?

What’s the difference between a pro-grade and a consumer-grade solution? 

Has the vendor a track-record for quality delivery? 

How’s their record for useful innovation? 

Have they supplied clients similar to us in the past? 

Are their people experienced both in the ‘in the trenches’ sense?

Away from the glossy marketing & testimonials what are people really saying?

Do they reinvest in R&D and development? 

How does the vendor justify the outlay required and difference to their direct competitors?

What’s the overall price-to-value ratio comparison of my options?

Does this supplier specialise in providing a professional-grade solution to clubs and teams in a similar tier to me?

3. Buy for 4 years time

Many people get blinded by flashy marketing and tenuous ‘social-proof’ such as ‘team XYZ use our system, so you should too’. Let’s get beyond that amateur buying-psychology babble. At best it’s condescending. Of course it’s important to know and trust what you are buying today…..but also ask yourself if this is a ‘future-proof’ investment when you look a few years down the road. 

Are there features contained within that you may not use right now but may well do when you are a more experienced practitioner? 

What does the innovation pipeline look like? Will any of this cost me extra?

What is the annual fee structure? What are the hidden extras? 

Has the vendor developed innovative ways and approaches to leveraging the outputs/data accrued in other areas of the club? e.g. fan engagement, marketing

Overall, look into the future to see if this investment will stand the test of time…..or is it likely that it may not be so useful in a few years time??

Since 2008 our performance experts within the VX SPORT group have been helping teams and clubs reach the correct decision to match their priorities - it’s of huge importance to any business who wants to sustain their success over many years to ensure that the primary focus is establishing a trusting relationship and framework where client and supplier can grow together by understanding each other and communicating in a mutually respectful fashion.

4. Your gut-feel

When you get over the pitch, presentation and persuasion what is your quiet voice internally telling you? 

Your investment is generally quite large - too important to be guided by external prompting & confirmation bias alone. Take the time to reflect on what you’ve learned and how this marries with what you feel a great outcome looks (and feels) like for the whole club or organisation - Do you feel you’ve been understood and listened to? 

We’d love the chance to learn more about your priorities and challenges if you are in the market for an athlete-monitoring solution. Is it unrealistic for us to have a conversation soon by offering you a free consultation. All the best!