By Gatedleads team · November 3, 2026
Software Buying Guide Template: Help Buyers Compare Before They Book a Demo
A software buying guide is a short document that helps a buyer compare options before they book a demo, covering what to ask, what to check and how to weigh the answers. The most useful ones are honest enough to include questions that make the publisher look less than perfect. This post gives a fill-in template you can adapt, written for software companies selling to marketers, consultants and service businesses, who often research alone and speak to a vendor late.
Why a buying guide helps before the demo
Buyers in these groups tend to be busy and cautious. A marketing consultant picking a scheduling tool, or a small accountancy practice choosing a client portal, may compare several products over a week without ever replying to a sales email. If the first thing a vendor offers is a demo, a good share of those people leave.
A buying guide meets the buyer earlier. It acknowledges that they are still working out what to look for, and it gives them a way to do so. In return for a name and email address, they get a structured checklist, and you get a contact who has told you they are in a buying process. If you want ideas on the wider approach, see our post on lead magnets for software companies.
What makes a buying guide credible
A guide that simply argues for your product reads as an advert. These habits make it believable.
- Write the criteria first and let the buyer judge your product against them.
- Include questions you do not answer perfectly, and say where a different kind of product might suit better.
- Use plain language, with no jargon the buyer has to look up.
- Keep claims specific and checkable, and leave out numbers you cannot source.
- Keep it short enough to finish in one sitting.
Fairness helps with the first call as well. A buyer who has read an honest guide arrives with better questions and fewer suspicions. Our post on writing a buyer's guide lead magnet covers the format more broadly.
The template
Copy the structure below into a document or a page. Replace each bracketed prompt with your own content.
| Section | What to write | Your content |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Name the buyer and the decision, for example "[Buyer type]'s guide to choosing [product category]" | [ ] |
| Who this is for | One or two sentences on the buyer, their size and their situation | [ ] |
| The decision in plain terms | What the product category does and the problem it solves | [ ] |
| Five to seven criteria | The things that matter most when comparing, such as fit with existing tools, ease of setup, support, pricing clarity and exit options | [ ] |
| Questions to ask any vendor | A short list for each criterion, including questions that apply to you | [ ] |
| Red flags | Warning signs, such as vague pricing or no way to export data | [ ] |
| How pricing usually works | The common models in your category, without quoting figures you cannot source | [ ] |
| Scorecard | A simple table where the buyer rates each option against the criteria | [ ] |
| Who we suit and who we do not | An honest note on the best fit and the cases where another approach is better | [ ] |
| Next step | One clear action, such as booking a demo or a trial | [ ] |
A sample scorecard to include
Buyers value a scorecard because it turns a vague impression into something they can discuss with a colleague. A simple version looks like this. A comparison guide used as a lead magnet works on the same principle.
| Criterion | Option A | Option B | Option C | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fits our current tools | ||||
| Time to get set up | ||||
| Quality of support | ||||
| Price clarity | ||||
| Ease of leaving or exporting data | ||||
| Fit for a team of our size |
Invite readers to score from one to five and add their own rows. Do not pre-fill your product's column with perfect marks, because that undermines the guide.
Writing the criteria and questions
Good criteria come from the questions your sales and support teams hear most. Ask them what buyers wished they had asked before signing. Turn each answer into a criterion and write two or three questions beneath it.
For example, under "support", a question might be: "How quickly can I expect a reply, and is support included in the price?" Under "leaving", it might be: "Can I export all my data in a standard format if I cancel?" Questions like these are easy to understand and tell the buyer something about every vendor they speak to.
Presenting it so people will request it
A buying guide is a strong offer when it is described precisely. Give it a title that names the buyer and the decision, state how long it is, and show a preview. A short page that explains what is inside and asks for a name and work email is enough.
Use the same page everywhere: your website, your sales emails, your LinkedIn posts and your help centre. A tool like Gatedleads lets you set up a branded page for the guide from one of its 500+ templates and get it live in under 10 minutes, and you can download the leads as a CSV or pass them on through Zapier webhooks on Pro.
Following up without pushing
People who request a buying guide are researching. A good follow up respects that. Send the guide straight away with a line asking whether they would like to see the scorecard filled in for their situation. A few days later, send one short note with a useful extra, such as a comparison checklist or an example setup, and offer a demo only if they have shown interest. If you have a buyer's guide for a related topic, link to it so they can keep reading without being asked for anything else.
Keep notes on which questions buyers ask afterwards, because those will tell you what to add to the next version of the guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is a software buying guide?
A document that helps a buyer compare products by setting out the criteria, questions and warning signs to consider before choosing.
What should a software buying guide include?
The buyer it is for, the criteria that matter, questions to ask any vendor, red flags, a scorecard and an honest note on who your product suits.
Should a buying guide mention my own product?
Yes, but briefly and fairly. Say who your product suits and who it does not, and let the criteria do the persuading.
How long should a software buying guide be?
Long enough to be useful and short enough to finish in one sitting, often a few pages.
Why offer a buying guide instead of just a demo?
Many buyers are not ready for a demo when they start researching. A guide gives them something useful at that stage and gives you a way to stay in touch.