We participated in the panel How to Sell Testing Solutions and Lead Change at the fourth edition of Quality Sense Conf, held on November 11. Our colleague Claudia Badell joined Julio César Oropeza (TransUnion) and Matías Fornara (Abstracta) in a conversation moderated by Mercedes Remedi.
The conversation focused on the challenges and strategies involved in selling testing solutions to external clients, internal teams, or management, and in leading organizational change to improve software quality.
In the following sections, we share key insights from the panel and outline practical actions you can try to enhance your own quality strategy.
Key Insights on How to Sell Testing Solutions and Lead Change
- Technical expertise alone is not enough to drive meaningful quality improvements. Teams often jump into solutions before understanding the underlying business need. Attentive listening and critical thinking help build the big picture of what truly needs attention.
- When testing is perceived as a bottleneck, it often reflects deeper workflow issues, for example in planning. Strategic questioning and careful observation guide teams toward the root problem rather than its symptoms.
- Leading change requires clarity on who influences decisions. Identifying roles such as the economic buyer, the technical champion, and the collaborators experiencing the pain point helps tailor conversations and align expectations.
- Effective solutions consider the organization’s culture, constraints, and team capabilities. Creating space for learning and experimentation enables teams adopt new practices they can maintain over time.
- Resistance to change usually stems from fear or skill gaps. Creating psychological safety helps teams engage with change more openly and with greater confidence.
- Innovation must be contextual. Not every trend or AI-driven solution addresses the specific needs of organizations.
- Empathy and clear communication help teams connect their daily work to broader outcomes and understand how their contributions affect software quality and collaboration.
- Mandated changes can trigger defensiveness. Recognizing previous work, involving collaborators by sharing the rationale behind the strategy, and introducing small, incremental steps support smoother adoption and reduce resistance.
- Metrics turn subjective concerns into shared understanding. Defect trends, rework, and support tickets show where improvements can create measurable impact.
Practical Actions to Strengthen Your Quality Strategy
- Ask open-ended questions to uncover real problems, not just symptoms.
- Listen with empathy to build trust and gather meaningful insights.
- Identify key stakeholders and tailor messages accordingly.
- Observe workflows to detect inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
- Use data and visuals to support objective, collaborative decision-making.
- Build psychological safety to encourage experimentation and reduce resistance.
- Evaluate new technologies in context and avoid adopting trends without analyzing their fit first.
- Acknowledge existing work before proposing changes to reduce pushback.
- Build partnerships that complement your capabilities and strengthen your solutions.
Selling Testing Solutions as a Driver of Sustainable Change
The panel reinforced that understanding how to sell testing solutions is not about promoting tools or methodologies. It’s about considering context, asking the right questions, and helping teams build a quality culture that strengthens day-to-day practices and supports better outcomes.
A shared principle surfaced throughout the conversation: lasting change happens when organizations listen closely, create safety for learning, and adapt their strategies to their culture and capabilities.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Sell Testing Solutions
What is the first step when selling testing solutions?
How do you sell testing solutions to non-technical stakeholders?
Why does selling testing solutions often face resistance?
Who should be involved in decisions about testing solutions?
What metrics help demonstrate the value of testing solutions?
How does culture impact the success of testing solutions?
Is Your Organization Planning Its Next Step in Quality Maturity?
Connect with our experts to refine your strategy and move forward with a more holistic perspective.
