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by xyzzy123 1955 days ago
Sometimes there's no good reason, but the common case is:

It ensures you are captured as a lead and establishes a human connection. Serious buyers have no problem getting on the phone.

The fixed price you were quoted is a starting point for negotiation. It's the "book price", aka the chump price. You're leaving money on the table if you're not haggling with them or finding a way to get a better deal.

Enterprise culture is to negotiate price. They have purchasing teams - multiple people whose entire job is to get a better deal than whatever is listed on the website or the first number quoted over the phone.

These people are hard nosed and have zero problems calling for a price. A good purchaser on a big enough deal would rather hunt down your sales team on linkedin and start talking than accept a list price on your website.

As an aside:

How many people would hang a sign around their neck with a fixed price when looking for non-contract employment?

How many slap a fixed price on the side of their house during a sale?

Fixed prices are in some ways the anomaly; haggling mostly disappears when the cost of negotiation exceeds the benefit of price discrimination and products and customers are fungible.

Personally I love fixed prices but most business does not work like that.

1 comments

> How many slap a fixed price on the side of their house during a sale?

Everyone? Every house listing I've seen has a price on it. Negotiating can happen but advertising a price is the norm.