[JS_startup]

I used to be of the same mindset until I got into enterprise sales.

Face it, some products and sales processes are going to be complex and can't be boiled down into a simple pricing scheme like a startup would use. It doesn't mean the company is old or dishonest or that you should take offense, just that it isn't practical to list prices on the site.

Examples would be:

Per user pricing (what constitutes a user? Any discounts for users past a certain number? What about simultaneous access? Can we share accounts?)

Revenue scaled pricing (what if we're pre-revenue? Any discounts for newer companies?)

Contracts (can we work off of a contract for an increased price? Do we get a discount for longer term contracts? Who owns the data? Do we get onsite support? How much does support cost, if anything?)

Basically, stop looking at large enterprise sales through a startup lens.

[OriginalSyn]

If that is a case ballpark it for some of common use cases. When I was a systems admin there was nothing I hated more when doing initial discovery of options was high pressure sales harassing me before I was ready to even short list products. Having to call for a quote was usually an immediate disqualification.

[TWAndrews]

As a system admin, what do you do when someone comes to you and says "how much hardware do I need to support my application?" Imagine trying to give them the correct answer without being able to talk to them.

[ehutch79]

You could just toss out a few options for various scenarios for a ballpark idea, and then ask for details to refine.

as another poster said, when you're just starting to compile a list of options, high pressure sales pitches are a turn off.

[JS_startup]

There doesn't have to be anything high pressure about it. When someone calls me for a quote I simply ask them for the details I need and tell them exactly what it will cost.

In my experience, the fastest way to lose a prospect is by being ambiguous or flighty about the price which is exactly what you'd be doing if you posted ballpark figures on your site (as well as inviting lots of questions and raised eyebrows since our installations literally range from $1000-$25000)

[justincormack]

Even the information that your installs cost $1-25k is useful and shold be on your website. We can all understand ranges of options. That tells me it doesnt cost $1m, lets me know who I will need to get approval from, and most people will know roughly where in the range thy are.

[OriginalSyn]

"Based on previous builds of similar applications you'll need at least <X>. When you have a better idea of your requirements let me know and I can give you a better idea of the hardware requirements"