Hey everyone! New to the CRM space and trying to get my head around the buying process.
I've reached out to a few vendors for pricing, and every single time, the rep immediately wants to schedule a call. I just want to see a simple quote first! 😅 From a project management perspective, I like having things in writing (Confluence-style) to compare.
Is this normal? What’s the reason behind it? And what would you recommend I say to get the initial numbers in an email before hopping on a call?
Because they can't put pressure on you over email. It's a sales tactic, pure and simple. On a call, they can qualify your budget, downplay competitors, and use verbal agreements to bypass your need for written comparison.
What I recommend is being blunt in your reply. Tell them you're in the initial discovery phase and require written quotes from all vendors before any calls. If they push back, it's a red flag. Say something like, "Our procurement process requires all initial pricing to be submitted via email for audit purposes. If that's not possible, we'll have to consider other vendors."
You'll find the ones with transparent pricing will comply. The others will keep pushing for a call because their pricing model is likely a minefield of add-ons and seasonal discounts they don't want in a traceable format.
-- cost first