In the software business, a “custom quote” is often just a test of how much the client can bear. We decided to play differently — our prices are on the web. Here is what happened.
What we lost
Enquiries from companies hoping to “negotiate a miracle”. A few competitors used our price list as a benchmark and undercut us by ten percent — together with their quality. And yes, occasionally someone calls us expensive without asking what is included.
What we gained
The sales cycle shortened by a third: clients arrive with a budget they have already seen, and we discuss scope, not discounts. Months of dancing around proposals that led nowhere simply disappeared. And paradoxically, the average deal size went up — transparency attracts companies that calculate returns, not the lowest digit.
A public price as a client filter
A price list does more than make the price transparent — it acts as a filter. A company that leaves after seeing the range would have haggled over every invoice anyway. The one that stays arrives with a budget and the question “what do I get for it”, not “how much will you knock off”. It saves time on both sides: we don't write proposals into the bin, and the client doesn't wait a week for a number they could have read in a minute.
Why most vendors never do it
A hidden price gives the salesperson power: they price by how wealthy the company looks and keep room for an “exceptional discount” that was never a discount. A public price list ends that game — which is exactly why it is so rare. We decided trust is worth more in the long run than one inflated invoice. So far it has not let us down.
Margins? Unchanged. Because the price was never a secret kept from clients — it was a secret kept from competitors. And we do not need to fear them.