TheColdestColdCall

Enterprise Account Executive

Valued Contributor

Pricing before Demo?

I'll try to be brief, but the subject is a bit misleading.

I've had a deal in pipe for about 220 days, the initial contact was with a different rep about a year ago. We demo'd our solution for a different use-case altogether and when I inherited it, it was evaluated for an adjacent use-case. We demo'd again, did scoping, and it was incredibly slow-moving. I lost my champion but got some good intel on their way out, and her boss messaged me after a big pause, and intro'd me to a new project owner. Fast forward we've had (you guessed it) incredibly slow to respond messages and meetings in between.

Last meeting was nearly a month ago, and while there is confirmed budget, and confirmed evaluation with MANY stakeholders across Sales Ops, Finance and IT.... this whole thing has reeked of red flags... the last call we had with them was to align on a demo agenda to ensure we presented exactly to their needs. I even built a Mutual Action Plan to hand off to the new project owner, and the IT coordinator to ensure the right resources and steps were hit.

Two weeks ago they asked for pricing instead of the demo, which we tried to avert because presenting a proposal after so much time has passed since anyone in the org has seen the damn tool is a major red flag. All they will see is a number and hardly any differentiation.

So, we have a project scoping call, to help inform the delivery and cost of implementation amongst licensing... but I feel like we already lost the deal and don't know how to turn this thing around.

Side note: The prior demos we did in the last year DID get good reviews and support from the business users... but again, it's been forever since they saw it and at this point and given it's competitive. I figure they'll just see numbers and say see ya later.

TLDR: A pricing proposal is being requested before showing the solution (for the 3rd time, last time being 5-6 months ago) in a competitive cycle.

I guess what I'm asking is, do I work hard at this one and exhaust myself further trying to run a ruthlessly well-executed cycle or do I just do the bare minimum and get them their proposal?

👑 Sales Strategy

🤞 Negotiation

12

25 comments

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BmajoR

Arsonist

7

Account Executive

No. Push back on them. I wouldn't even offer pricing. I'd call them out on how they've been stringing you a long and say something like "usually when this happens, it's because we're being leveraged to get a lower price from the existing vendor"

Sunbunny31

Politicker

3

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

You're on point. I'd even be so bold as to walk away entirely - you can add that you're happy to engage once they have a project in mind and are working toward specific goals and targets. But I wouldn't just keep giving and giving and giving.

BmajoR

Arsonist

3

Account Executive

100% I think that's the right play

TheColdestColdCall

Executive

1

Enterprise Account Executive

I'm meeting with my boss next week to discuss, we'll likely do some quid pro quo at a minimum. Getting in front of an exec to sell value while the rest of these peeps fumble around is likely our play but we'll see.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

1

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

It's great to hear that your boss is going to help strategize and support you here.

TheColdestColdCall

Executive

1

Enterprise Account Executive

@Sunbunny31 Yeah, I'm incredibly grateful for him, he's mentored me with the right amount of pressure, and grace. One of those career-making type people who I couldn't have succeeded without.

DataCorrupter

Politicker

1

Account Executive

Leave some good answers for the rest of us, BmajoR.

In all seriousness, it's this 110%.

Pachacuti

Politicker

2

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Ask if they are ready to buy before even kicking the tires. Most people will opt for a test drive at that point.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

2

🦊

Don't give in. You are being used as a pricing excercise.

TheColdestColdCall

Executive

1

Enterprise Account Executive

They basically admitted to it lol

jefe

Arsonist

2

🍁

As others have said - Shit or get off the pot.

TheColdestColdCall

Executive

1

Enterprise Account Executive

Classic. haha.

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

1

Sales Rep

I wouldnt put too much effort in this

LambyCorn

Arsonist

1

A mfkn E

I know this has nothing to do with your question but, how do you inherit a deal? Did he quit or something? Never heard of that before

oldcloser

Arsonist

1

💀

Yep- turnovers, territory flips. team changes.

TheColdestColdCall

Executive

1

Enterprise Account Executive

@LambyCorn this, he left the company.

pwnzor

Opinionated

1

Head of Sales

You're wasting your time.

kneehigh

Politicker

1

Senior Enterprise AE

Just give them a range and say this can be refined further with a scoping call to refine their requirements. If they are serious they will engage with you

TheColdestColdCall

Executive

0

Enterprise Account Executive

We have a scoping call today but we’re still going to settle on estimates until they commit more to our offering. We’ll see if we even make it past down selection.

GDO

Politicker

0

BDM

try to push it back and holf off. However, don't be to hard and burn bridges.

You have the typical excuses like adapting the offering after the demo to match perfectly. That's why the price can only be a range

TheColdestColdCall

Executive

0

Enterprise Account Executive

I think this makes sense, they asked for estimates so I'm wondering if we give wide ranges to keep us from "playing the fool" and getting us to their down-selection process.

Beans

Big Shot

0

Enterprise Account Executive

Worst case you offer a range, but I rarely do that unless sincere interest is there.

It's not helpful to give numbers prior to value or you're stuck, the more complex your product the more you can fall back on the need to learn more as you build their solution/program.

TheColdestColdCall

Executive

0

Enterprise Account Executive

Yeah - that's how I feel. Just stuck trying to explain value to them, and they're like "no, price"

Beans

Big Shot

0

Enterprise Account Executive

I can't generate pricing in our system until I have more info about your business - and then have leading disco questions to get there.
I don't know your product to be able to help deeper, but DM me if you'd like.

TheColdestColdCall

Executive

0

Enterprise Account Executive

I mean we've already done a lot of discovery and as mentioned in the post, we've shown the solution twice now but it's been so long, and now they just want to price out the field and then see what they can offer. I just know it's a miss if they buy some shitty solution cause it aligns to budget ya know?

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