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Yeah, but vendors should realize that users can see-through the facade. Seeing "contact sales" makes me think of the sticker shock, and me being a cynic I often

by jonesb6 11y ago

Yeah, but vendors should realize that users can see-through the facade. Seeing "contact sales" makes me think of the sticker shock, and me being a cynic I often expect the pricing offered to be much higher then it ultimately ends up being.

kentonv 11y ago
Ehh... I think you're being too cynical and that you're projecting. I also think you're forgetting that this is a two-way street. When Walmart calls your sales department, they aren't going to be suckered into a high price. On the contrary, they have a procurement department whose job is to negotiate the price down. They also probably have custom requirements that they want met, so a self-service option wouldn't even work for them. Typically -- especially among "scalable" startups -- the "contact sales" option is meant specifically for these big fish to utilize, while the smaller fish get a self-service option with standardized pricing. This is what Sandstorm will have in the future.
- ocdtrekkie 11y ago
  I would say that I think there needs to be a more upfront accounting of ballpark figures for 'contact sales' moments. Working as a SysAdmin, I've come across points where you call, they want to set up a trial, you ask them how much it's going to cost, and they keep saying 'well, depends on which options you get and this and that, so it's hard to say'. And I just wanna know if it's a four, five, or six digit figure for God's sakes.
- jonesb6 11y ago
  I agree, and I think Sandstorm is not a great center piece to have the "contact sales" discussions round. I think it's just a note that the start up community in general could up its 'sales experience' game, ranging from pricing, to support, to onboarding/offboarding. Let's face it half the time the developers will also be in charge of sales, and speaking for myself I sometimes do not provide the best sales experience to customers. Also I think Sandstorm is really cool. Feel like I should mention that.

by jonesb6 11y ago

kentonv 11y ago

Ehh... I think you're being too cynical and that you're projecting. I also think you're forgetting that this is a two-way street. When Walmart calls your sales department, they aren't going to be suckered into a high price. On the contrary, they have a procurement department whose job is to negotiate the price down. They also probably have custom requirements that they want met, so a self-service option wouldn't even work for them. Typically -- especially among "scalable" startups -- the "contact sales" option is meant specifically for these big fish to utilize, while the smaller fish get a self-service option with standardized pricing. This is what Sandstorm will have in the future.

ocdtrekkie 11y ago
I would say that I think there needs to be a more upfront accounting of ballpark figures for 'contact sales' moments. Working as a SysAdmin, I've come across points where you call, they want to set up a trial, you ask them how much it's going to cost, and they keep saying 'well, depends on which options you get and this and that, so it's hard to say'. And I just wanna know if it's a four, five, or six digit figure for God's sakes.
jonesb6 11y ago
I agree, and I think Sandstorm is not a great center piece to have the "contact sales" discussions round. I think it's just a note that the start up community in general could up its 'sales experience' game, ranging from pricing, to support, to onboarding/offboarding. Let's face it half the time the developers will also be in charge of sales, and speaking for myself I sometimes do not provide the best sales experience to customers. Also I think Sandstorm is really cool. Feel like I should mention that.