[sandrae]

It's my job to to create the quotes and offers for our SaaS software. The tip in this article does not match with my personal experience.

This is something that happened to us some time ago: Someone phoned us asking for an offer. We told him to try the software instead to see if the company likes it. He said that he will do that.

A week later we followed up with him. He said that his boss, for whom he collected the offers, had a meeting to which he wasn't even invited. In that meeting, his boss and some other managers compared all the offers they received. There was no offer from us because we told them to try the software instead. According to the person on the phone, the managers just looked at the printed quotes. They picked the three that seemed best to them and proceeded with that short list.

Since that day we always send out a standard offer when someone asks for it. Of course this quote is changed later if the company has needs that are different from the standard.

Often the person collecting the offers is not the person trying the software, but an intern who is pre-selecting for someone else.

If you don't want to be crossed out in that list the intern gives to the manager as "didn't submit an offer", you need to submit something.

[quicksilver03]

Counterpoint: you don't necessarily want this kind of companies as customers, the kind of manager who buys on a PowerPoint and Excel checklist is already on CYA mode and is not looking to the value you provide.

[kanwisher]

Yeah I have to so this often to get a purchase order approved in advance. Most vendors give me a quote at full price even if we are buying a year