Should Software Appointments Really Keep Pricing Secret?

Should Software Appointments Really Keep Pricing Secret?:from Business 2 Community by Lawrence Anderson
When setting software appointments, one of the things B2B companies do is to keep mum about pricing until a prospect is 100% committed to hearing you out. It can be compared to the simple act of not putting on the price tag until you know that a customer is going to buy the item in the window. However, what about those who make software appointments difficult for the very reason that they need to know the price first?

How Pricing Can Attract Or Scare Away Your Software Appointments

The reality is there is nothing entirely about keeping pricing secret until the software appointments are made. Several reasons for this include:

• Knee-jerk price resistance – Sometimes a large number of zeroes can send a prospect reeling and an increase could decrease your business leads. Keeping quiet about the price in your marketing materials acts as your safeguard, a sort of buffer.

• Complex pricing model – Sometimes the pricing itself needs to be explained as much as you need to explain the functions of products like ERP platforms and such. One purpose of software appointments has always been to reserve more time for either.

• Attract more curiosity – Finally, there remains the possibility that your software appointments are made by those who are honestly curious about what you are worth. A large number could mean anything and hence, pointless to put on display.

On that last point however, there can be several ways you can really set software appointments based on a reaction that is not directly related to the cost. You can have your marketing materials focus on the advantages of the product. It can also be, in of itself, the reaction to a trending demand. There is also the option of positioning yourself as the expert and assure prospects that they will make the most of every penny spent.

• Focusing on advantages – This is actually pretty classic when you think about how many times this has actually been done before (in B2B and B2C). Whether its ERP software appointments or actual software users, you basically tell your audience why they would want this product. What need does it satisfy? What advantage do they stand to gain by buying it?

• Reaction to increasing demand – Your software appointments could also be in due part to the natural consequence of increasing demand. More and more businesses are in need of your technology, so therefore price becomes a more minor concern. Just be careful not to set software appointments that are purely based on uninformed jumping on the metaphorical bandwagon.

• Being the expert – If you have already established yourself as an expert, your software appointments will come from those who just want all the facts. As stated above, you cannot instantly say how much it will cost but are capable of explaining if they are willing to invest that much time for you.

So to summarize, there is nothing wrong with keeping pricing a secret. You do not want to lose your software appointments by instant price-resistance and your B2B appointment setting process has the means to draw attention to things that should be of more concern.