Playbook: Three Quotes

You got three quotes, pushed all three vendors, and took the one with 20% off. That process compares price on the basics every platform shares and hides what actually decides the purchase: whether the platform fits your business, and what the service really costs to deliver. Max explains why the three quote rule breaks down for enterprise technology and why a discount off the industry's opening price can still leave you overpaying. **What You'll Learn** - How to tell whether three vendor quotes are actually comparable - What to define before you ask any vendor for a quote - Why one vendor can quote far below the others - How platform owners and resellers price differently - When support is worth more than another 5% off - Why a 20% discount can still leave you overpaying **Answer These Before You Request Quotes** 1. What does this have to do that's specific to your business? Every phone system makes and takes calls. Write down what you need after that, like the systems it has to connect to and the hardware you plan to keep. That list is what makes the quotes comparable. 2. Why is each vendor on your list? If the honest answer is "they were the ones we'd heard of," the comparison was decided before it started. Build the list from your answer to the first question. 3. Does the vendor build the platform or resell it? A vendor that runs its own platform works from different costs than one reselling it wholesale. Ask each vendor which one they are, because it changes how far they can move on price. 4. What will your team handle that the vendor won't? If your users are spread across locations, someone has to set things up on site and help people when something breaks. Price that work before you compare quotes. Another 5% off won't cover it if your team ends up doing the vendor's job. 5. What price did every quote start from? Vendors in a category tend to open near the same list price. A 20% discount from that number tells you the vendor was willing to move. It doesn't tell you the price is competitive. If you can't answer two of these in writing, three quotes won't tell you which vendor to pick. Max walks through why in the episode. **The Playbook** - (00:00) - Why “get three quotes” is dangerous advice for enterprise tech - (00:59) - When price shopping actually works - (01:42) - Same core features, very different platforms - (02:41) - Why one vendor can sell so much cheaper - (03:37) - Why platform owners and resellers price differently - (04:05) - When support is worth more than another 5% off - (04:35) - Why 20% off a $25 seat can still mean overpaying - (05:33) - What three quotes will never show you **Resources Mentioned** - Unified communications (UCaaS): https://www.itbroker.com/solutions/unified-communications-as-a-service - Further reading, You Have Three Vendor Quotes. Here's What You're Still Missing Before You Sign.: https://www.itbroker.com/blog/how-to-compare-it-vendor-quotes **About Signed** Signed is the podcast for buyers in a market built for sellers. Playbooks are the solo format: one trigger, one specific play. New episodes weekly at itbroker.com/podcast. If the trigger in today's Playbook is one you're facing right now, book an intro call at itbroker.com. We help buyers make the right call the first time. Buy tech without regret. Follow: @itbrokerdotcom **Full Transcript** [Click here to view the episode transcript.](https://share.transistor.fm/s/01be8de1/transcript "Click here to view the episode transcript.")