Show Me the Number: How UK Small Firms Can Break Software’s ‘Contact Sales’ Habit

There’s a particular kind of silence that follows the question: ‘So, roughly what does it cost?’ The salesperson smiles, mentions ‘tailored solutions’, and suggests a 30-minute discovery call. Forty-five minutes later you’ve seen a dashboard, heard the word ‘partner’ six times, and still don’t have a number. For a UK small firm, that’s not a discovery call. It’s a time tax.

‘Contact sales’ pricing isn’t automatically sinister. Complex software often needs scoping. But when every route to a figure runs through a demo, the vendor controls the anchor. You end up comparing your budget to their first proposal, not the other way round. The fix is not to become a procurement specialist. It’s to change the order of the conversation: number first, demo second, contract terms before either.

Why ‘contact sales’ is a pricing tactic, not a personality quirk

Public price lists create comparisons. Quote-only pricing creates room. A deal desk can charge a 20-person Bolton manufacturer one rate and a 20-person Bristol agency another, based on nothing more than who blinks first. That isn’t always unfair — volume, term length and support tiers matter — but it does mean the first number you hear is rarely the last one they’ll accept.

The real cost is the anchoring. If the first figure is £18,000 a year, a later £12,000 quote feels like a win. It might still be twice what a comparable firm pays. Without a benchmark, you’re negotiating in the dark with a torch the salesperson is holding.

Use public sector rate cards as your ceiling, not your bible

The UK public sector publishes more software pricing than most private buyers realise. Crown Commercial Service frameworks, the Digital Marketplace, G-Cloud rate cards, NHS supply frameworks and regional outfits such as ESPO and YPO often list day rates, licence bands or indicative costs. They won’t match your exact deal — you’re not a council, and your support needs differ — but they give you a defensible reference point.

When a reseller quotes £22 per user per month, ask how that squares with the published band on a framework they supply. You don’t need to be aggressive about it. ‘We’ve seen a framework rate closer to £15 for a similar seat count; can you talk us through the difference?’ is enough. It moves the conversation from ‘what will you pay?’ to ‘why is this higher?’ That’s a much better room to be in.

Two warnings. First, compare ex-VAT figures. A quote that looks cheaper because VAT is excluded is not cheaper. Second, check what’s bundled: support hours, onboarding, storage, API calls, premium connectors. A low seat price with paid-for onboarding can be the more expensive option by year two.

Two written quotes, one spec, no demo

Before you speak to anyone, write a one-page spec. Seat count, modules, support level, contract length, data residency, integration needs, implementation assumptions. Send the same document to two resellers. Ask for a written quote with a three-year total cost of ownership, not just year one.

This does two things. It makes the quotes comparable, and it signals that you’re a buyer who has done this before — even if you haven’t. Resellers respond to specificity. ‘We need 14 seats, SSO, UK data hosting and a 12-month term; please quote ex-VAT with renewal uplift and exit costs’ gets a different response from ‘can someone call me?’

If they insist on a demo first, offer a compromise: a budgetary quote or an indicative range, clearly marked as non-binding. Most deal desks can produce one. They just prefer not to, because a range weakens the anchor.

Renewal caps and exit terms belong on the table early

The price you pay in year one is only half the deal. Ask for the renewal mechanism in writing: is it CPI, RPI, a fixed percentage, or ‘market rate’? ‘Market rate’ is not a mechanism; it’s a blank cheque. Push for a cap — 5% or CPI, whichever is lower, is a reasonable starting ask for a small firm.

Then ask about exit. What happens to your data if you leave? Is there a transition period? Do you pay for extraction? Are licences transferable if you sell the business or restructure? These questions are easier to ask before the demo, when the salesperson still wants your attention, than after a three-year contract has auto-renewed.

The email that asks for a number without booking a demo

Here’s a short script you can adapt. It’s deliberately polite, because you want a quote, not a fight.

Hi [Name],

Before we book a demo, could you confirm three things in writing:

1. An indicative annual price for [X] users, or the range your deal desk usually approves for a firm our size.
2. The renewal uplift mechanism and any cap in the contract.
3. Notice period and exit assistance if we decide not to renew.

We’re comparing two suppliers against the same spec, so a budgetary figure now saves us both a call later.

Thanks, [Your name]

If the reply is still ‘it depends’, ask what it depends on and request a range. If there’s no range, ask for a quote at half the seats. A smaller deal often unlocks a published band or a self-serve tier. And if the answer remains a demo or nothing, believe them. A vendor that won’t give a ballpark before a demo is telling you something about how the renewal conversation will go.

The five-minute checklist before you dial

• Write the spec: seats, modules, support, term, data location.
• Find one public framework or rate card for a rough benchmark.
• Ask two resellers for written ex-VAT quotes with three-year totals.
• Request renewal cap and exit terms before the demo.
• Compare total cost, not headline seat price.

None of this requires a procurement team. It requires refusing to let the first number you see be the vendor’s number. In a market where software bills creep, that’s not aggressive. It’s just good housekeeping.