{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Signed","title":"Playbook: Three Quotes","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":430,"description":"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.\nWhat You'll Learn\nHow to tell whether three vendor quotes are actually comparable\nWhat to define before you ask any vendor for a quote\nWhy one vendor can quote far below the others\nHow platform owners and resellers price differently\nWhen support is worth more than another 5% off\nWhy a 20% discount can still leave you overpaying\nAnswer These Before You Request Quotes\nWhat 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.\nWhy 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.\nDoes 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.\nWhat 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.\nWhat 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....","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/d8NGarPLhvklmJcOQEYdHcKCmSM85HfY2AEspyWoL-M/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82NzJl/MzE1NTFmNzgzMjVk/NTdhOTc4ZGU2YWYx/Zjc5Ny5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}