Putting yourself in their shoes for a second.. they were just trying to pre-qualify prospects who really are in pain, enough pain to really try to solve their problem by talking to a salesman who can properly communicate the value and figure out if you are a good fit.
You are right that this pisses some people off, people who are prepared to spend money on their product, but many marketers don't try to get ALL the business out there, they try to get the RIGHT CUSTOMERS FOR THEM... Customers who will appreciate their value. Afterall, if you can't differentiate them from others without tools like price points, you probably wouldn't be happy to be their customer either..It is a Win For You.
Odds are, if you are making this decision based on price, and not being able to compare price is enough to scare you off, you consider their product somewhat of a commodity, which exposes the company to price resistance, which is bad for business.
So, while you hate these companies, and their process pissed you off, I would argue that you probably don't fit into the profile on "their perfect customer"
Perhaps they are guilty of not qualifying you in a better way, like with content so compelling it convinces you to call them to discuss your needs...
Shopping primarily based on price isn't the only reason I want to see prices very early in the process; I also want to eliminate things I obviously can't afford.
If I wanted a car and had no pricing information, I'd start with the cars that appealed to me most - likely Ferrari, Koenigsegg and Hennessey. I'd have to waste hours or days setting up calls or meetings with salesmen and doing the "who mentions a number first" dance to figure out that I can't afford these cars and should be looking at a Mazda Miata instead.
If I wasn't sure I really needed a car yet and had some idea what the process would be like, there's a good chance I'd put it off. Cars don't work this way though. I might not know exactly what options I'll get or how much I'll pay down to the dollar, but I know a Miata is about $25k. There's room for a little more transparency in enterprise software pricing without going to a fully self-service model. I should be able to find out in a few seconds whether your product is something I can even consider.
What you can afford is relative to the value you perceive you will get.
If you want to see price early on, the value is already fixed in your head, which means that you believe that you can satisfy your need with any such product, without regard for really differentiating them. This would mean you view their product as a commodity. As a commodity shopper, you are not the ideal customer for me. Because you can't appreciate the true and unique value I offer. (or worse, you are too lazy to try and appreciate all the value you can get out of each option but would rather use price as your shortcut to differentiate, which again makes you a less than ideal prospect.)
Like the saying goes, "If you Have to Ask, You Can't afford it!"
I am guilty of this as well, and as a consumer I completely agree with your desire to shop around and get the best deal... but, as a business owner, I would be hurting myself by publishing prices.
So, if not showing a price stops you from calling/inquiring about their product then, assuming the market they are attempting to pursue are companies with a very high need and lots of money, not showing a price appears to have worked.
If they showed a price that seemed astronomical they would probably get hagglers and feedback of "I'd go with you if you drop your price" and they don't want to deal with those customers/inquiries and noise...
Edit: I didn't see the comment you replied to prior to responding with the above.
To add, if the company's sales people got lots of and lots of these potential customers calling/emailing/etc saying "you're overpriced" the sales team could begin to believe it and being probably commission based push internally to lower the price to increase their sales which, in the long wrong, hurts their company's goals, strategy, and long term objectives.
"if the company's sales people got lots of and lots of these potential customers calling/emailing/etc saying "you're overpriced" the sales team could begin to believe it and being probably commission based push internally to lower the price"
Or Worse, undermine their own sales attempts because they don't believe the value offered is worth the price.
Exactly, as a single consultant, I don't have the time to sell to every one, so I use this tactic to pre-qualify potential clients.
It's also a great way to learn more about the customer and try to judge your potential value to them, thus giving you both a better insight in whether or not it is actually worth going into the details of price.
You are right that this pisses some people off, people who are prepared to spend money on their product, but many marketers don't try to get ALL the business out there, they try to get the RIGHT CUSTOMERS FOR THEM... Customers who will appreciate their value. Afterall, if you can't differentiate them from others without tools like price points, you probably wouldn't be happy to be their customer either..It is a Win For You.
Odds are, if you are making this decision based on price, and not being able to compare price is enough to scare you off, you consider their product somewhat of a commodity, which exposes the company to price resistance, which is bad for business.
So, while you hate these companies, and their process pissed you off, I would argue that you probably don't fit into the profile on "their perfect customer"
Perhaps they are guilty of not qualifying you in a better way, like with content so compelling it convinces you to call them to discuss your needs...