Being Slow

Being Slow.

I am slow in giving a quotation or pricing to people. That seems to generally be a bad thing.

I do understand the logic behind it, and hence I would like to maybe gather some opinions.

But first, why am I being slow in giving out quotations or pricing?

To understand why, first have to understand all my solutions and services are with 4S.

Suitable, Scalable, Strategic & Supportive.

– I have to provide a solution that is Suitable. Therefore, I have to understand the requirement. I can’t always assume, and I need to ask questions and verify the actual objective and needs.

– Then I have to think about the Scalability of said solution, so that the client can scale up or down on the solutions when needed. Example like scaling up to self-manage or transitioning to a larger MSP with ease. I don’t hold client hostage.

– I then have to make sure the solution is Strategic, in terms of where the industry is going. To not provide solutions on old tech, or old ways of doing things.

– Finally, I have to think about the support later on, to work with the client’s internal team, or fully manage for them. And what roles do I play, and how much effort I need to build the client team up.

These are the reasons why I always send the quotation or pricing slower than others. But most of the time, the proposal is with detailed job scope, along with milestones, and detailed terms and conditions.

I wonder, do SMEs usually prefer a quick quotation? Then later have to pay extra, or get into disputes, and not hit the objective of the project?

Example:- Vendor that says, “Just use this software!” after a short 5 minutes of talking to you about what you want to do.

Or rather, go through multiple discussions, answering multiple questions from me, and helping me understand the requirement and expectation first?

Then get a detailed quotation and proposal.