When is the right time to introduce an enterprise pricing option or ‘Contact Us’ tier? Should we wait until we have big-company demand or offer it from the start just in case?

Based on the guidance in our pricing strategy book, Price to Scale, the timing of introducing an enterprise pricing option depends primarily on your market segmentation and customer demand signals. Here are some key considerations:

• Direct Demand vs. Anticipation
Our book emphasizes that a “one-size-fits-all” approach rarely works. If you’re already seeing a clear, consistent interest from big companies with needs that differ significantly from your typical SMB or mid-market customers, then it makes sense to offer a tailored enterprise or “Contact Us” option. Otherwise, a more modest approach can save you from prematurely customizing a pricing model for a segment that isn’t yet proven.

• Validate with Early Data
Price to Scale underlines the importance of listening to the market and understanding what each segment truly values. For many companies, starting with a streamlined “good-better-best” strategy (that may simply include a Contact Us tier for the enterprise level) allows you to gather the crucial insights needed to eventually design a targeted, enterprise-specific offering. Waiting until you’ve accumulated early enterprise demand can help ensure that your pricing and packaging resonate well with that segment’s needs.

• Strategic Flexibility
The book also highlights that pricing is a unique decision for every company. While enterprises might eventually necessitate a margin-maximizing approach (given their particular purchasing power and demands), you should only commit to a full enterprise tier once you can clearly segment and tailor your offer. This ensures that you can effectively balance the revenue maximization for large deals without overcomplicating your base offerings.

In summary, if enterprise demand is evident and represents a critical strategic segment for your business, introducing a well-researched “Contact Us” or enterprise pricing option early on may be advantageous. However, if your current market data is predominantly from smaller customers, consider starting with a streamlined tiering system that includes a basic enterprise option, and refine it as usage patterns and demand evolve. This approach aligns with the actionable insights in Price to Scale: let the market guide you, and tailor your pricing strategy once you have enough data to do so confidently.