When should you quote a price for a maintenance contract?

Question

Options

• AWhen presenting the workshop deliverable
• BYou should not be mention this within scope of the TN engagement
• CWhen presenting findings from the Discovery phase
• DEarly in the engagement,but only with CxO level clients

• A
  7% (3)
• B
  88% (36)
• C
  2% (1)
• D
  2% (1)

Explanation

Option B is correct because quoting maintenance contract pricing falls outside the defined scope of a TN (Technology Needs) engagement. The TN engagement is a structured technical assessment process, and introducing pricing for contracts would blur the line between trusted technical advisor and salesperson, undermining the credibility and objectivity of the engagement.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (workshop deliverable): The workshop is a collaborative technical exercise - introducing contract pricing there would derail the technical conversation and feel premature or pushy.
• C (Discovery findings presentation): This phase is about surfacing technical gaps and needs, not commercial terms; mixing in pricing muddies the findings with sales pressure.
• D (early, CxO-level clients): Client seniority doesn't create an exception - the rule applies regardless of who is in the room; scope boundaries aren't relaxed for executives.

Memory tip: Think of the TN engagement as a "white coat" moment - a doctor diagnosing a patient doesn't quote the surgery bill mid-exam. The TN engagement is for diagnosis (discovery, findings, workshops), not for billing. Contracts = outside scope, always.

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