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.
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.