When evaluating CPQ software, it’s easy to get distracted by glossy feature lists, integration claims, or vague AI promises. 

But here’s the hard truth:

Most CPQ implementations don’t fail because teams asked too few questions. They fail because they didn’t ask the right ones.

You don’t need a 42-point checklist. You need five make-or-break questions that reveal whether a CPQ will actually work for your team.

These are the questions most vendors hope you won’t ask.

1. Can our Ops or Sales team manage this without needing IT or consultants?

Why it matters:
If you’re logging tickets for every pricing update or approval flow, you’re losing speed—and control. Many CPQs claim to be flexible, but require developers to make even basic changes.

Ask the vendor:

• Can non-technical users manage product rules and workflows?

• What changes require outside help?

Watch for red flags:

• “Low-code” answers that still involve developers

• Reliance on paid onboarding or ongoing services

What good looks like:
Business users should control pricing, approvals, and logic. In Vendori, business teams update logic on the fly—no IT tickets, no delays.

2. What’s your average time to go live and can we talk to a customer who launched in under 30 days?

Why it matters:
Many vendors promise “fast rollout,” but stretch into months or quarters once the contract is signed. Delays kill momentum and morale.

Ask the vendor:

• What’s your average time to value for companies like ours?

• Can you introduce us to a customer who went live in less than a month?

Watch for red flags:

• Vague implementation timelines

• Dependence on consultants for setup

What good looks like:
You should be live and quoting in weeks—not quarters. Vendori customers often launch in under 7 days. One SaaS team went live in 1 business day with no consultants involved.

3. How do you handle approvals, discounting, and risky deals without slowing us down?

Why it matters:
Your quoting process should enforce governance, not slow deals. If it can’t support layered approval rules or detect risky discounts, it’s either too loose or too rigid.

Ask the vendor:

• Can we define rules by product, discount threshold, or payment terms?

• Do we get deal-level visibility into risks before quotes go out?

Watch for red flags:

• Approvals tied to hardcoded workflows

• No dynamic rules

What good looks like:
Modern CPQs should help you quote faster and smarter. Vendori includes dynamic approvals to protect margin—without jamming up sales.

4. Can your CPQ handle our pricing model without custom development?

Why it matters:
B2B pricing is anything but simple. Subscriptions, usage-based, tiered, multi-year deals—it all needs to be quotable without engineering.

Ask the vendor:

• Can we support hybrid pricing models out of the box?

• Are invoice schedules, ramp deals, and quote revisions supported?

Watch for red flags:

• Limited pricing templates

• Workarounds for anything non-standard

What good looks like:
The best CPQs adapt to your model…not the other way around. Vendori supports subscriptions, usage and multi-year terms natively with no dev work required.

5. How dependent are we on your services team long-term?

Why it matters:
Some CPQ vendors quietly rely on services as recurring revenue meaning every change becomes a new invoice.

Ask the vendor:

• What % of your customers use pro services after onboarding?

• Can we make major changes ourselves post-launch?

Watch for red flags:

• Required service retainers

• Answers like “Our team can handle that for you”

What good looks like:
Your team should own the platform from day one. Vendori was built to be self-managed. No long-term services dependency and no surprise costs.

💡 Looking for a broader guide to evaluating CPQ for SaaS? Read our full post on: How to Choose the Right CPQ Software for SaaS Businesses.

Final Thought: Ask the Questions That Matter Most

Before you commit to any CPQ, ask:

• Can my team own and update this platform?

• Can we go live quickly without consultants?

• Will it support our complex pricing models?

• Can we enforce smart guardrails without friction?

• Are we truly independent after onboarding?

If you’re not getting clear answers, keep looking.

Vendori is purpose-built for fast-moving B2B companies that need quoting agility without technical baggage.

Still unsure what to ask? Use our [CPQ RFP Toolkit] to structure your vendor conversations.

Ready to see Vendori in action? Book a Demo