I hear this today as a planted sales question:
“Why shouldn’t I just use an Open Source solution instead of [my company’s dooflotchy]?”
So help me, this is what I recall as being what the speaker wanted the salesperson to respond.
Well, first of all, you get what you pay for. Would you really want to trust your sensitive data to a piece of Open Source? We will support and stand behind our solution, and you have every opportunity to influence the product roadmap if you go with us.
Yeah, I didn’t really make it past the first two sentences either. Of the last two, I have no complaints. Of the first two I listened in disbelief. What is this? A 1997 Microsoft pamphlet?
Let me be as clear as possible: If you lead with that, you will lose. Selling anyone on fear unless the fear is real is a losing proposition.
Also, categorically, you’re wrong. You get much MORE than you pay for with alost any software you buy, or (these days) that you download from the internet for free. I say this typing on Blogger (free) in Google Chrome (free) on my Mac (pay) that’s based upon BSD (public domain Open Source), tethered to my Android phone (pay) that runs android OS (Open Source).
If you’re using technology today, you’re using Open Source. Get over yourself.