Impact Pricing

Bobby Moesta is the President & CEO of The Re-Wired Group, where he helps companies understand why customers buy.He is the co-creator of Jobs to Be Done alongside Clayton Christensen, and has spent decades studying the demand side of innovation—what actually drives people to change, choose, and pay. In this episode, Bobby joins Mark Stiving to challenge some of the most common assumptions behind pricing and decision-making—starting with how buyers really think (and why it's not what most companies expect). They explore what's actually happening beneath the surface of a purchase decision—and why understanding that can completely shift how you approach pricing. If you've ever felt like your pricing "should work" but doesn't—this conversation will make you rethink what's really going on.   Why You Have to Listen: Understand why context + outcome determines willingness to pay (not features). Learn why buyers don't "choose" instead they eliminate options and build confidence. Discover why most companies underprice by targeting the average instead of high-value contexts.   "Pricing is contextual. It's based on the context they're in and the outcome they want." — Bobby Moesta   Topics Covered: 02:21 – Why buyers don't change (until something breaks). The hidden trigger that forces people out of the status quo 04:41 – What buyers actually expect when they pay. Why value isn't what you think—and where expectations really come from 06:30 – The invisible forces behind every purchase. Push, pull, anxiety, and habit—and how they quietly control decisions 12:13 – How buyers really decide (it's not what you think). Why people don't "choose"—and what they actually do instead 18:17 – Why confused buyers walk away. The simple reason deals stall (and how to fix it) 20:06 – What creates buyer confidence. How people convince themselves to finally say yes 23:20 – What "I need to think about it" really means. The hidden signals behind hesitation—and how to uncover them 27:41 – Why one price doesn't fit all. How context changes what customers are willing to pay 29:37 –Every decision is a purchase decision. Why pricing thinking applies far beyond products and sales   Key Takeaways: "We can't convince them of anything. They have to convince themselves." — Bobby Moesta "Most of the time we end up pricing at the bottom of the market… and we're giving away the high end." — Bobby Moesta   Resources Mentioned: Jobs to Be Done – Framework for understanding customer decisions The Re-Wired Group – Bobby's firm focused on demand-side insight Demand-Side Sales – Bobby's book on how customers actually buy   Connect with Bobby Moesta: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobmoesta/  Website: https://therewiredgroup.com/    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on February 16, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/credits-are-both-billing-and-currency-and-thats-the-problem/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Felix Hoffmann is the co-founder of 7Learnings, where he helps companies move from intuition-based pricing to predictive, data-driven pricing systems. He previously led pricing optimization at Zalando, managing pricing across millions of products and markets—giving him a front-row seat to how pricing actually behaves in the real world. In this episode, instead of relying on gut feel or delayed results, Felix introduces predictive pricing—a system that forecasts the impact of price changes before you make them. They break down why most pricing decisions today are still reactive, how companies are leaving profit on the table by not simulating outcomes, and why testing alone isn't enough anymore. If you've ever changed prices and hoped for the best—this episode will challenge that approach.   Why You Have to Listen: If you're changing prices without knowing what will happen—this episode shows you a better way. Understand why testing pricing isn't enough—and what comes after testing. Discover how companies are using simulations to make faster, smarter pricing decisions.   "You shouldn't decide based on gut feeling—you should decide based on what you predict will happen." — Felix Hoffmann   Topics Covered: 01:30 – What Is Predictive Pricing? How to forecast the impact of price changes before making them 04:00 – Why "Should We Change Price?" Is the Wrong Question The real question: what happens if you change it 07:00 – What You Need to Predict (Beyond Sales) Profit, costs, returns, and long-term effects of pricing decisions 13:30 – Why Testing Alone Isn't Enough You can't test everything—so you need simulations 17:00 – Competitor Pricing: Guessing vs Predicting Why most companies match competitors blindly—and how to avoid it 20:30 – The Role of External Signals (Weather, Seasonality, Trends) How real-world factors shape pricing decisions 23:30 – B2B vs B2C Pricing Reality Why predictive pricing is easier in high-volume environments 29:00 – Final Advice: Predict First, Decide Second Why simulation is the missing layer in pricing strategy   Key Takeaways: "The question is not: should I change my price? The question is: what happens if I change it?" — Felix Hoffmann "Nobody is doing perfect decisions today… perfect decisions would require mathematical optimization." — Felix Hoffmann   Resources Mentioned: 7Learnings – Platform for predictive pricing and revenue optimization Zalando – Example of large-scale pricing optimization   Connect with Felix Hoffmann: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felix-hoffmann-7learnings/  Website: https://7learnings.com/    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on February 9, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/pricing-theory-vs-buying-reality-why-usage-based-pricing-still-wins-in-enterprise-ai/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/  

Mark Walker, CEO at Nue.io, helps companies design pricing models that align with how customers actually experience value—across usage, subscriptions, and hybrid approaches. In this episode, he joins Mark Stiving to unpack a growing tension: companies are pushing more flexible pricing models—but customers don't always want them. At the center is a simple question that changes everything: "How would you like to buy?" They explore why pricing isn't about finding one perfect model, but about giving customers the right options—while avoiding the complexity that slows decisions. If you're trying to evolve your pricing so customers can decide faster (without overwhelm), this is a conversation you'll want to hear.   Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast: Understand why the future of pricing isn't choosing the "right" model—but giving customers the right options. See why customers don't want to decode your pricing—and how simplifying it builds trust faster. Learn how to experiment with pricing without breaking your business—or your customer relationships.   "You need to introduce your customers to what you're going to be changing about your product set and ask them to tell you how they would relate that to value." — Mark Walker   Topics Covered: 02:26 – What is a revenue architecture system? Why pricing, billing, and quoting can't live in silos anymore—and how unifying them enables pricing flexibility 05:11 – Aligning pricing models to customer value Why the same product needs different pricing models depending on how customers experience value 08:11 – What "hybrid pricing" really means Breaking down how companies combine subscription and usage to better reflect real-world value 19:29 – Why changing pricing is so hard The hidden risk: once a pricing model is live, you're locked into it longer than you think 21:39 – Optionality as a pricing strategy Why giving customers multiple ways to buy may outperform forcing a single pricing model 25:42 – Outcome-based pricing: what it actually means Why outcome-based pricing isn't new—and really comes down to who takes the risk 29:36 – Don't guess pricing—ask your customers  Why involving customers early can prevent costly pricing mistakes 30:44 – How to talk to customers about pricing changes The role of communication in introducing new pricing without creating resistance   Platforms & Pricing Model Examples: Amazon Web Services – Example of committed spend and consumption-based pricing at scale Snowflake – Known for credit-based pricing, highlighting the tradeoff between flexibility and pricing clarity DocuSign – Example of outcome-based pricing where customers pay per completed transaction ZoomInfo – Combines seat-based pricing with credits, illustrating hybrid pricing in practice   Key Takeaways: "The more abstract you make the relationship between what the person is doing and what that costs, the harder it is to get the customer to budget for it." — Mark Walker "Outcome-based pricing is not a real thing. It is just a subset of usage-based pricing." — Mark Walker "You need to introduce your customers to what you're going to be changing… and ask them to tell you how they would relate that to value." — Mark Walker "Align your pricing to how your customer measures value." — Mark Walker   People Mentioned: Steven Forth – Pricing thought leader referenced in discussions about credit-based pricing and abstraction Ray Tetlow – Mark Walker's mentor; known for simplifying business models and influencing his perspective on pricing structures   Connect with Mark Walker: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwalker/   Website: https://www.nue.io/    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on February 2, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/the-three-value-disciplines-why-price-takes-the-blame-when-buying-gets-hard/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/  

Keenan is the founder and CEO of A Sales Growth Company, where he helps organizations move beyond product-driven selling and into problem-centric sales strategies. He's also the author of Gap Selling, a framework built around one powerful idea: understanding the gap between where a buyer is today and where they need to be. In this episode, Keenan and Mark Stiving unpack a truth most teams say they believe—but rarely execute: buyers don't pay for products, they pay based on the size of the problem and the cost of not solving it. If you've ever wondered why deals stall, why buyers default to "no decision," or why price suddenly becomes the issue—this conversation will challenge how you think about selling, pricing, and what actually drives someone to act.   Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast: Understand why buyers don't change unless the problem feels urgent enough and how to surface the real cost of inaction. Learn how gap selling uncovers the true drivers behind buying decisions by connecting root causes, problems, and impact. Discover why pricing power comes from problem size not product features and how that changes the way you sell and price.   "Value is delivered by the size of the problem—and the cost of not solving it." — Keenan   Topics Covered: 01:07 – What Gap Selling Really Means. How shifting from product pitching to problem diagnosis changes win rates, deal size, and sales outcomes 05:05 – Why Everything Starts with a Problem. The hidden truth: every buying decision is driven by a problem—whether the buyer realizes it or not 09:47 – The Different Levels of Problems in Sales. How surface-level needs hide deeper drivers—and why most salespeople stop too early 10:37 – Root Cause vs. Problem vs. Impact. A powerful framework to uncover what's really driving the need to change 13:56 – What Actually Motivates Buyers to Act. Why root causes don't trigger action—but impact does 19:30 – How Deep Should You Go in Problem Discovery? Knowing when to keep digging—and when you've found what truly matters 20:26 – A Real Example: Breaking Down Root Causes (Obesity Case). How complex problems reveal multiple layers—and why that matters in selling 25:04 – How Trust Is Built Through Problem Clarity. Why buyers trust you more when you understand their problem better than they do 27:33 – Pricing Based on the Cost of Inaction. Why price isn't about your product—it's about how painful it is not to solve the problem   Key Takeaways: "People don't change unless their current state is untenable." – Keenan "Gap Selling is a selling methodology that helps salespeople improve their win rate, shorten sales cycles, improve their average contract value and close more deals faster." – Keenan "Understanding the size of the problem of not solving it is crucial for pricing." – Keenan   People / Resources Mentioned: A Sales Growth Company – Keenan's company; focused on modern sales strategy Gap Selling – Framework for understanding buyer problems and driving sales Gap Prospecting – Keenan's extension of gap selling into outbound and pipeline generation Status Quo Bias – Why buyers avoid change unless impact is high   Connect with Keenan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkeenan/  Website: https://salesgrowth.com/    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on January 26, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/free-ai-is-a-strategy-not-a-pricing-model/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/  

AI pricing is changing fast—and suddenly, everyone is selling credits. But here's the uncomfortable question: Are credits actually helping you scale… or quietly pulling you back into cost-plus pricing? Steven Forth, co-founder of ValueIQ, joins Mark Stiving to unpack what's really going on behind the rise of credit-based pricing—and why so many companies are adopting it despite its obvious flaws. This isn't a polite discussion. Mark challenges the very foundation of credits, arguing they break the connection between price and value. Steven pushes back, revealing why credits may be the only viable system in a world where AI usage is unpredictable, costs are real, and value is still being discovered in real time. What emerges is a deeper truth most companies are missing about credit-based pricing. If you're navigating AI pricing—or even just rethinking your current model—this episode will force you to rethink not just how you price… but what you're really charging for.   Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast: Discover when credit-based pricing actually works—and when it quietly pulls you back into cost-plus thinking, weakening your ability to communicate real value. Learn how AI companies balance cost, value, and scale using the "two dials" of pricing—credit price vs. credit consumption—and why this changes how you design pricing systems. Avoid the hidden design traps that break credit models—including overages, rollovers, and pooling decisions that frustrate buyers and limit growth.   "AI is still early. Value is not preordained. Credits give you flexibility while you figure it out."  – Steven Forth   Topics Covered: 01:43 – Why Credits Break Value-Based Pricing (And Create Buyer Confusion). Mark explains why credits add a layer of abstraction between price and value—making it harder for buyers to connect what they pay to the outcomes they get. 05:47 – The Hidden Shift to Cost-Plus Pricing in AI. Why tokens = cost-plus pricing, and how rising compute costs are quietly pushing SaaS companies away from value-based pricing without realizing it. 10:11 – The "Two Dials" Strategy: How Credits Unlock Pricing Flexibility. Discover how adjusting price per credit vs. credits per action creates a more adaptable system—without constantly changing your pricing model. 12:05 – The Hardest Problem Nobody Solves: Mapping Credits to Value. Why most companies fail at credit pricing—not because of the model itself, but because they skip the deep work of aligning credits with real customer value. 15:22 – The 3 Critical Design Decisions That Make or Break Credits. A breakdown of pooling, rollovers, and overages—and how each one impacts buyer trust, revenue predictability, and product usage. 21:57 – Overage Mistakes That Kill Adoption (And What to Do Instead). Why hard stops frustrate users and reduce usage, plus smarter alternatives like soft limits, borrowing, and on-demand credit purchases. 25:34 – The Emerging Best Practice: Hybrid Credit + Subscription Models. How leading companies combine base subscriptions with flexible credit top-ups to balance predictability with scalability. 27:00 – The Only Rule That Matters: Understand How You Create Value. Steven's closing insight: pricing models don't matter if you don't deeply understand how your value is created—and how it's changing over time.   Key Takeaways: "Credits add a layer of abstraction between price and value—and that's what makes them dangerous." – Mark Stiving "Tokens are cost-plus pricing. Credits give you a way to reconnect pricing back to value." – Steven Forth "Buyers are much more flexible with credits than with price increases." – Steven Forth "Credits feel easier to allocate internally—because they've already been 'spent." – Mark Stiving "Hard stops on usage are bad design—they hurt both the buyer and the seller." – Steven Forth "Well-designed credit systems are actually buyer-centric—they give flexibility across different use cases." – Steven Forth    Resources and People Mentioned: Lovable (AI platform) – Referenced for its approach to on-demand credit purchasing and overage design, including A/B testing credit top-ups to improve revenue and user experience Box (company) – Example of a company implementing restricted credit pooling rules (e.g., limited sharing of AI credits), highlighting tension between buyer flexibility and revenue protection AI Token Pricing Models – Discussed as a contrast to credits; tokens represent cost-plus pricing tied to compute usage, while credits can be designed to reflect value instead of just cost Cell Phone Industry (Rollover & Subscription Models) – Referenced as the origin of many modern SaaS pricing mechanics like rollovers, ARR, and customer lifetime value thinking, influencing today's credit-based systems   Connect with Steven Forth: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenforth/  Email: [email protected] Subscribe to Steven's Substack: Synthetic data in pricing: https://pricinginnovation.substack.com/p/synthetic-data-in-pricing   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on January 19, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/we-lost-on-price-truthful-and-useless/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Jim Kalbach is the Chief Evangelist at Mural, where he helps teams uncover what customers actually need—not just what they say they want. Known for his work in Jobs to Be Done, experience mapping, and innovation, Jim has spent years helping organizations see beyond their products and into how buyers really think, decide, and act. In this episode, we unpack a simple but often overlooked truth: buyers don't start with problems—they start with solutions. Jim walks us through what's really happening beneath the surface—from how buyers recognize (or miss) their own problems, to how they search, evaluate, and eventually decide when to stop looking. Along the way, you'll learn how identifying unmet needs doesn't just improve your product—it sharpens your messaging, builds trust faster, and gives you a clearer path to pricing around real value.   Why you have to check out today's podcast: Understand why buyers struggle to explain their own problems and how removing the solution from the conversation reveals what they actually need. Learn how Jobs to Be Done helps you predict buyer behavior by uncovering the unmet needs driving their decisions. Understand the moment buyers stop searching and how aligning with their real problem builds trust and increases conversion.   "Understand the problems first—and then price around that." – Jim Kalbach   Topics Covered: 02:08 – Why Buyers Struggle to Express Their Problems. Learn why buyers default to solutions instead of articulating real needs—and how that limits insight. 05:57 – The Jobs to Be Done Mindset Explained. Discover how removing the solution from the conversation helps uncover true customer problems. 10:06 – The Layers of Problems in Sales. Understand how to navigate from surface-level needs to deeper value-driving problems. 12:43 – Why Buyers Are Predicting the Future. Explore how every purchase is a bet on future outcomes—and what builds buyer confidence. 14:37 – Identifying Unmet Needs in the Market. Learn how uncovering unmet needs improves product-market fit, messaging, and adoption. 18:45 – Building Trust by Understanding Problems First. See how recognizing a buyer's problem before they articulate it creates instant credibility. 21:22 – Shifting from Product Thinking to Human Problems. Why focusing on the human problem—not the product—makes selling and pricing easier. 25:47 – Core Principles of the Jobs to Be Done Framework. Break down the key idea: temporarily remove the solution to better understand the job. 27:29 – Pricing Around Value Creation. Why pricing should be anchored in the problems you solve—not the product you sell.   Key Takeaways: "Try to understand the value that you can create by shifting your attention to the problems that you solve." – Jim Kalbach "The power of jobs to be done is let's not see things only through the lens of our own solution." – Jim Kalbach "Jobs to be done is trying to predict the future by creating a solution that fills an unmet need." – Jim Kalbach   Resources and People Mentioned: Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) – Framework for understanding customer behavior by focusing. Henry Ford – Referenced for the "faster horse" analogy, illustrating how customers describe needs based on existing solutions. Theodore Levitt – Known for the classic insight: people don't want a drill, they want a hole—used here to illustrate layers of customer problems.   Connect with Jim Kalbach: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalbach  Website: www.jtbdtoolkit.com Jobs to be Done Playbook: https://experiencinginformation.com/jtbd-playbook/    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

If buyers need to believe the value before they buy…why don't they trust ROI when we show it to them? In Episode 5 of the Buyer Decision Series, Mark Stiving and Rebecca Kalogeris explore how to actually help buyers quantify value in a way they believe. Because the real value conversation doesn't start with spreadsheets or ROI calculators — it starts by helping buyers connect their problems to measurable outcomes they already care about. Discover how guiding buyers to use their own assumptions, their own numbers, and their own logic transforms value from something you claim… into something they trust — and why that trust is what ultimately increases the confidence needed to say yes.   Why you have to check out today's podcast: Discover why buyers don't trust ROI; even when your numbers are right and how this skepticism silently kills deals and drives unnecessary discounting Learn how to guide buyers to calculate value using their own numbers so the outcome feels credible, defensible, and worth paying for Master a simple framework to connect features to real business impact; turning vague problems into measurable results buyers can justify internally   Catch Up on the #BuyerDecisionSeries: Episode 1: Buying Is a Prediction of the Future  Episode 2: Buyers Buy Futures, Not Features Episode 3: What Buyers Actually Pay For Episode 4: Why Buyers Can't Articulate Their Real Problems (And Why That Matters for Pricing)   "Buyers believe it more when they use their own numbers than when you tell them the answer." — Mark Stiving   Topics Covered: 00:00 – Why Buyers Don't Trust ROI (Even When It's True).  The core problem: telling buyers the value doesn't build confidence — it often creates skepticism. 01:30 – The Value Table: Turning Features into Business Impact. A simple framework — Feature → Problem → Result → KPI — to connect what you sell to what buyers actually care about. 03:30 – The Hardest Step: Defining the Real Problem. Why companies (not just buyers) struggle to articulate the problem — and how the "curse of knowledge" gets in the way. 05:00 – From KPIs to Money: Where Value Actually Comes From. How to link metrics like churn or productivity to real financial impact (cost savings or revenue growth). 06:30 – Step 2: How to Quantify Value in a Live Conversation. How to guide buyers through their own logic — starting from their problems and moving toward measurable outcomes. 08:00 – Let the Buyer Do the Math (And Why It Works). Why using their assumptions and their numbers makes the value more believable than any pitch. 09:30 – Why Smaller Numbers Increase Credibility. Using conservative estimates builds trust — and still leads to compelling value. 10:30 – Why ROI Calculators Backfire (and What to Do Instead). Big, polished numbers feel manipulative — buyers trust what they help build. 11:15 – The Real Goal: Build Confidence, Not Just Prove Value. Quantifying value isn't about proving ROI — it's about making buyers believe the decision is right.   Key Takeaways: "When we can articulate problems to our buyers, they trust us more." — Mark Stiving "If we could solve this problem for you, what do you think that's going to do for your employee turnover?" — Mark Stiving "The buyer...once they've done the math and used their own numbers, they believe this way more than if you walked in and said, we're going to save you a million dollars." — Mark Stiving "We show that we understand their business, which is key." — Rebecca Kalogeris   Connect with Rebecca Kalogeris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-kalogeris   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on January 12, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/ai-didnt-kill-per-user-pricing-it-exposed-it/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

If value comes from solving problems… why do buyers struggle to explain the problems they actually have? In Episode 4 of the Buyer Decision Series, Mark Stiving and Rebecca Kalogeris explore why buyers often jump straight to solutions instead of clearly articulating their problems. But the real value conversation doesn't start with features or products — it starts with understanding the problem behind the purchase. Discover why the sellers who understand a buyer's problems best are the ones buyers trust most… and why that trust increases the confidence needed to say yes.   Why you have to check out today's podcast: Understand why value only exists when a real problem is being solved—and why no problem means no value. Learn why buyers often jump to solutions and features instead of articulating their real problems. See why the best sales conversations focus less on products and more on diagnosing the buyer's situation.   Catch Up on the #BuyerDecisionSeries: Episode 1: Buying Is a Prediction of the Future  Episode 2: Buyers Buy Futures, Not Features  Episode 3: What Buyers Actually Pay For   "If there's no problem, there's no value." — Mark Stiving   Topics Covered: 00:00 – The Question Most Buyers Never Stop to Ask.  Mark opens with a simple but powerful question: what problem are we actually trying to solve? The starting point behind value — and why most buyers skip it. 02:00 – The Rule That Explains Why Value Only Exists When Problems Exist. Mark introduces the second half of the Second Law of Value: value is the result of solving problems. If there's no meaningful problem, there's no reason to pay. 02:28 – The "Drill Aisle" Mistake Buyers Make. Why buyers walk into a store asking for a drill instead of understanding what they actually need — and how jumping straight to solutions leads to bad decisions. 05:12 – Why Feature-Focused Buyers Often Choose the Wrong Solution. From cars to CRM systems, buyers instinctively compare features instead of identifying the deeper problems they're trying to solve. 08:09 – The Question That Instantly Builds Buyer Trust. Why great sellers ask deeper questions about context and behavior — revealing problems the buyer hasn't fully articulated. 09:55 – The Confidence Equation Behind Every Buying Decision. Mark revisits the confidence framework — payoff, probability, and anticipated regret — and explains why understanding problems increases the probability a buyer believes your solution will work. 11:04 – The "Doctor Test" for Great Selling. Rebecca compares great sellers to doctors: when someone clearly diagnoses your problem, you immediately trust their solution. 12:48 – The Next Puzzle: Turning Problems Into Measurable Value. Mark previews the next episode: how companies can help buyers quantify value once the real problems are understood.   Key Takeaways: "Buyers typically are horrible at articulating their own problems."  — Mark Stiving "Nobody cares about your product. What they care about are the problems you can solve and the results they'll achieve."  — Mark Stiving "The better a salesperson is at understanding your problems, the more likely you are to believe that solution solves your problem."  — Mark Stiving "When someone can articulate your problem with nuance and detail, suddenly you believe they can solve it." — Mark Stiving "Confidence changes when someone demonstrates they truly understand your situation." — Rebecca Kalogeris   People / Concepts Mentioned: Theodore Levitt. Referenced for the famous insight: "People don't want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole." Jobs to Be Done. A framework focused on understanding the underlying job a customer is trying to accomplish.   Connect with Rebecca Kalogeris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-kalogeris   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on January 5, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/price-is-the-tradeoff/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

If buyers are predicting the future… and confidence determines when they act… what are they actually paying for? In Episode 3 of the Buyer Decision Series, Mark Stiving and Rebecca Kalogeris explore the next piece of the puzzle; and challenge a common assumption about value. Because what buyers pay for may not be what you think. Discover what buyers are really evaluating; and why understanding it can completely change how you talk about value and pricing.   Why You Have to Listen: Understand what buyers are really paying for—and why it's rarely the product itself Learn the Second Law of Value and how it reshapes the way pricing conversations work See how B2B buyers think about results through revenue, cost savings, and risk Recognize the hidden personal outcomes buyers consider—even in business decisions Build the next layer of the Buyer Decision framework introduced in Episodes 1 and 2   Catch Up on the #buyerDecisionSeries: Episode 1: Buying Is a Prediction of the Future https://impactpricing.com/podcast/buying-is-a-prediction-of-the-future/ Episode 2: Buyers Buy Futures, Not Features https://impactpricing.com/podcast/buyers-buy-futures-not-features/   "Value is the result of solving problems." — Mark Stiving   Topics Covered: 00:22 - Recapping the First Two Episodes. Buying is prediction, and confidence determines when someone acts 01:32 - Confidence Threshold in Buying Decisions 02:11 - Introduction to Laws of Value 02:42 - Umbrella Law: Buyers Trade Money for Value 03:14 - Law One: Buyers Make Predictions 04:02 - Law Two: Value is the Result of Solving Problems 05:02 - Confidence Components: Payoff, Probability, Anticipated Regret 06:07 - B2B Results: Incremental Profit + Reduced Risk in B2B 08:22 - Results in B2C: Functional, Social, and Emotional Value. Consumers buy outcomes like better performance, social perception, or emotional satisfaction 10:43 - Why Individual Buyers Still Matter in B2B. Even business decisions include personal outcomes like reputation and career impact 12:50 - What Comes Next: Quantifying Value. How sellers can help buyers understand the payoff they expect   Key Takeaways: "Value is the result of solving problems." — Mark Stiving "Individual buyers inside companies still care about how decisions make them look and feel." — Rebecca Kalogeris   Connect with Rebecca Kalogeris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-kalogeris   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on December 29, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/buyers-dont-buy-features/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Buying isn't logical;  it's predictive.  In this episode, we explore why buyers hesitate, stall, and say "let me think about it" — even when the value is clear. Mark Stiving and Rebecca Kalogeris break down the real driver behind purchase decisions: confidence — the balance of payoff, probability, and anticipated regret. If buyers are betting on a future, your job isn't to explain features; it's to increase their belief that the future you promise will actually happen. Listen in to understand why buyers buy futures, not features and how to close the confidence gap without lowering your price.   Why You Have to Listen: Understand why buying is closer to gambling than logic; and what that means for pricing. Learn the three drivers of buyer confidence and how to increase them without discounting. Discover why more information often reduces clarity instead of increasing commitment.   "Buyers buy futures, not features." — Mark Stiving   Topics Covered: 01:00 – Buying Is a Prediction. Every purchase is a bet on the future — and we're surprisingly bad at making predictions 02:30 – Buying as Gambling. Why customers are placing bets without knowing the odds — and what sellers misunderstand about that 04:00 – Confidence = Payoff + Probability. The two core levers behind every buying decision: 06:30 – Belief Beats Information. Why more facts don't necessarily increase confidence — and why belief often wins 08:30 – The Confidence Threshold. Buyers must cross a psychological line before they commit — and most sellers don't know where that line is 10:00 – Anticipated Regret: The Hidden Variable. What happens if I'm wrong? Will I get blamed, embarrassed, or fired? 11:45 – The Real Buyer Disconnect. Sellers talk about features. Buyers are trying to predict their future. 13:00 – Mic Drop Moment. The insight that reframes everything: buyers buy futures, not features   Key Takeaways: "Predictions are really hard — especially when they're about the future." – Referencing Yogi Berra, discussed by Mark & Rebecca  "Confidence isn't just value. It's payoff, probability… and anticipated regret." – Mark Stiving "There's a confidence threshold you have to cross before you're willing to buy." – Mark Stiving "If I don't believe it, no amount of facts I'm reading are going to help me." – Rebecca Kalogeris   People/Resources Mentioned: Yogi Berra Buyer Disconnect (Mark Stiving's Upcoming Book)    Connect with Rebecca Kalogeris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-kalogeris    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

Before we talk about confidence. Before we talk about willingness to pay. Before we talk about buyer disconnect. We need to question something far more fundamental: What are buyers actually doing when they decide? In this pilot episode of the Decision Series, Mark Stiving and Rebecca Kalogeris unpack a deceptively simple idea that reframes how every purchase works;  especially in B2B.  They explore why value isn't as concrete as we assume, why certainty is often an illusion, and why so many pricing conversations miss what's really driving the decision. If pricing sometimes feels disconnected from buyer behavior, this episode starts to reveal why.   Why You Have to Listen: Understand why value doesn't exist at the moment of purchase; and what buyers are actually evaluating instead. Reframe perceived value as a belief about the future, not a fact in the present. Lay the foundation for everything that follows in the Buyer Decision series.   "Buying is a prediction of the future."  – Mark Stiving    Topics Covered: 00:00 – Buying Is a Prediction of the Future. The foundational idea that reshapes how we think about value 01:40 – What Is Buyer Disconnect? The gap between how buyers perceive value and how sellers think buyers perceive value 04:30 – The Drill Example: When Does Value Actually Happen? Value doesn't exist at purchase — it only exists if the future plays out as expected 06:20 – Perceived Value vs. Real Value. Why perceived value is all buyers have when they decide 09:45 – Why B2B Raises the Stakes. Business buyers are predicting both product outcomes and reputational consequences 11:40 – What Comes Next: Confidence. If buying is prediction, the next question is obvious — how do buyers build enough confidence to act?   Key Takeaways: "Value doesn't exist at the time of purchase." – Mark Stiving  "Buyer disconnect is the gap between how buyers perceive value and how sellers think buyers perceive value." – Mark Stiving "In B2B, buyers aren't just predicting product outcomes — they're predicting what happens to their reputation." – Mark Stiving "There are two predictions in every purchase; I assume the product will behave the way I expect, and I assume I'll behave the way I expect." – Rebecca Kalogeris   Resources and People Mentioned: Yogi Berra Buyer Disconnect (Mark Stiving's Upcoming Book)   Connect with Rebecca Kalogeris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-kalogeris   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on December 22, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/pricing-ai-when-algorithms-replace-buyers/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/  

Whether you've been with us since the beginning or you just discovered Impact Pricing last week, this episode is for you. If you're one of our longtime listeners, you know Mark's voice, you've heard his insights, and maybe you've even implemented some of his strategies in your own business. But have you ever wondered what drives him to keep showing up week after week, year after year? If you're new here, welcome. You're about to meet the person behind the podcast—not just as a pricing expert, but as someone who genuinely loves teaching and believes that understanding value can transform your business and your career. Mark Stiving is the host of Impact Pricing and founder of Impact Pricing LLC. But before he was a pricing expert, he was a teacher—of scuba diving, kayaking, and marketing. That passion for helping people learn never left him. Even after retiring in 2019, Mark couldn't stop sharing what he knows about pricing and value. In this heartfelt solo episode, Mark pulls back the curtain on his journey. He shares why he chose to dedicate his post-retirement life to pricing education, what keeps him energized after blogging every week since 2010, and the two critical topics that consume his attention right now. This isn't just another pricing lesson—it's an invitation to understand the "why" behind everything we do here at Impact Pricing. For our loyal listeners: Thank you for being part of this community. This episode is Mark's way of reconnecting with you and reaffirming his commitment to your success. For our new listeners: This is the perfect place to start. You'll understand not just what we teach, but why it matters so deeply to the person teaching it.   Why you have to check out today's podcast: Discover why teaching and sharing pricing knowledge became Mark's post-retirement mission and driving passion. Learn about the two critical topics dominating modern pricing strategy: AI pricing and context-driven pricing. Understand how value impacts decisions across sales, marketing, product development, and packaging—not just pricing.   "Probably my single most favorite thing is when I share something with someone and it has an impact on their life. I absolutely love that." - Mark Stiving   Topics Covered: 00:30 - Mark's Retirement and Continued Mission. Why Mark retired in 2019 but couldn't stop sharing pricing knowledge, and how his blogging streak since 2010 kept him connected to his passion. 01:15 - The Joy of Teaching. Mark's history as an instructor across multiple disciplines—from scuba diving and kayaking to university-level marketing—and why teaching is his core passion. 02:00 - The Pricing Knowledge Gap. Why pricing and value are critical business topics that remain poorly understood, and Mark's mission to change that. 02:45 - Working with Different Organizations. How Mark's work differs between large enterprises (focusing on sales teams) versus small and mid-sized businesses (focusing on executive teams). 03:30 - Two Current Focus Areas. Deep dive into Mark's concentration on AI pricing and context-driven pricing, including the concept of value architecture. 04:45 - Context-Driven Pricing Framework. How buying contexts differ for every purchase and how companies can structure their product portfolios to deliver and capture more value.   Key Takeaways: "Pricing and value are such important topics in all of business and so few people understand it. And that's almost my mission now is just to see how many people I can get to have a better understanding." - Mark Stiving "All buying is contextual. Every purchase that's made is made in a different way than any other purchase has ever been made." - Mark Stiving "When we start thinking through context-driven pricing, that drives me to something I call a value architecture, which is how do you structure the way you think, the way you built your product portfolio, the way you have packaged your greatest features?" - Mark Stiving   Resources Mentioned: Impact Pricing Blog (since 2010): https://impactpricing.com/blog/ Mark's Substack newsletter Impact Pricing monthly newsletter   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected] Website: https://impactpricing.com  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on December 15, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/pricing-ai-three-levels-of-value-visibility/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Steven Forth is a pricing strategist and AI innovator with decades of experience building value-based pricing models.  As the founder of Value IQ, he blends rigorous pricing theory with emerging AI applications—often pushing the boundaries of how pricing professionals think about data, modeling, and buyer behavior. In this episode, Mark and Steven step into another live debate aka 'intellectual challenge' about AI-generated synthetic data  with real pushback, not polite agreement. They challenge whether synthetic data is a breakthrough for pricing or just smarter-looking "fake data" that distances us from buyers. What unfolds is an unscripted stress test of the idea itself, and it ends with a surprisingly human conclusion you should definitely listen to.   What You'll Learn in This Episode: What synthetic data actually is—and how it differs from simply "making up numbers." Where synthetic data becomes dangerous, especially when assumptions about buyer behavior go untested. Why even the most advanced AI modeling cannot replace direct conversations with buyers.   "Go out and talk to buyers and understand their buying process." – Steven Forth   Topics Covered: 00:00 – Why synthetic data is suddenly a pricing topic. Steven introduces Value IQ and the idea behind AI-generated pricing intelligence. The setup: why synthetic data is gaining attention—and why Mark is skeptical from the start. 03:45 – What is synthetic data (without the buzzwords)? A plain-language definition of synthetic data and how it differs from CRM or ERP history. Why backward-looking data limits pricing strategy. 06:30 – The "fake data" objection. Mark challenges the idea head-on: Isn't this just inventing numbers? A sharp exchange on statistical misuse, p-values, and the danger of generating data that simply confirms what you want to see. 09:30 – Interpolation vs. extrapolation in pricing models. Why most pricing data isn't normally distributed. Discussion of fat tails, clustering, segmentation signals, and what synthetic data might distort—or reveal. 12:30 – The three types of synthetic data. Steven outlines three practical applications. (1) AI-generated buyer simulations. (2) Stress-testing value and pricing models. (3) Modeling competitive and economic scenarios. This is where the conversation moves from theory to use cases. 16:30 – Can AI predict buyer behavior? Mark pushes the core issue: pricing changes behavior. So how can synthetic data anticipate it? A discussion about assumptions, validation, and ground truth. 20:00 – A practical example: AI-driven Van Westendorp studies. A concrete scenario: simulate 100 real buyers, test pricing sensitivity, validate with actual survey data, and refine the model. A tangible way to experiment responsibly. 23:30 – The risk: Are we moving further from real buyers? The philosophical tension of the episode. Does synthetic data create insight—or another buffer between pricing teams and customers? 26:30 – The surprisingly human conclusion. After 25 minutes of AI debate, Steven's final advice is simple and grounded: talk to buyers and understand their buying process. 29:00 – Closing thoughts and where to connect. How to reach Steven and Mark—and a final reminder that AI is a tool, not a substitute for customer insight.   Key Takeaway: "Synthetic data is data that is generated for you by your AI." – Steven Forth "With synthetic data, you can explore scenarios that do not yet exist or parts of the market you do not yet touch." – Steven Forth   People and Resources Mentioned: Craig Zawada – Former McKinsey partner, co-creator of the pocket price waterfall; now Chief Strategy Officer at PROS  Benoit Mandelbrot – Referenced in the discussion about fat-tailed distributions and why pricing data is often not normally distributed. Pocket Price Waterfall – A pricing analytics framework originally developed at McKinsey. Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter – Used as a practical example of how synthetic data could simulate buyer responses. Conjoint Analysis – Discussed as a potential future application for synthetic respondents. Bayesian Updating / Bayesian Statistics – Mentioned as a way to iteratively improve models by aligning synthetic data with real-world results. Interpolation vs. Extrapolation – Statistical concepts debated in the context of synthetic modeling. Normal vs. Fat-Tailed Distributions – Discussion on why pricing data often violates normal distribution assumptions.   Connect with Steven Forth: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenforth/  Email: [email protected] Subscribe to Steven's Substack: Synthetic data in pricing: https://pricinginnovation.substack.com/p/synthetic-data-in-pricing   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on December 8, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/ai-cant-own-pricing/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/  

Alex Shartsis is a pricing and go-to-market advisor who helps founders charge what their products are actually worth. He is the CEO of Silverwood and Skyp, working with early- and growth-stage companies on pricing discipline, packaging, and monetization. This episode explores why charging too little early is one of the most expensive mistakes founders make, including the story of raising a customer from $500 a month to $20,000. Mark and Alex discuss when to raise prices, how early sweetheart deals quietly damage businesses, and why price often signals quality in AI and SaaS markets.   Why You Have to Check Out This Episode: Understand why early underpricing creates long-term trauma in customer bases, teams, and investor conversations. Learn when to raise prices (and when not to) especially with early customers and pilots. See why price often acts as a signal of quality in markets where buyers can't easily judge value (AI, software, experimentation budgets).   "If you can charge for value early and be disciplined about it, you'll have a much better journey—you'll look better to investors, and you'll be running a more viable business much sooner." — Alex Shartsis   Topics Covered: 02:00 – From $500 to $20,000: A Pricing Wake-Up Cal. Alex shares the deal that pulled him into pricing—and why willingness to pay is often far higher than founders expect. 06:10 – Founder Discounts and Early Pricing Mistakes. How "sweetheart deals" happen, why they feel harmless early on, and how they quietly break pricing discipline. 10:45 – Should You Raise Prices on Early Customers?A nuanced discussion on fairness, trust, investor expectations, and when price increases actually make sense. 15:30 – Building NRR Into Pricing (Without Repricing Customers). Why limits, packaging, and expansion paths matter more than simply charging more later. 18:45 – AI Changes the Cost and Pricing Equation. Why the old "software has no marginal cost" mindset no longer holds in AI-driven businesses. 22:30 – Price as a Signal of Quality. When buyers use price to infer value—and why this shows up strongly in AI and experimental products. 26:15 – Credit-Based Pricing: Temporary Fix or Long-Term Problem?. A candid debate on credits, customer confusion, and what it signals about unresolved value models. 29:10 – Final Advice: Charge for Value Earlier. Alex's closing guidance for founders—and why pricing discipline creates better businesses, not just higher revenue.   Key Takeaways: "If you can charge for value early and be disciplined about it, you'll have a much better journey—you'll look better to investors and you'll be running a more viable business sooner." — Alex Shartsis "Most early-stage founders charge too little, and it quietly creates problems that don't show up until much later." — Alex Shartsis "Price often becomes a signal of quality when buyers can't easily judge value—especially in AI and software." — Alex Shartsis   People & Resources Mentioned: Carta – Carta's ERP for private capital combines software and services to deliver connected clarity and control across equity, fund, and portfolio management. Google Maps – Example of usage-based pricing evolution Tesla – Used as an example of starting high and expanding market access over time Porsche – is referenced as a real-world analogy for how premium pricing shapes belief, not because Porsche has radically different parts, but because the brand and price tell a story buyers trust.excellence. Kyle Poyar -  is referenced in the context of "reasonable use" pricing. Steven Forth - comes up during the discussion on credit-based pricing models, especially in AI-driven products.   Connect with Alex Shartsis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shartsis/ Skyp: https://skyp.ai Silverwood: https://silverwood.ai   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on December 1, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/pricing-ai-outcome-based-pricing-the-holy-grail-for-ai/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/  

This episode takes a slightly different approach than the usual Impact Pricing conversation. Instead of teaching a finished framework, Mark brings an early draft of his upcoming book to the table and asks Steven to react to it as a thoughtful pricing peer.  Steven Forth, co-creator of ValueIQ, largely agrees with the direction of the book, but pauses on a key point: how buyer context is defined, and whether the argument separates value and willingness to pay too cleanly. Mark jokingly tells Steven he's "wrong," setting the tone for what follows: a calm, constructive discussion that explores where the ideas hold up and where they still need work. What unfolds is a straightforward, unscripted book review in progress. The ideas are tested against real examples, refined through debate, and shaped in real time.  For listeners who care about pricing theory and how it actually gets formed, this episode offers a transparent look at how those ideas evolve before they're finalized and published.   Why you have to check out today's podcast: Why buyer context is trickier than it sounds and where pricing frameworks often oversimplify it. How value and willingness to pay diverge in real buying decisions using practical examples. What this debate changes about how you think about pricing before ideas turn into rigid rules.   "Most pricing books don't really deal with buyer context. That's why this conversation matters."  — Steven Forth   Topics Covered: 01:11 – Steven's career update, transition from being a CEO. 08:54 – Why this episode is different. Mark brings an unfinished book draft to the conversation, setting up a rare moment where ideas are explored, challenged, and shaped before they're finalized. 10:40 – The core question the book has to answer. A turning point in the review as Steven pushes on whether context affects only willingness to pay or fundamentally changes value itself. 17:13 – Testing the argument with real examples. They pressure-test the book's ideas using real buying scenarios where value stays the same but willingness to pay shifts dramatically. 22:10 – Where theory meets real buyer constraints. A discussion of budget limits, framing effects, and mental ceilings that complicate clean pricing logic and challenge how the book explains buyer behavior. 25:45 – How this feedback shapes the final book. Mark reflects on what this debate changes in the manuscript and why early, honest pushback is essential before pricing ideas turn into published frameworks.   Key Takeaways: "Value didn't change, context did." — Steven Forth "I agree that context influences willingness to pay, but I'm not convinced it doesn't also influence value." — Steven Forth   People Mentioned: Michael Mansard - referenced for his Compass Framework and ongoing work on pricing, value, and attribution. Edward Wong - Mentioned in the context of collaborative work on value attribution and pricing research. Karen Chiang - Mentioned as leading the services side of Ibbaka as Steven transitions away from CEO roles. Tom Nagle - Referenced in discussions around economic value, willingness to pay, and foundational pricing theory.   Connect with Steven Forth: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenforth/  Email: [email protected]   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on November 24, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/a-tool-to-reveal-your-value-literacy/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/  

Kathryn Porritt is the founder and CEO of Iconic Empires, where she specializes in helping elite experts build luxury and premium positioning. With a focus on monetization expertise and authority, Kathryn works with clients to elevate their brands and expand their vision of possibilities. Her unique approach emphasizes mastery, rarity, and transformative experiences, enabling her clients to connect deeply with high-end buyers. In this episode, Mark Stiving sits down with Kathryn Porritt to explore the intricacies of selling luxury goods. They discuss the differences between luxury and premium buyers, the importance of creating an expanded vision of possibilities, and how to effectively communicate value in high-end markets.    Why You Have to Check Out This Episode: Learn why luxury buyers don't negotiate and how expanding a buyer's future vision removes price from the conversation entirely. Understand the difference between premium and luxury pricing, and why treating them the same quietly caps your revenue. Discover how elite sellers confidently say bold prices without flinching, discounting, or overselling.   "Expand a vision of possibility for people—show them what they can't see for themselves. When you focus on that, pricing becomes easy."  – Kathryn Porritt   Topics Covered: 01:30 – What Luxury Buyers Actually Buy. Why true luxury customers aren't purchasing features or value props—they're buying rarity, mastery, and first-of-its-kind experiences. 05:40 – Premium vs. Luxury: The Line Most Sellers Miss. How premium buyers still compare and negotiate—while luxury buyers step outside price entirely. 08:45 – The "Expanded Vision of Possibility" Framework. Why the most powerful pricing conversations anchor buyers in a future they didn't know was available. 12:30 – When Budgets Grow (Even in Corporations). How elite sellers expand scope and impact—causing "fixed" corporate budgets to quietly increase. 16:10 – Confidence, Control, and Saying the Number. Why the price you can say without hesitation determines whether the buyer trusts you. 19:40 – Intuition vs. Calculators in Luxury Pricing. How elite experts balance cost, margins, and intuition when there is no reference price. 23:20 – Why This Isn't Just for Luxury Brands. Mark connects the dots: this is exactly how every B2B seller should be selling value. 26:40 – One Pricing Principle That Changes Everything. Kathryn's closing advice—and why expanding possibilities is the fastest path to higher prices.   Key Takeaways: "People at this level, people who buy luxury, like true luxury buyers, they're looking for something that's not necessarily about the value." – Kathryn Porritt "That expanded vision of possibility is the difference. And like I said, that's when pricing becomes almost obsolete in the conversation." – Kathryn Porritt "For a luxury buyer, it's not about the budget." – Kathryn Porritt   People & Resources Mentioned: Iconic Empires – Kathryn's firm helping elite experts position, monetize, and sell at the highest levels. Jeff Bezos – Referenced as an example of true luxury buying behavior where budget is irrelevant Coca-Cola - Mentioned as a corporate example in the context of budget discussions for events. Luxury Market - Discussed as a distinct market segment with unique buyer motivations.   Connect with Kathryn Porritt: Website: https://www.kathrynporritt.com/ Website: https://iconicempire.com  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-porritt?originalSubdomain=au    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on November 17, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/credits-the-bridge-between-ai-uncertainty-and-value-clarity/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/  

Ryan Susanna is the VP of Sales at LogiSense, where he helps telecom, IoT, and SaaS companies operationalize complex usage-based and hybrid pricing models. With more than two decades in monetization, automation, and billing infrastructure, Ryan didn't come up through pricing theory—he came up through execution. His work sits at the intersection of pricing ideas and the systems required to make those ideas real at scale. In this episode, Ryan breaks down why billing platforms quietly shape—and sometimes constrain—pricing innovation, what usage-based pricing actually looks like in practice, why many AI pricing models default to credits, and the single pricing habit he believes every company must adopt: testing pricing ideas in isolation before scaling them across the business.   Why You Have to Check Out This Episode: Understand why pricing innovation fails after approval—and how billing and monetization systems quietly block execution. Learn which modern pricing models die first in rigid systems (usage-based, high-watermark, hybrid, credits). Discover how to test pricing ideas safely without risking your entire go-to-market motion.   "Find an isolated way to test your pricing hypothesis before you boil the ocean for your entire motion."  — Ryan Susanna   Topics Covered: 02:00 – From Physics to Monetization (By Accident). How Ryan's background in physics, computer science, and sales led him into billing systems—and why monetization sits closer to pricing than most teams admit. 04:00 – "Why Should Pricing Care About Billing?" Mark challenges the assumption that billing is just collecting money. Ryan explains how billing systems determine which pricing models are even possible. 07:00 – High-Watermark Pricing Explained. Charging based on peak concurrent usage—not total usage—and why this better reflects customer value in many SaaS and telco models. 08:30 – Earned Discounts and Hybrid Usage Models. How companies combine multiple usage metrics to guide behavior while protecting margins. 14:00 – Meter Everything (Even If You Don't Charge for It). Ryan explains why future pricing decisions depend on historical usage data you may not even know you need yet. 19:00 – Credits vs. Value-Based Pricing. Mark reframes credits as a payment mechanism—not a pricing model—and explains why value correlation matters. 23:00 – The Pricing Test Most Companies Skip. Why executives roll out pricing changes globally—and how isolated testing could prevent costly mistakes. 25:00 – Final Advice for Pricing Leaders. Ryan's core message: pricing strategy without monetization readiness is just theory.   Key Takeaways: "You could dream up any pricing scenario if you want, but if you can't operationalize it at scale, you are setting yourself up for failure." – Ryan Susanna "Billing systems quietly decide which pricing models you're allowed to use." – Ryan Susanna "If you pick a model and you have the same model forever, then it will not appear hard for you—because it's what you've always done. What's hard is change." – Ryan Susanna   People / Resources Mentioned: LogiSense – Monetization and billing platform enabling complex usage-based pricing OpenAI – Referenced in the context of AI credit-based pricing models Databricks – Example of proprietary credit-based pricing (DBUs) Slack – Example of active-user pricing metrics   Connect with Ryan Susanna: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryansusanna/   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on November 10, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/designing-hybrid-and-evolving-pricing-models-for-ai/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Mike Wilkinson, founder of Axia Value Solutions, joins Mark Stiving to explore how AI is fundamentally changing buying behavior—and why this shift exposes weak value stories more than it threatens good sellers. In this episode, Mike explains how AI has raised buyer expectations by enabling benchmarking, price testing, and faster comparisons—rewarding sellers who clearly communicate value and exposing those who don't. He and Mark show why AI creates mediocrity when used blindly, and why value clarity—not pricing tricks—determines who wins.   Why You Have to Check Out This Episode: Understand how AI is changing buyer expectations—and why buyers now demand clearer value justification before accepting price. Learn where AI helps sales—and where it hurts—including why copying AI outputs creates "AI mediocrity" instead of differentiation. Discover how value clarity and value literacy become your competitive moat in an AI-saturated selling environment.   "Whatever price you're charging or thinking of charging, make sure that it's supported by the value that you are communicating that you can deliver."  – Mike Wilkinson   Topics Covered: 02:17 – AI Is Changing How Buyers Buy. Buyers now show up informed with comparisons and benchmarks, shifting the focus from persuasion to value justification. 06:00 – How Buyers Use AI When Making Decisions. Why price-focused questions produce very different answers than value-focused ones. 09:08 – Using AI to Support Value Selling. Where AI helps sellers think through value—and where copying AI outputs makes everyone sound the same. 11:32 – The Real Problem: Most Salespeople Don't Understand Value. Why unclear definitions of value break value-based selling, with or without AI. 17:23 – AI as a Sales Assistant, Not a Replacement. How AI supports preparation and thinking, but can't replace real customer conversations. 19:25 – Practical Ways Salespeople Should Use AI. What actually helps sellers win—from research to prep—and what's just busywork. 22:55 – Researching Customers with AI Before the Call. How to use AI to understand the company, the market, and the buyer before the meeting. 27:17 – Pricing Advice: Value Has to Justify Price. Why prices fall apart when sellers can't clearly explain why they're worth it.   Key Takeaways: "The people who truly understand and communicate value are the people who will rise above that mediocrity." – Mike Wilkinson "For me, the question in the customer's mind is: if you're more expensive than a competitor, why should I make that additional investment? What do I get back in return? And if the answer is, 'I haven't a clue,' prepare to discount. If you've got some great reasons why you're worth more than competing alternatives, then you're into the conversation." – Mike Wilkinson   People & Resources Mentioned: Axia Value Solutions – Mike Wilkinson's consultancy focused on value-based selling and commercial excellence. Value-Based Selling – A sales approach centered on discovering, quantifying, and communicating customer-specific value rather than competing on price. AI in Sales Enablement – Used for research, preparation, and idea generation—not as a substitute for human judgment or relationship-building. Mentioned LinkedIn article in the episode: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-selling-ai-world-michael-wilkinson-5brme/    Connect with Mike Wilkinson: Website: https://axiavalue.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikewilkinson-thevalueexpert/ Email: [email protected]   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on November 3, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/pricing-ai-evaluating-pricing-metrics/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Steven Forth, Managing Partner at Ibbaka and co-creator of Value IQ, joins Mark Stiving to tackle a topic most pricing teams are avoiding: pricing governance in an AI-driven world. This episode explores who owns pricing decisions when AI is involved, how companies should govern data and models, and why pricing leaders must step into a broader leadership role or risk having governance imposed on them by others.  If AI is touching your pricing process in any way, this conversation will change how you think about responsibility, risk, and trust.   Why You Have to Check Out This Episode: Understand what pricing governance actually means and why poor governance shows up as finger-pointing between sales, pricing, and finance. Learn the new governance questions AI introduces around data usage, bias, accountability, and mistakes. Discover why pricing leaders must own AI governance or risk losing control of pricing decisions altogether.   "The big issue for me is how, as pricing people, do we develop the knowledge that we need to be accountable for AI pricing governance? It's not something any of us were taught." – Steven Forth   Topics Covered: 01:51 - Pricing Governance and Accountability. What pricing governance really means and why accountability breaks down when roles are unclear. 05:04 - Pricing and Customer Value Alignment. Why pricing teams sit at the center of aligning sales, product, finance, and customer value. 08:01 - AI Challenges in Pricing Governance. How AI introduces new risks around data usage, ownership, and responsibility in pricing decisions. 12:45 - AI Pricing Governance Challenges. Who is accountable when AI makes mistakes and how strict rules can slow innovation. 16:35 - AI Governance in Pricing. Why pricing leaders must take ownership of AI governance or risk losing control to other functions. 22:13 - AI Transparency in Pricing. The importance of explainable pricing models and why transparency matters to both sellers and buyers. 26:49 - AI in the Buying Process. How buyers are using AI to evaluate vendors and why transparency will shape future pricing outcomes. 28:08 - Connecting on LinkedIn. How to continue the conversation and connect with Steven Forth directly.   Key Takeaways: "Governance is an area of pricing that we don't spend enough time thinking about and talking about because it's not sexy and it does not immediately tie to results." – Steven Forth "If pricing leaders don't take ownership of AI governance, someone else will." – Steven Forth "It's the fact that the AIs are not deterministic that allows them to be, dare I say it, creative and to find new things." – Steven Forth "AI generally does a better job of explaining how it got to its answers than most humans can." – Steven Forth   People & Resources Mentioned: Tom Nagle – Referenced as Steven's mentor and a foundational thinker in pricing governance  Michael Mansard – Mentioned for prior work and thinking on pricing governance Tim Smith – Referenced for contributions to pricing governance discussions Karen Chiang - Co-founder of Ibbaka Stephan Liozu – Mentioned for advocating the Chief Value Officer role Anthropic – Research on bias and AI self-evaluation OpenAI – Data usage and model governance considerations Deal Desks – Scaling pricing guidance with AI support   Connect with Steven Forth: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenforth/  Email: [email protected]   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on October 27, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/what-pe-firms-miss-in-pricing-due-diligence/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/  

Michael Mansard, Principal Director of Subscription Strategy at Zuora, joins Mark Stiving to challenge one of pricing's most accepted conventions: the order of good, better, best. In this episode, Michael shares original research showing how simply changing the display order to best, better, good can significantly increase purchase intent and revenue. Drawing on behavioral economics, loss aversion, and real-world testing, he explains why buyers react differently when the most expensive option is presented first.   Why You Have to Check Out This Episode: Learn how reversing plan order increased top-tier selection by 15 points in controlled testing. Understand how loss aversion works against you in traditional pricing pages and how to flip it. Discover when best, better, good works and when it can hurt retention and Net Revenue Retention (NRR).   "By simply changing the order of plans, we increased revenue by nearly 11% without changing price or features."  – Michael Mansard   Topics Covered: 01:16 - Best, Better, Good vs. Plan Order. Why the order of pricing plans matters and how flipping it can change buyer decisions. 06:23 - The Compromise Effect in Decision-Making. Why buyers gravitate toward the middle option and how loss aversion shapes that behavior. 08:11 - How Plan Order Impacts Choice. What happens when the most expensive plan is shown first and why it reframes value. 11:39 - Pricing Strategy and Consumer Behavior. How buyers justify decisions emotionally versus rationally when evaluating plans. 15:10 - Rethinking Good, Better, Best. Why traditional pricing layouts may limit revenue and when best-first works better. 18:11 - Customer Satisfaction and Pricing Strategy. Risks to churn and net retention and why right-selling matters more than upselling. 22:53 - How to Test Monetization Strategies. Why A/B testing, qualitative feedback, and small-scale experiments are essential.   Key Takeaways: "A very basic tweak, changing the order from good, better, best to best, better, good, can lead to significant revenue uplift." – Michael Mansard "Best, better, good reframes the buying question from 'Is it worth paying more?' to 'Why wouldn't I choose the best?'" – Michael Mansard "Loss aversion means the feeling of losing is much stronger than the feeling of gaining." – Michael Mansard "Pricing pages should make trade-offs clearer, not more confusing." – Michael Mansard   People & Resources Mentioned: INSEAD – Where the research originated through executive education Loss Aversion Theory – Behavioral principle driving buyer choice Goldilocks / Compromise Effect – Why buyers avoid extremes Disney+, Wix, Apple – Examples of best-better-good pricing SurveyMonkey – Example of plan order varying by segment   Connect with Michael Mansard: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmansard/ Article: It's Time to Flip Good, Better, Best on Its Head  (published on LinkedIn)   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on October 20, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/how-to-define-powerful-market-segments/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/  

Dan Layfield, founder of the Subscription Index, joins Mark Stiving to unpack the less-visible pricing and monetization levers that drive real growth in subscription businesses. With experience scaling Codecademy from $10M to $50M in revenue and leading product teams at Uber and Diligent, Dan brings a product-led, ROI-first perspective on pricing. This episode culminates in one of the most actionable subscription pricing tactics you'll hear: how to price annual plans based on actual monthly retention, not industry norms.  If you work in SaaS, consumer subscriptions, or any recurring-revenue business, this episode offers practical insights you can test immediately.   Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast: Learn the annual pricing tactic that dramatically increases LTV and cash flow by aligning plan discounts to real retention behavior. Understand why subscription growth is constrained more by monetization systems than acquisition and where hidden revenue leaks live. Discover how product, pricing, and payment mechanics quietly shape retention long after customers click "Subscribe".   "If you know your average retention rate within monthly plans, and most of your users are in monthly plans, you price your annual plan to be like one or two months more than your monthly retention rate." – Dan Layfield   Topics Covered: 00:45 - How Dan Got Into Pricing. Dan shares how pricing became a key growth lever while scaling Codecademy and why monetization matters more as products mature. 01:10 - Scaling Subscription-Based Businesses. Dan shares lessons from scaling Codecademy's subscription business and why pricing becomes critical as companies grow. 05:12 - Subscription Pricing and Retention Strategies. How pricing decisions influence retention length and why subscription pricing must reflect real user behavior. 09:11 - Retention Challenges in Subscription Businesses. The difference between short-term and long-term retention products and why under-12-month subscriptions require different strategies. 11:32 - Subscription Product Strategies. Time to value versus time to success, and how product design affects lifecycle length and churn. 17:02 - Monetization Strategies in Subscription Businesses. What monetization really includes beyond price, from paywalls to upsells, renewals, and payment recovery systems. 19:45 - Checkout Flow Optimization Strategies. Why small checkout improvements deliver outsized ROI and how minor friction quietly suppresses revenue. 23:22] AI's Impact on Consumer Products. Why AI adoption is slower in consumer subscriptions than B2B SaaS and where future disruption may emerge. 26:30 - Annual Plan Pricing Strategy. Dan explains the monthly-to-annual pricing approach that boosts LTV, improves cash flow, and increases commitment. 29:31 - Key Subscription Product Insights. Final reflections on retention, monetization levers, and where subscription companies should focus first for growth.   Key Takeaways: "This is one of the few tides that lifts all boats in subscription products. It makes payment processing easier. You collect cash up front. Those users psychologically commit to the product more." – Dan Layfield "If you're retaining users for four months on average, change your annual plan discount rate to be 50%. So they're paying for six months up front." – Dan Layfield "...if you look at any of the big consumer products that discount more than 10 to 20% annual plans, you can kind of guess their monthly retention rate." – Dan Layfield   People & Resources Mentioned: Codecademy – Subscription growth case study Uber Eats – Marketplace product experience Subscription Index – Dan's subscription monetization resource Stripe / App Store Billing – Payment and dunning challenges in subscriptions   Connect with Dan Layfield: Website: https://subscriptionindex.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/layfield/    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on October 13, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/shareholder-value-is-an-outcome-not-a-strategy/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Deovrat Kajwadkar is the Director of Strategic Deal Pricing and Monetization at Google Cloud, where he sits at the center of some of the most complex commercial decisions in modern tech. With a background in management consulting at McKinsey and deep experience in cloud and AI monetization, Deovrat brings a rare inside view of how pricing actually works when products are platforms, costs are dynamic, and value is constantly evolving. In this conversation, Deovrat and Mark Stiving unpack why pricing is not just a "number-setting" function but the grade of how well everything else in the business is working. They explore the difference between platforms and solutions, why value-based pricing becomes harder as offerings become more flexible, and how AI is changing both how pricing is done and what pricing even means.   Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast: Learn why pricing sits at the heart of cloud and AI economics, touching product, strategy, sales, and profitability all at once. Understand how platforms, solutions, and AI fundamentally change value-based pricing, and why cost, competition, and outcomes all matter—at different layers of the stack. Discover why "pulling the dollar lever" is the most expensive move, and what smarter pricing leaders focus on first.   "Pulling the dollar lever is easy—but it's also very expensive. I'd rather pull every other lever first." — Deovrat Kajwadkar   Topics Covered: 01:40 – Cloud Pricing as a Central Role. Deovrat explains why pricing sits at the center of Google Cloud's commercial decisions—connecting product strategy, growth, profitability, and customer value. 05:09 – Cloud Computing for Enterprises. A clear, non-technical explanation of cloud computing for enterprise customers, from infrastructure and platforms to software and AI—and why pricing each layer is different. 08:48 – Value-Based Pricing Challenges. Mark and Deovrat discuss why value-based pricing is especially difficult for platforms, where customers use the same products in very different ways. 13:04 – Value-Based Pricing Strategies. A practical framework for pricing across the cloud stack: cost- and competition-based pricing at the lower layers, and outcome-driven pricing as offerings move closer to customer solutions. 18:10 – AI's Impact on Pricing Strategies. How AI is changing pricing on multiple fronts—what gets priced, how costs behave, and how quickly products and value propositions evolve. 22:34 – AI in Pricing Strategies. Deovrat breaks down how AI can support pricing decisions, from customer analysis and renewals to analytics and decision support—while stressing the importance of clean data foundations. 24:12 – AI Value Delivery Challenges. Why delivering real AI value is harder than building the technology itself, and how change management and business adoption affect pricing and monetization. 27:30 – Pricing Advice for Business Impact. Deovrat's closing advice: great pricing leaders expand their skill set beyond pricing fundamentals—and pull every lever before resorting to raising prices.   Key Takeaways: "Pricing touches almost everything—it's the heart of a company's economics." — Deovrat Kajwadkar "The more commoditized the offering, the more cost and competition matter." — Deovrat Kajwadkar "As you move closer to business outcomes, value-based pricing becomes possible—but harder." — Deovrat Kajwadkar "AI changes pricing, but it doesn't eliminate the fundamentals." — Deovrat Kajwadkar   People / Resources Mentioned: Google Cloud – Cloud platform spanning infrastructure, AI models, developer tools, and industry solutions. McKinsey & Company – Deovrat's consulting background, shaping his strategic view of pricing and technology. AI Models & Agentic Workflows – Referenced in the context of pricing analytics, automation, and decision support.   Connect with Deovrat Kajwadkar: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deovrat-kajwadkar   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on October 6, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/pricing-ai-the-compass-spectrum-of-pricing-metrics/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Etinosa Agbonlahor is the CEO of Decision Alpha and former Director of Behavioral Research at Fidelity Investments. A behavioral economist by training, she helps companies understand how customers actually make decisions—and how that should shape pricing. In this episode, Etinosa and Mark Stiving unpack the tension between real value and perceived value, why customers don't react to prices rationally, and how behavioral economics can strengthen pricing strategies. They explore value drivers, ethical nudging, the fear of raising prices, and why most buyers don't remember prices as clearly as business owners think. If you want clearer, psychology-backed ways to price, communicate value, and make better pricing decisions, this episode gives you practical insights you can use right away.   Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast: Why customers forget your prices—and how that myth makes business owners afraid to raise them. How behavioral economics expands value beyond profit into perception, context, and emotion. How to raise prices ethically using segmentation, glide paths, and clear communication.   "Understand your customer. Do the pricing research with customers—not just with quant models. Go talk to customers. It's important." — Etinosa Agbonlahor   Topics Covered: 02:08 – Pricing and Behavioral Economics. Mark and Etinosa debate where behavioral economics fits in pricing—Mark sees it as the final touch, while Etinosa argues it shapes value perception from the start. 05:20 – Defining Real vs. Perceived Value. A foundational question: is value measured strictly in outcomes, or also in emotion, context, and comparison? Their contrasting definitions reveal why pricing teams often misread customers. 09:05 – Value Beyond Monetary Price. Etinosa expands value to include convenience, safety, time saved, emotional comfort, and opportunity cost—benefits customers feel but rarely articulate. 10:37 – Value Drivers in Pricing Strategies. Behavioral research uncovers the real outcomes customers care about. Mark connects this to pricing strategy: quantify value drivers to justify stronger pricing. 15:32 – Manipulation in Behavioral Economics. Mark asks whether nudging is manipulation. Etinosa explains that behavioral tools aren't coercive—intent determines whether they help or harm the customer. 18:02 – Ethics of Choice Architecture. Every pricing page is a designed choice. Etinosa contrasts ethical nudges with dark patterns, while Mark questions how businesses balance their goals with customer wellbeing. 22:22 – Behavioral Economics in Business. Real-world examples show how behavioral insights improve retention, financial outcomes, and long-term customer relationships—not just revenue. 24:20 – Pricing Fears and Customer Perception. The Spotlight Effect is a myth: customers don't track your prices as closely as you think. The two discuss how clearer communication and segmentation reduce backlash when raising prices. 28:48 – Understand Your Customer. Etinosa's closing advice: real pricing power comes from customer conversations—not spreadsheets. Behavioral economics begins with understanding actual human behavior.   Key Takeaways: "Value is all about perception. Once you step into perception, you're in behavioral economics." — Etinosa Agbonlahor "There is no such thing as a neutral choice. Every pricing page is designed—intentionally or unintentionally." — Etinosa Agbonlahor "People are not rational. Once you accept that as fact, you can design pricing that fits how people actually behave."  — Etinosa Agbonlahor "Business owners think customers remember prices more than they actually do." — Etinosa Agbonlahor   People / Resources Mentioned: Richard Thaler – Nobel laureate; originator of transaction utility and foundational behavioral economics concepts. Dan Ariely – Author of Predictably Irrational, referenced in discussing irrational decision patterns. Weber-Fechner Law – Psychological principle used to design perceptually smoother price increases.   Connect with Etinosa Agbonlahor: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/etinosasere Email: [email protected]   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on September 29, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/nobody-wants-to-buy-ai/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Danilo Zatta is the author of The Pricing Model Revolution, The 10 Rules of Highly Effective Pricing, and the new book Revenue Growth Management. He is recognized as one of LinkedIn's Top 5 Pricing Thought Leaders and brings decades of consulting experience from Accenture, Simon-Kucher, and BCG. His work is anchored in one simple insight: pricing is the "sunny side" of consulting. He shares real examples of companies that increased profit by cutting ineffective promotions and by detecting thousands of spare-part pricing outliers with AI. This episode explores pricing leadership, the CEO's role, the difference between pricing truth and framework preference, and why democratized pricing knowledge makes talent the true competitive advantage.   Why You Have to Check Out This Episode: Learn how AI spots hidden pricing outliers across hundreds of thousands of SKUs and turns them into instant profit. Discover why FMCG companies burn cash on promotions and how smart RGM frameworks finally fix it. Understand the real "truth" behind pricing frameworks and why people, not methodology, drive pricing success.   "Start the AI pricing journey—not by boiling the ocean—but by finding a use case that works, proves value, and then expand it." – Danilo Zatta   Topics Covered: 01:27 - How Dan Got Into Pricing. His shift from cost-cutting to pricing and why he calls it the "sunny side" of consulting. 06:57 - Freedom in Consulting Choices. Comparing Accenture, Simon-Kucher, and BCG—and why team chemistry matters most. 09:11 - Revenue Growth Management. How FMCG brands optimize trade terms, promos, and price architecture for profit. 11:55 - FMCG as B2B. Why FMCG selling to retailers is a pure B2B relationship with limited price control. 17:22 - Implicit Collusion in Airlines. How industries use public price signaling to influence competitor behavior. 19:13 - AI in Spare Parts Pricing. How AI identified major pricing outliers and delivered over €1M in quick wins. 24:42 - Why AI Beats Excel. AI's advantage in scale, complexity, and instant alerts across massive SKU sets. 27:15 - Starting Your AI Pricing Journey. Begin with one use case, prove it works, then expand—no perfect data needed.   Key Takeaways: "Pricing used to be specialized knowledge. Today it's democratized—so what differentiates you is the team, not the tools." – Danilo Zatta "If you're the market leader, you must act first. Smaller players can't reduce promotions until you do." – Danilo Zatta "Pricing is never boring because every industry has its own logic, levers, and constraints." – Danilo Zatta   Books by Danilo Zatta: The Pricing Model Revolution: https://www.amazon.it/Pricing-revolution-pricing-cambier%C3%A0-comprare/dp/8836010547/ The 10 Rules of Highly Effective Pricing: https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Highly-Effective-Pricing-Management/dp/1394195761 Revenue Growth Management: https://www.amazon.it/Revenue-Management-Manufacturing-Application-Industry/dp/3319807595/   Connect with Danilo Zatta: Website: https://www.danilozatta.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danilo-zatta  Books: https://www.danilozatta.com/books/    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on September 22, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/pricing-ai-pricing-metrics/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Ed Arnold, founder and managing partner at The Valorizer, brings decades of hands-on experience building customer value models, teaching value conversations, and guiding companies toward value-based pricing. After working directly with Tom Nagle at Monitor Group and leading value initiatives at LeveragePoint, Forrester, and Ibbaka, Ed has become one of the most respected practitioners of Economic Value Estimation (EVE) in B2B. In this episode, Ed and Mark dive deep into what "value" actually means, why B2B buyers define it differently than sellers, and how to quantify economic outcomes in a way that withstands scrutiny. They debate value vs. willingness to pay, unpack why value stories outperform case studies, and explore how real conversations—not spreadsheets—unlock premium pricing.   Why You Have to Check Out Today's Episode: Master the real meaning of "value" in B2B—and why most companies still get it wrong. Discover how to run a value conversation that reveals economic impact and customer priorities. Learn how to turn EVE models into persuasive value stories your buyers can resell internally.   "You need to quantify the value of the product you're selling—and you need to talk to customers about that to understand it and write their value story."  — Ed Arnold   Topics Covered: 05:09 – Value Perception in B2B: Why Customers Decide with Both Logic and Emotion 08:34 – Value vs. Willingness to Pay: The Debate Begins 12:06 – Why Willingness to Pay Is Not Value (And What It Actually Measures) 19:04 – Value Perception in B2B Sales: Influence, Trust, and Risk 20:41 – Value Is Always Relative (And Why Alternative Choices Change Everything) 24:26 – Value-Based vs. Competitor Pricing: Why They Aren't the Same Thing 28:03 – Value Story vs. Case Study: What Buyers Actually Need to Make Decisions 32:47– Quantifying Product Value: How to Build a Story Buyers Can Take to Their Executives   Key Takeaways: "Value comes from use, not purchase." — Ed Arnold "Willingness to pay is not value, if it were, we'd never talk about leaving money on the table." — Ed Arnold "In B2B, value is 80% logic, 20% emotion." — Ed Arnold "A value story is customized. A case study is generic." — Ed Arnold "You can't build a value story without having a value conversation first." — Ed Arnold "Sometimes the value model reveals there simply isn't a differentiated advantage—and you have to accept that." — Ed Arnold    People and Resources Mentioned: Tom Nagle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-tom-nagle LeveragePoint: https://www.leveragepoint.com/  Reed Holden: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-holden-913ab69/    Connect with Ed Arnold: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edarnold1/  Newsletter: https://edarnold1.substack.com/    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on September 15, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/why-buyers-really-buy/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Matt Knaggs, Senior Business Value Lead at Zilliant, brings a decade of pricing insight shaped by an unexpected leap from industrial safety into commercial excellence. Known for blending analytics, AI, and practical sales enablement, he now helps B2B companies make smarter, more confident pricing decisions by pairing data science with human judgment. In this episode, Matt and Mark dive straight into the real-world intersection of pricing and AI, where deterministic models still set prices, GenAI fills in missing context, and messy CRM data finally becomes usable.  Matt shares how he built a custom GPT that builds other GPTs, why "pricer in the loop" is essential, and how AI can elevate pricing teams without replacing them. They unpack the future of pricing, the danger of outsourcing expertise, and why curiosity beats perfection in an AI-driven world.   Why You Have to Check Out Today's Episode: Learn how AI can enhance pricing (without setting prices for you) - including specific use cases where GenAI adds context, fills data gaps, and boosts pricer effectiveness. Discover the "Pricer in the Loop" model and why Matt believes humans will remain essential for trust, validation, nuance, and internal adoption. See how to use AI as a thought partner - to generate buyer problems, value drivers, competitive alternatives, and messaging frameworks that accelerate value-based pricing.   "Don't hide from all of the advancements in AI. It can be scary and intimidating, but try what you can. AI won't tattle on you for asking dumb questions." - Matt Knaggs   Topics Covered: 03:30 – How Matt Went From Safety to Pricing—and Why the Discipline Hooked Him 04:22 – The Reality of AI in Pricing: What Matt Sees Working (and Failing) Inside Companies 11:58 – Matt Reacts to Mark's Approach: Using AI to Map Buyer Context 15:34 – When a Pricing Expert Builds AI That Builds AI: Matt's Custom GPT Story 19:01– The Messy Data Problem Every Pricer Knows… and How Matt Uses AI to Fix It 24:09– Matt's Honest Take on the Future: Why AI Won't Replace Pricers Anytime Soon 27:34 – The Threat to Expertise: Matt and Mark Explore What Happens When People Outsource Thinking 31:53 – What AI Can Do for Pricing Strategy (If You Use It Intelligently) 33:15 – Matt's Final Challenge to Pricers   Key Takeaways: "AI is probabilistic, not deterministic. You can give it the same inputs and get different outputs. That's why I'm not ready for GenAI to set prices." - Matt Knaggs "You don't need to learn AI to protect your job. But if you ignore it, the person who learns how to use AI might take your job." - Matt Knaggs "The future pricer isn't replaced—it's the translator. The one who explains the 'why' behind what AI suggests." - Matt Knaggs "You can't outsource judgment. You need the pricer in the loop to validate hallucinations, nuance, and context." - Matt Knaggs "AI can scan markets, pull competitor moves, and hand-wave at things you should consider—things deterministic models miss." - Matt Knaggs   People & Resources Mentioned: Zilliant: Pricing optimization & management platform where Matt leads value initiatives Stephan Liozu: Pricing author referenced for value-based pricing frameworks Salesforce + OpenAI / Claude Connectors: For CRM automation   Connect with Matt Knaggs: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewknaggs/   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: [email protected]  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on September 8, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/pricing-ai-the-value-of-packaging/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/