How To Price For B2B with Tom Blomfield | Startup School
Nov 16, 2024
auto_awesome
In this insightful talk, Tom Blomfield, a YC Group Partner with a wealth of experience in guiding startups, reveals the secrets of pricing for B2B products. He tackles the perennial question of how much founders should charge and discusses effective pricing strategies tailored for software. Discover the importance of value delivery, competitive positioning, and avoiding price wars. Tom's practical tips will help you set a price that resonates with customers and drives sales.
Establishing a value equation through collaboration with customers ensures that pricing reflects the product's potential savings or benefits.
Choosing a straightforward pricing structure aligned with industry norms enhances customer acceptance and facilitates smoother sales processes.
Deep dives
Understanding the Value Equation
Establishing a value equation is crucial for determining product pricing, which entails collaborating with potential customers to identify the value the product will deliver. This includes quantifying metrics like cost savings, time efficiency, or revenue increases, with all findings documented for clarity. By demonstrating this value clearly to prospective customers, especially to those responsible for financial decisions, the product's price can be justified effectively. For instance, if a customer service tool can save a company $2 million by optimizing efficiency, charging around $700,000—about one-third of that value—creates a win-win scenario.
Navigating Costs and Competition
Costs play a significant role in pricing strategy, emphasizing the need for founders to never base prices solely on cost assumptions. If a product's perceived value does not exceed production costs, it could indicate an unsustainable business model. Furthermore, while competition may tempt companies to engage in price wars, this approach typically leads to diminished returns for all players. Instead, differentiating the product by functionality or unique offerings will establish a competitive edge and maintain healthy profit margins.
Selecting the Right Pricing Structure
Choosing an appropriate pricing structure tailored to industry norms is essential for customer acceptance and ease of sales. Many customers prefer familiar payment models—such as monthly fees or per-seat pricing—over complex structures. Additionally, keeping the pricing model straightforward allows for efficient customer onboarding and retention. Lastly, incorporating annual contracts with money-back guarantees not only fosters buyer confidence but also helps in achieving recurring revenue goals.
1.
Effective Pricing Strategies for Software Founders
If you're a startup founder, how much should you charge for your product or service? It's a simple question that can make many lock up. What number should you pick? In this episode of Startup School, YC Group Partner Tom Blomfield guides you on how to come up with a price and then justify that number to customers.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode