Pricing Transformation: Insights on Software, Segmentation, and Change Leadership with Stephan Liozu

Stephan Liozu is a business executive with deep knowledge in pricing strategy, value-based pricing, monetization, and transformations. He speaks the language of sales, pricing, finance, and the C-suite. 

In this episode, Stephan highlights the need to combine value-based pricing with strong change management for successful transformations. He shares practical segmentation strategies tailored to diverse business needs. Reflecting on his move into pricing software, he explores its potential and the challenges of gaining C-suite support.

 

Why you have to check out today’s podcast:

• Delve into the nuances of value-based pricing and its implementation and practical advice for businesses aiming to maximize profitability while addressing internal and external challenges.
• Learn about a methodology for effective customer segmentation, practical steps, and real-world applications for targeted strategies.
• Discover the critical role of change management in successfully implementing pricing strategies and have a deeper understanding of organizational dynamics and leadership in pricing transformations.

 

"You cannot do advanced pricing without advanced change management and change leadership."

- Stephan Liozu

 

Topics Covered:

01:10 - Significance of the Chief Value Officer (CVO) title

01:58 - The complexity of defining value within companies

02:52 - Contrasting his roles as a Chief Value Officer at Thales and Zilliant

04:35 - Reflecting on the challenges and uncertain future of the pricing profession with his article on LinkedIn

06:27 - Discussing the challenges of B2B pricing which hinders value-based pricing and the scalability of pricing strategies

12:11 - Advocating for internal pricing centers of excellence as cost-effective

14:01 - Explaining his approach to segmentation

17:26 - Stephan expressing excitement about his Zilliant role, exploring pricing software's potential and questioning its limited market growth

19:07 - The challenges of convincing the C-suite to invest in pricing solutions, suggesting on reframing pricing discussions under a new term 

22:31 - Stephan's best pricing advice

 

Key Takeaways:

“If you want to industrialize your processes in pricing and value, you have to use an engine, the heart of this engine is software. And be able to touch all the business if possible, at least a large amount of the business.” - Stephan Liozu

“Pricing professionals should become certified change managers, it should not be an option.” - Stephan Liozu

 

People/Resources Mentioned:

• Thales: https://cpl.thalesgroup.com/software-monetization/software-packaging-pricing
• Zilliant: https://zilliant.com
• McKinsey: https://www.mckinsey.com

 

Connect with Stephan Liozu:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanliozu/
• Website: https://www.stephanliozu.com/

 

Connect with Mark Stiving:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/
• Email: mark@impactpricing.com