Impact Pricing

Amit Godbole is the founder of ProdSquad, dedicated to simplifying e-commerce technology through improved product management practices. He serves as a fractional chief product officer at FCI CCM and coordinates regional product tank events with Mind the Product, a leading networking organization for product managers. In this episode, Amit discusses the importance of pricing in product management and how it can significantly impact a company's success. He shares insights on how product managers can leverage pricing strategies to enhance value for customers and drive revenue. Amit emphasizes the need for product managers to take ownership of pricing decisions, especially in the SaaS industry, and highlights the value of understanding customer needs and market dynamics.   Why you have to check out today’s podcast: Discover how product managers can influence pricing strategies to drive business success.  Learn about the evolving role of pricing in product management and why it should be a core focus.  Gain insights on how to articulate value in terms of revenue, cost reduction, and risk mitigation.    “Discounting typically means you do not value your product, your services, as much as your client does. So, discount should not be part of the strategy.” – Amit Godbole   Topics Covered: 01:55 – Amit’s unexpected journey into pricing  03:37 – The traditional view of product management and its evolution  04:55 – The importance of pricing in SaaS and B2B companies  05:54 – How product managers can experiment with pricing strategies  07:33 – The significance of understanding customer value and willingness to pay  09:30 – The role of pricing pages in B2B and B2C contexts  11:23 – Strategies for creating effective pricing pages that communicate value  12:34 – The impact of subscription models on pricing strategies  14:50 – The importance of honesty in pricing and customer communication 19:12 – Value-based to context driven pricing 24:19 – Amit’s best pricing advice for product managers 25:10 – Mark's advice to new pricing analyst   Key Takeaways: “Pricing, revenue, and commercial aspects were the biggest levers somebody could pull in to get a product to the success they want.” – Amit Godbole “Product management professionals must understand that value has to be tied to revenue, or a dollar value, because that's the real value you can create.” – Amit Godbole “More companies need to be honest or need to help customers choose the right solution. If that's not right for them, don't upsell that.” – Amit Godbole   People/Resources Mentioned: Mind The Product: https://www.mindtheproduct.com/ Figma: https://www.figma.com/ Zoom: https://zoom.us/   Connect with Amit Godbole: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitgodbole   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on February 4, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/stop-thinking-of-rebates-as-discounts-heres-what-they-really-do/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at mark@impactpricing.com.  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: mark@impactpricing.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/  

Mathew Kerbis is The Subscription Attorney who is on a mission to affordably serve latent legal market clients at scale via the subscription model and inspire attorneys to abandon the billable hour. He founded the law firm Subscription Attorney LLC. In this episode, Mathew shares how he's leveraging subscription pricing to disrupt the traditional billable hour model in the legal industry, making legal services more accessible. He highlights his strategy of targeting an underserved market while offering premium pricing options for higher-value clients. Mathew emphasizes his business's profitability, operating with minimal expenses while maintaining a large margin and serving both small and large-scale clients.   Why you have to check out today’s podcast: Discover how subscription-based pricing is disrupting traditional legal service models, making legal help more accessible and predictable. Learn how addressing the vast underserved legal market can create new opportunities for both clients and lawyers. Gain insights on how offering premium pricing options alongside accessible subscription plans can balance profitability with customer satisfaction.   “Don't be afraid to experiment and to try something new. I experiment with my pricing to find what works. And so, you should experiment, too, and listen to Mark.” - Mathew Kerbis   Topics Covered: 01:37 - How he was led into pricing 03:24 - Discussing the similarities between doctors transitioning to direct primary care (DPC) and lawyers adopting subscription-based pricing 05:05 - Explaining his flexible subscription model 08:48 - Sharing how instead of tracking time or focusing on cost accounting, he views his business costs as fixed expenses 11:03 - Optimizing efficiency and delivering value through his subscription model 14:04 - Arguing that while clients can access AI tools themselves, they can't match the expertise of a lawyer using them effectively 16:04 - Emphasizing that while AI can generate rapid insights, it requires human judgment to interpret results accurately 18:52 - What he meant when he said he drives prices down and discussing the unmet demand creating a significant opportunity despite price competition in the legal industry 21:53 - Targeting underserved clients while maintaining flexibility to serve both small businesses and larger clients 24:26 - Maintaining accessible pricing while using tiered subscription pricing to price higher 26:30 - Highlighting the importance of strategic pricing to remain competitive without risking client loss or revenue instability 27:30 - Mathew's best pricing advice   Key Takeaways: "Ron Baker has educated me on how cost accounting isn't the way to think about what your actual costs are as a business owner." - Mathew Kerbis "What's great about a month-to-month subscription is, I could drop the client just like they could drop me. And the fact that they have the flexibility to leave at any time actually makes them not leave." - Mathew Kerbis “I still want to offer the accessible pricing, but I will have super premium pricing for the best customers that need it.” - Mathew Kerbis "I don't assign any dollar number to my time or the hours that I spend because things don't take as long as they used to. I was using AI when I launched my firm because I knew less time equals more money doing what I do when you're not billing by the hour." - Mathew Kerbis "Sure, you could use the legal AI tools that I'm using, but are you able to get the same output that a lawyer who is actually using the tool in the way in which it was designed can get better output?" - Mathew Kerbis "Judgment is really important. I don't think AI replaces subject matter experts, frankly ever." - Mathew Kerbis   People/Resources Mentioned: Ron Baker: https://impactpricing.com/podcast/497-classic-trash-the-timesheet-exploring-opportunities-in-subscription-businesses-with-ronald-j-baker/ Calendly: https://calendly.com Adobe Photoshop: https://www.adobe.com/ ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com ClaudeAI: https://claude.ai Perplexity Pro: https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/faq/what-is-perplexity-proUber:https://www.uber.com Grandview Research: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Walmart: https://www.walmart.com Target: https://www.target.com Sam Walton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Walton Jeff Bezos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bezos   Connect with Mathew Kerbis: Website: https://mathewkerbis.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerbisverse/   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on January 27, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/overcoming-fud-how-to-reduce-fear-uncertainty-and-doubt-in-pricing/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at mark@impactpricing.com.  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: mark@impactpricing.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Paolo De Angeli leads Customer Experience and Value Management at Borealis AG and is passionate about pricing strategies. He discusses the pivotal role of persistence in pricing, urging professionals to share insights despite resistance. The conversation highlights that effective pricing is rooted in change management and communication, not just numbers. Paolo shares actionable strategies on understanding customer needs, building strong relationships, and navigating challenges within pricing practices. His insights empower pricing practitioners to drive impactful results.

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on January 20, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/sam-altman-was-right/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at mark@impactpricing.com.  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: mark@impactpricing.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Mark Herring is a passionate marketing leader with strong technical roots and deep knowledge of how to market cloud and enterprise software to open-source developers and DevOps audiences. He is the Chief Marketing Officer at HiveMQ. In this episode, Mark shares his approach to cold outreach, explaining why leading with recognizable brands before introducing value creates engagement. He explores effective email strategies, emphasizing the power of short, curiosity-driven messages over long, detailed pitches. He also discusses pricing from the buyer’s perspective, highlighting how perceived value—rather than just function—drives purchasing decisions.   Why you have to check out today’s podcast: Learn proven strategies for grabbing attention in cold calls and emails, using brand credibility and psychological triggers like FOMO. Discover how to price based on what buyers truly value, rather than just cost or features, using real-life analogies. Get practical tips on structuring sales conversations to keep prospects engaged without sounding like a typical salesperson.   “Try and understand the value in the eyes of your buyer. I think far too many times as vendors, we think there's intrinsic value because it costs us much to produce or we think it looks like that. It's trying to understand from a buying perspective, what is the value you're providing.” - Mark Herring   Topics Covered: 01:29 - How his journey from development to product marketing led him to pricing 03:41 - How his early pricing research focused on how customers would use a product rather than explicitly asking about the problem it solved 04:59 -  To what is the short tenure of CMOs in B2B and consumer goods attributed to 06:25 - Explaining what a pipeline is and how pipeline generation involves value demonstration 10:38 - Comparing pipeline to running a marathon, emphasizing that while MQLs and SQLs are useful stepping stones, the ultimate goal is generating real sales opportunities 12:02 - Differentiating a pipeline from a SQL 14:18 - Demonstrating how a successful cold outreach combines multiple touchpoints 18:57 - How to make prospects more receptive in a cold call  21:13 - Why he uses big brand names as conversation openers in cold calls rather than starting with a value statement 22:27 - What an effective cold email should be 24:42 - Highlighting  the importance of A/B testing cold emails and continuously refining outreach strategies to improve open rates 25:55 - Mark's best pricing advice   Key Takeaways: “It's cold because you've never had the interaction, but usually they've interacted somewhere with you. It's like they might have seen you at an event, or they might have seen some of your outreach to you already and going, ‘Okay, I'll give this guy a bone.’” - Mark Herring “One of the sales guys was talking about this [cold calls] at the conference we were at together, and I just loved it. And he is like, ‘Don't over research, because there's never a good time to know everything.’ Because you got to keep on dialing.” - Mark Herring “You can't stop doing it [cold outreach] because it's like getting dice and trying to get the six, the more you throw it, the better chance you're going to get to the six.” - Mark Herring “I lead [cold call] with brands, not with value. And when you do that type of thing, they're then shocked going, ‘Oh, he didn't do a sales pitch on me. He's asking me about these companies. Well, maybe it is something interesting.’” - Mark Herring   People/Resources Mentioned: FedX: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/home.html UPS: https://www.ups.com/us/en/home   Connect with Mark Herring: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herringmark/ Email: mark.herring@hivemq.com   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on January 13, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/the-last-mile-of-pricing/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at mark@impactpricing.com.  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: mark@impactpricing.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Dan Foster is a Chief Operating/Revenue Officer, who built and transformed profitable businesses across technology and telecom start-ups as well as industry powerhouses. Companies turn to him to revive struggling businesses by redefining sales, marketing and customer service strategy, scaling infrastructure, and promoting product innovation. In this episode, Dan shares how bundled solutions increase value and close rates. He discusses AI’s growing role in B2B sales and procurement. And stresses using data to understand customer needs and justify pricing.   Why you have to check out today’s podcast: Learn how bundling products and services can enhance perceived value, increase close rates, and prevent price-sensitive buyers from deconstructing your offerings. Gain insights into how AI is transforming the sales landscape, from optimizing product recommendations to procurement teams using AI to negotiate better prices. Understand why pricing should be tied to the customer’s business outcomes and how to communicate the true value of your solutions effectively.   "You take the data around a pricing example and you really understand the value from the end user's perspective, so you got to have that empathy back in to say what moves their business. And when we understand what moves their business with a few numbers, then you start to give the underpinning for why value pricing matters." - Dan Foster    Topics Covered: 02:01 - How his early consulting work made him think about value and led him to pricing 03:23 - Asking about typical reactions to pricing presentations 04:24 - Explaining that selling value starts with understanding product-market fit  07:03 - Highlighting the importance of teaching distribution partners how to sell value, using the Home Depot-SolarCity partnership as an example 10:43 - How can ROI calculators be convincing 14:07 - Explaining that while they don't track proven value directly due to lack of data, anecdotal feedback and supplier insights indicate improved close rates for partners 15:09 - How AI is reshaping product offerings, expanding technology advisors' roles, and influencing cost-cutting for innovation 19:10 - Highlighting that while AI may drive procurement efficiencies complex digital transformation solutions still rely on expertise 20:27 - How bundling simplifies purchasing and reinforce the value of an all-in-one solution 24:27 - Dan's best pricing advice   Key Takeaways: "If you want to buy a ton of storage and it's a commodity, we get that. That could go through the marketplace earlier than not. If you want a digital transformation, if you want to change your customer experience, if you want to make your business run faster, if you want business process automation and robotic process automation, that's not going through a dynamic pricing model on a marketplace near-term. Now, can I go out and look at, like, UiPath Licensing versus Automation Anywhere versus whoever Microsoft scooped up next and look at pricing models? The procurement folks are probably smart to do that." - Dan Foster "But the bundled solution specifically is, I think, fundamental because otherwise, when you offer them the menu-based pricing, oftentimes they don't see the full value." - Dan Foster "It [selling value] starts with that product-market fit. We do a lot of enablement of our partners or downstream almost like a two-tier distributor. And in doing that we provide the ability for them to see a higher close rate when they use tools and resources. It alleviates that conversation and it's inherent that there's value pricing there." - Dan Foster "It's critical to think through in a subscription-based model what that value is, because that customer acquisition cost versus the long-term value of a customer, it's a critical ratio to understand when you're thinking through pricing." - Dan Foster   People/Resources Mentioned: Cummins Engine Company: https://www.cumminsenginepart.com/ Unilever: https://www.unilever.com Alcoa: https://www.alcoa.com/global/en/home/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Selling-Value-Deals-Higher-Prices/product-reviews/1737655217/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews& SolarCity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SolarCity Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/ Google: https://www.google.com/?client=safari Lowe's: https://www.lowes.com Sun Power: https://us.sunpower.com Sunrun: https://www.sunrun.com TD Synnex: https://www.tdsynnex.com/na/us/ Ingram Micro: https://www.ingrammicro.com Five9: https://www.five9.com Genesys: https://www.genesys.com/en-sg/ NICE inContact: https://www.nice.com/ Zoom: https://zoom.us Dialpad: incontact.com/content/home.htm ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/ Automation Anywhere: https://www.automationanywhere.com Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ph/ UiPath Licensing: https://licensing.uipath.com/ Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/welcome?orig_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F Roku TV: https://www.roku.com/products/roku-tv?srsltid=AfmBOoomwWI9G8ZABYW7gSPFzBHc87xVmartPBXAWzj7GfPfAJQYjTtO Super Bowl: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl Xfinity: https://www.xfinity.com/   Connect with Dan Foster: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdanfoster/ Email: dfoster@telarus.com   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on January 6, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/understanding-context-4-key-factors-that-influence-customer-willingness-to-pay/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at mark@impactpricing.com.  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: mark@impactpricing.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/