The Shift — From Gut Feel to Structured Strategy
For years, pricing decisions in mid-sized B2B companies were made based on instinct.
Someone in sales knew the customer well and decided what they could pay. Product managers did quick cost-plus calculations. And leadership signed off based on what competitors were doing—or what “felt right.”
That worked in a world where competition was local, product complexity was manageable, and pricing flexibility was seen as a sales tool, not a growth driver.
But that world is fading fast.
The New Reality
Today, companies operate in more competitive environments. There’s more data, more price transparency, and more internal complexity across products, customers, and channels. Pricing decisions now ripple across functions—from sales and finance to marketing and operations.
And yet, far too many companies still rely on legacy pricing behaviors:
Cost-plus by default
Discounting as the norm
No clear pricing accountability
Limited visibility into price performance
The result? Margin erosion, inconsistent customer experiences, and internal conflict.
The Shift: From Gut Feel to Structured Strategy
The companies that are thriving today aren’t perfect. They don’t necessarily have the most sophisticated models or pricing software. But what they do have is pricing discipline.
Here’s what that looks like:
They use data to guide decisions, not to replace judgment. Pricing isn’t a math problem—it’s a business decision. The best organizations use data to inform trade-offs, not dictate them.
They align pricing with customer value, not just internal cost. What a product costs to make is only part of the story. What it’s worth to the customer should shape your pricing strategy.
They build guardrails and accountability. Roles are clearly defined. There’s structure around who sets price guidance, how approvals work, and how performance is tracked.
In one of my previous roles at a global manufacturing company, the biggest unlock wasn’t high-end analytics—it was cross-functional clarity and support from senior leadership. That foundation allowed the pricing team to scale its impact, improve margins, and support growth across regions.
It Doesn’t Require Massive Infrastructure—Just Intent
There’s a misconception that to get pricing right, you need a big team, expensive software, or years of implementation. That’s not true.
What you need is intent.
Start by assigning clear ownership. Build structure around decision-making. Use data to learn and improve, not to chase perfection.
Treat pricing as a capability—not a one-time initiative. Because pricing isn’t just a lever. It’s a pillar.
Coming up next → Why so many businesses still struggle to answer the question: “Who owns pricing?”—and what that confusion is really costing them.
