Impact Pricing

Hosted by Mark Stiving, Ph.D.

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500

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Oct 2026

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About the show

The Impact Pricing Podcast will help you win more business at higher prices by teaching you about pricing and value. Once you understand how your buyers perceive the value of your product, you can build, market and sell products that win at higher prices. Pricing is really about creating, communicating and capturing value.

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60 recent

October 26, 202624 min

When Free Beats Your Price, Learn From Ebay with Yvonne Pop

What happens when competitors offer for free what you charge for? Yvonne Pop , Director of Global Markets Pricing and Monetization at eBay, shares how eBay rethought its marketplace pricing by looking at who receives the most value, who is most willing to pay, and what makes customers choose one platform over another. In eBay's UK business, the answer meant a major shift: stop charging certain consumer sellers and focus monetization on the buyer side instead. In this episode, Yvonne reveals how to rethink pricing when free alternatives threaten your business, why customer perception can matter as much as the price itself, and how to balance sophisticated pricing with simplicity and trust. **The next opportunity to meet Yvonne Pop in person will be at EPP 20 Years Global in Amsterdam on 17–18 November. Register here to secure your ticket. Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast: When free wins: Learn why eBay stopped charging certain sellers and shifted where it captures value. Price the right customer: Discover how buyers and sellers value the same marketplace differently. Psychology beats assumptions: See why what customers think they pay can matter more than what they actually pay. "Do not ever ignore the human customers behind it and the human psychology." – Yvonne Pop Topics Covered: 02:00 – Managing Change in Pricing. Learn how Yvonne approaches pricing transformation through governance, standardized processes, and organizational change management. 04:00 – Who Should Pay for a Marketplace? Discover why eBay must consider both buyers and sellers when setting fees, while balancing supply, demand, and transaction value. 09:00 – When Free Beats Your Price. Yvonne shares eBay's UK case study and explains why charging consumer sellers created a barrier to listings, even when the platform offered valuable services. 11:00 – Why eBay Shifted Where It Captures Value. Learn why eBay stopped charging certain consumer sellers and focused on charging buyers who valued access, security, and customer service. 15:00 – The Trade-Off Between Sophisticated Pricing and Simplicity. Explore why more precise pricing can capture more value but also create confusion, undermine trust, and hurt sales. 21:00 – How Price Changes Force a New Buying Decision. Mark and Yvonne discuss why communicating a price increase makes customers reconsider whether a purchase is still worth it. 22:30 – The Pricing Advice Every Professional Should Remember. Yvonne shares her biggest lesson: understand your customers and never ignore the psychology behind how they perceive price. Key Takeaways: "The more you speak to customers, the more you realize many times perception actually influences what they think." – Yvonne Pop "How something is explained and perceived can influence customers' understanding of what they're paying." – Yvonne Pop "...the more sophisticated you get, you're able to capture more value specific to the item, to what it is. But then the harder it's to communicate to the other side." – Yvonne Pop People and Resources Mentioned: eBay – Global online marketplace where Yvonne leads global markets pricing and monetization. Facebook Marketplace – A free alternative discussed in the context of competing for consumer sellers. EPP (European Pricing Platform) – Pricing and revenue growth management community where Yvonne will speak about change management in pricing transformation. Connect with Yvonne Pop: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonne-pop-4414a39/ Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com

October 23, 20264 min

Buyer Insight: Buyer-First: The Antidote to Product Myopia

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on August 10, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/buyer-first-the-antidote-to-product-myopia/ 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/

October 19, 202632 min

Seats, Credits, or AI Agents? The New Rules of SaaS Pricing with Rob Litterst

What happens when AI changes what software can do faster than companies can figure out how to charge for it? Rob Litterst is co-founder of Pricing SaaS, focused on SaaS pricing and AI monetization, and a former pricing strategist at ProfitWell. His work explores how software companies price, package, and monetize products as AI changes the value they deliver. In this episode, Rob and Mark Stiving unpack the shift from seat-based subscriptions to credits, usage-based pricing, AI agents, and outcome-based models. They explore why customers may still prefer familiar pricing, when credits make sense, and why pricing should start with buyer segmentation rather than the latest trend. Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast: Understand why credits are gaining traction and how they can give vendors cost control while offering buyers flexibility. Learn why broad platforms may suit credit models, while focused solutions can be easier to price around specific outcomes. Discover why outcome-based pricing is difficult to implement, from agreeing on outcomes to proving attribution and earning buyer acceptance. Explore how hybrid seat-and-credit models can introduce AI without disrupting existing customer relationships. See why understanding buyer personas and segmentation is foundational to pricing and packaging. "The more specific your solution, the more specific the pain points you're solving, the more specific the outcomes that you're generating, the easier it is to price on a consistent outcome and kind of, like, prove that out." — Rob Litterst Topics Covered: 01:00 – How Rob Found His Way Into Pricing. From SaaS sales at HubSpot to startups and ProfitWell, Rob explains how pricing and packaging shaped his experience. 04:30 – Value Metrics vs. Pricing Metrics. Mark and Rob debate the terminology and the difference between what customers perceive as value and what a company charges for. 09:30 – Are Credits Just Company Currency? Why credits can help broad platforms support different use cases while keeping subscription costs predictable. 12:00 – Platforms vs. Solutions: When Credits Make Sense. The more specific the problem and outcome, the easier it may be to price a solution directly rather than through credits. 16:00 – Why Hybrid Pricing Is Taking Off. How companies combine seats and credit allowances to introduce AI while preserving familiar customer relationships. 18:30 – Can AI-Native Services Charge for Outcomes? The conversation explores software companies that use AI to deliver a job or service and price around the result. 20:30 – Why Outcome-Based Pricing Is So Hard. Customers and vendors must agree on the outcome, the vendor must deliver it, and the impact must be proven and attributed. 26:00 – The Hidden Profit Advantage of AI. Rob explains how selecting and routing to the right AI model for each task could improve product economics. 28:30 – Why Buyer Segmentation Comes First. Rob shares the ProfitWell sequence: buyer persona, pricing structure, packaging, and then price points. 31:00 – The Pricing Fundamentals That Still Matter. Why knowing the buyer and understanding pricing fundamentals remain essential even as AI changes the market. Key Takeaways: "Customers just want to pay for a seat." – Rob Litterst "Credits can offer flexibility for broad platforms, but buyers may prefer direct pricing when the solution and outcome are clear." – Rob Litterst "I think a bunch of companies have tried to go to market with outcome-based pricing and found out that their customers just have no interest in it. Like, they don't want it. They just wanna pay for a seat." – Rob Litterst Connect with Rob Litterst: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roblitterst/ Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com

October 16, 20264 min

Buyer Insight: How Big an AI Bite Are You Asking Buyers to Take?

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on August 3, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/how-big-an-ai-bite-are-you-asking-buyers-to-take/ 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/

October 12, 202624 min

Why Pricing Transformation Fails Without Leadership with Anna Fastishevskaya

What if the biggest obstacle to pricing transformation isn't the pricing strategy itself, but getting people to change? Anna Fastishevskaya leads commercial finance and pricing for Eaton across EMEA, bringing experience in finance, commercial strategy, profitable growth, and pricing transformation. She also has an unexpected perspective on leadership: she's a theater actress who uses acting techniques to help people communicate, connect, and lead change. In this episode, Anna explains why pricing needs a seat at the leadership table, how companies can move beyond selling products to delivering customer value, and why trust, transparency, and stakeholder alignment are essential to successful pricing transformation. Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast: Discover why pricing should be positioned at a senior level and connected to the broader revenue generation strategy. Learn how pricing leaders can help teams embrace change, align stakeholders, and communicate customer value more effectively. See how theater techniques can help leaders tell better stories, connect with their audience, and lead transformation without losing authenticity. "Plan early for different types of scenarios and play transparently with the customers and the stakeholders so that the trust is really being built. The biggest thing that everybody hates is surprises." — Anna Fastishevskaya Topics Covered: 02:00 – From Commercial Finance to Pricing Leadership. How Anna's background in finance and profitable growth prepared her to lead pricing transformation. 03:30 – Why Customer Value Comes Before the Price. Why building long-term customer relationships and delivering value matter more than simply closing today's order. 05:00 – Who Should Own Pricing? Why Anna believes pricing should have a seat at the senior leadership table and be part of a broader revenue generation strategy. 09:00 – The Challenge of Selling Value Instead of Products. Why manufacturers need to identify monetizable customer value and bring customers along on the journey. 11:00 – Why Pricing Transformation Needs Leadership. How leaders can help teams adapt when expectations for results move faster than people's ability to change. 14:30 – What Theater Teaches Us About Leadership. How Anna uses acting and audience feedback to sharpen communication and make business stories clearer and more impactful. 19:00 – Why Pricing Teams Need Emotional Intelligence. How empathy, stakeholder alignment, and leadership engagement help pricing teams succeed across an organization. 20:30 – How to Tell a Story That Connects. Anna shares a practical coaching technique: develop a short personal story tailored to your audience to create a stronger connection. 23:30 – The Pricing Advice That Builds Trust. Anna's advice on planning for different scenarios and communicating transparently with customers and stakeholders. Key Takeaways: "We cannot succeed in isolation. This is the teamwork from the broadest perspective of organization." – Anna Fastishevskaya "Plan early for different types of scenarios and play transparently with the customers and the stakeholders so that the trust is really being built." – Anna Fastishevskaya Connect with Anna Fastishevskaya: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-fastishevskaya/ Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com

October 9, 20267 min

Buyer Insight: Product Myopia: The Antidote

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on July 27, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/product-myopia-the-antidote/ 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/

October 5, 202626 min

Is Your Business Healthy? Your Pricing May Have the Answer with John Gilbo

What if your pricing has been quietly leaking margin—and you simply haven't looked closely enough to find it? John Gilbo is Sales Director for North America, Australia, and New Zealand at QuickLizard, with pricing leadership experience at Kirkland's, Academy Sports + Outdoors, and Safeway. He has spent years working across pricing technology, retail pricing, markdowns, promotions, elasticity, and margin optimization. In this episode, John explains why pricing deserves a regular health check and how retailers can uncover hidden value by improving processes, reacting faster, and using smarter pricing models. Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast: Discover the pricing blind spots that can quietly drain margin, from outdated processes to slow reactions. Learn how smarter pricing can turn markdowns, tariffs, competition, and elasticity into opportunities instead of margin problems. See how AI and pricing models can help retailers react faster without losing sight of the strategy behind the numbers. "Pricing is a great thing to look at the health of what you're doing." — John Gilbo Topics Covered: 03:30 – Pricing as a Strategic Weapon. How better pricing can drive margin, revenue, and sustained value by reacting faster to costs, competition, tariffs, and elasticity. 05:00 – Understanding the Retailer's Pricing Reality. John breaks down how pricing changes depending on promotions, seasonality, markdowns, and go-to-market strategy. 06:30 – Stop Selling Pricing. Start Solving Problems. Why John starts by understanding a retailer's problems instead of immediately pitching a pricing solution. 08:30 – How to Make the ROI of Pricing Believable. John explains how using ROI ranges and break-even numbers can create a more credible pricing conversation. 11:30 – Why 25X ROI Is Possible in Retail Pricing. How small improvements in retail margins can create significant financial impact. 13:30 – The Secret to Sustained Pricing Value. Why pricing improvement isn't a one-time project and how retailers can keep finding the next opportunity. 15:30 – How to Protect Margin When Tariffs Hit. John explains why retailers shouldn't automatically pass the same cost increase across every product or customer. 18:30 – Where AI Actually Fits in Pricing. How elasticity, seasonality, inventory, competitive data, and AI models can help trigger smarter pricing decisions. 21:00 – Why Customer Segmentation Changes Pricing. How retailers can use customer behavior and loyalty data to make better pricing and merchandising decisions. 23:30 – The Pricing Health Check Every Company Needs. John's final advice: look at pricing with fresh eyes, uncover process gaps, and regularly review where pricing can create more value. Key Takeaways: "Sustained pricing value comes from continuously asking, "What should we solve next?" – John Gilbo "Don't automatically pass the same cost increase across every product." – John Gilbo Connect with John Gilbo: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-e-f-gilbo/ Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com

October 2, 20267 min

Buyer Insight: Product Myopia: The Symptoms You've Been Misdiagnosing

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on July 20, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/product-myopia-the-symptoms-youve-been-misdiagnosing/ 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/

September 28, 202622 min

How to Raise Prices When Everything Is Getting More Expensive with Jacob Moller Korsgaard

What happens when your costs keep rising, your contracts lock you in, and your customers still expect stability? Jacob Moller Korsgaard , Director of Pricing at Danfoss, has spent 15+ years in B2B pricing and leads global pricing for Danfoss Climate Solutions. In this episode, he explains why raising prices during inflation is about much more than adding a percentage to your price list. Jacob breaks down the commercial judgment, timing, contracts, communication, and execution required to raise prices without creating unnecessary disruption in the market. **The next opportunity to meet Jacob Moller Korsgaard in person will be at EPP 20 Years Global in Amsterdam on 17–18 November. Register here to secure your ticket. Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast: Learn why annual price reviews are no longer enough when costs can change dramatically in weeks. Discover how timing, contracts, and distribution channels can make or break a price increase. See why successful price increases require more than cost recovery. They require commercial judgment and disciplined execution. "We need to be prepared for doing more often price adjustment and we need to focus on the execution part so we implement it efficiently and get our margins secured." – Jacob Moller Korsgaard Topics Covered 02:45– The Commercial Judgment Pricing Teams Need. Why pricing teams need to understand customers, channels, segmentation, product management, finance, and IT to make better decisions. 05:00 – Why Annual Price Reviews Are Gone. Jacob explains why B2B companies need to react faster to cost changes while avoiding market disruption. 07:00 – How Often Should You Raise Prices?The case for an agreed pricing calendar instead of constantly recalculating prices every time costs move. 09:00 – The Contract Problem Nobody Can Ignore. Why price increases fail when contracts lock in pricing for months or years, and why improving contract flexibility matters. 11:00 – Is Inflation Just an Excuse for Cost-Plus Pricing?Jacob explains how rising costs can eventually affect customer value perception and why cost changes still need to connect to value-based pricing. 13:30 – Should You Lead the Price Increase? Why competitive dynamics can create an opportunity to move first, especially when the entire market is facing similar cost pressures. 15:30 – How to Communicate a Price Increase. Jacob shares why Danfoss aims for direct, honest, and consistent communication, while allowing local markets to adapt the message. 19:00 – What AI Can and Can't Do for Pricing. Jacob explains how Danfoss is using AI, analytics, and pricing software while emphasizing the importance of commercial judgment and good data. 21:00 – The Pricing Advice Jacob Wants You to Act On. Prepare for more frequent price adjustments, strengthen execution, secure your margins, and build the processes and tools needed to implement increases efficiently. Key Takeaways: "We need to be prepared for doing more often price adjustment and we need to focus on the execution part." – Jacob Moller Korsgaard "If we know that 50% of our revenue is bound in contracts, we cannot change them." – Jacob Moller Korsgaard Connect with Jacob Moller Korsgaard: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobmollerkorsgaard/ Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com

September 25, 20268 min

Buyer Insight: Product Myopia: Where It Hides in Your Company

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on July 13, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/product-myopia-where-it-hides-in-your-company/ 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/

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