Episodes
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This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on April 27, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.
Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/being-chosen-isnt-winning/
If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].
Now, go make an impact.
Connect with Mark Stiving:
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ -
Dan Rochon is the creator of the Teach to Sell methodology and host of the No Broke Months podcast, where he teaches professionals how to build trust and influence without pressure.
Buying isn't usually the hard part. Committing is.
In this conversation, Dan explains why buyers often hesitate at the final moment, even after they've decided what they want. Mark challenges Dan's ideas on buyer psychology, emotion, and trust, leading to a fascinating discussion about what really happens between deciding and saying yes.
Why you have to check out today's podcast:
Discover why commitment is the hardest part of every buying decision. Learn how trust helps buyers overcome fear and hesitation. Understand why buyers don't just compare prices—they compare risks."Logic makes you think. Emotion makes you act."
– Dan Rochon
Topics Covered:
02:10 – Why Buyers Don't Decide With Logic Alone. Dan explains why emotion drives buying decisions long before logic justifies them.
04:04 – The Emotional Side of Every Buying Decision. Why even B2B buyers are motivated by trust, confidence, and how they'll be perceived.
08:13 – Every Purchase Is a Prediction. Mark shares his buying framework and Dan explains why people move away from pain faster than they chase desire.
12:14 – Are You Selling an Aspirin or a Vitamin? The difference between solving painful problems and fulfilling aspirational desires.
14:05 – The Hardest Part: Saying Yes. Why buyers hesitate at the moment of commitment—and how to help them move forward with confidence.
17:17 – Teach to Sell, Don't Pressure. Dan introduces his trust-based approach to guiding buyers instead of convincing them.
23:41 – Ask Better Questions, Build More Trust. How deep, thoughtful questions uncover what buyers really care about.
25:01 – Ethical Influence vs. Manipulation. The simple mindset shift that separates helping buyers from persuading them.
29:22 – Dan's Pricing Advice for Every Business. How awareness, positioning, and the right buyers make premium pricing possible.
30:51 – The One Mindset Every Sales Professional Needs. Why serving the buyer's goals—not your own—is the foundation of ethical influence.
Key Takeaways:
"It's about identifying what their pain is and what their desire is, then demonstrating that you are the bridge." – Dan Rochon
"The difference between manipulation and ethical influence is whose goals you're serving." – Dan Rochon
"Leadership is to teach somebody else how to think so they can get what they want." – Dan Rochon
Connect with Dan Rochon:
Website: https://teachtosellbook.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danrochon/Connect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected] -
Missing episodes?
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This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on April 20, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.
Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/i-was-wrong-about-will-i/
If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].
Now, go make an impact.
Connect with Mark Stiving:
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ -
Robin Waite is the founder of Fearless Business and author of Fearless Pricing, helping coaches, consultants, and freelancers stop selling time and start charging for results.
In this episode, Robin shares the experiments that transformed his business—from raising prices 5X (and making more money with fewer clients) to packaging expertise into premium offers. Along the way, Mark challenges Robin on value-based pricing, guarantees, and competition, creating a practical and engaging debate.
If you're still charging for your time instead of your results, this episode will make you rethink your pricing strategy.
Why you have to check out today's podcast:
Learn how to charge for results, not hours, and package your expertise into premium offers. Use a simple pricing exercise to see if your prices can actually hit your income goals. Discover why higher prices often lead to better clients, less stress, and more profit."It's all about results and outcomes. If you can't articulate what they actually want to achieve by working with you, you shouldn't sell to them."
— Robin Waite
Topics Covered:
02:00 – The 5X Price Increase That Changed Everything. Robin shares how raising prices dramatically increased profits—even after losing 40% of his clients.
05:15 – From Burnout to Business Coach. Why Robin walked away from his agency and discovered his passion for pricing and productizing services.
12:30 – Can You Really Charge Based on ROI? Mark challenges Robin on value pricing, competition, and money-back guarantees.
16:00 – Inside Robin's New Book, Fearless Pricing. How to package services, overcome pricing fears, and escape hourly billing.
21:00 – Will AI Kill Hourly Billing? Robin explains why AI will make experts more productive—but many will still charge the wrong way.
23:30 – Meet "RobBot" How Robin is using AI to turn eight years of coaching into an on-demand business coach.
25:00 – The One-Page Pricing Plan Every Business Needs A simple exercise to calculate the right price based on your income goals and capacity.
Key Takeaways:
"You need to become a master at working out the return on investment your clients are going to get when they work with you." — Robin Waite
"The goal of running a business is not to enroll every single client. The goal of running a business is to build a profitable and sustainable business." — Robin Waite
People & Resources Mentioned:
Built to Sell by John Warrillow – The book that inspired Robin to productize his services.
Connect with Robin Waite:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/RobinMWaite Book: Fearless Pricing: How to package your offering and confidently charge more : https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Pricing-package-offering-confidently-ebook/dp/B0FC6Y77LR?ref_=ast_author_mpbConnect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected] -
This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on April 13, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.
Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/your-wins-are-lying-to-you/
If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].
Now, go make an impact.
Connect with Mark Stiving:
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ -
Steven Forth is the founder of Value Intelligence (ValueIQ) and a longtime leader in value-based pricing. He is also a co-creator of The Value Project, an open-source initiative focused on creating standards for value and pricing models that both humans and AI can understand.
Steven Forth is back on the podcast—and as usual, he and Mark waste no time diving into a topic that feels a little futuristic, a little controversial, and a lot important: What happens when AI becomes the buyer?
This is another thoughtful debate where Steven's vision for AI-powered buying collides with Mark's 'healthy' skepticism.
If you've ever wondered how pricing, value, and buying decisions will evolve in an AI-driven world, this conversation offers a fascinating glimpse into what comes next.
Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast:
Discover how AI buyers will evaluate vendors and why companies that don't provide structured pricing and value data may be ignored—or worse, misrepresented by AI systems. Learn why pricing transparency may become unavoidable as AI agents increasingly compare solutions, estimate costs, and evaluate alternatives on behalf of buyers. Understand the emerging infrastructure behind AI-powered purchasing and how open-source value and pricing standards could reshape the future of B2B sales."If you don't want the AI to hallucinate about your company, you should give it the data it needs to do its job."
– Steven ForthTopics Covered:
02:00 – The Foundation for AI Buyers.Why AI needs standardized pricing and value data before it can make buying decisions.
04:00 – Pricing Models AI Can Actually Understand. Why pricing is more than a price list—and how AI could calculate costs across vendors automatically.
05:30 – Will AI Ignore Your Company?. The risk of missing or unstructured pricing data—and why AI may simply make assumptions about your business.
07:15 – Can Complex Pricing Be Standardized. Mark challenges whether today's complicated pricing models can really be captured in a common framework.
09:00 – The Biggest Challenge: Understanding Value. Can AI truly understand value without understanding the root causes behind business results?
12:00 – Why Value Models Matter. Steven explains why value models aren't about intelligence—they're about giving AI the information it needs to reason.
15:00 – The Next Frontier: Product Configuration. Why pricing and value aren't enough—and how AI could eventually recommend the ideal product setup for every buyer.
18:00 – Can AI Pick the Best Solution?The debate over whether AI can evaluate context, causation, and business needs—not just numbers.
21:00 – When Buyers Have the Upper Hand. How AI could help buyers calculate value using their own private data without sharing it with vendors.
24:00 – The Future of Pricing Transparency. What happens when competitors—and AI—can instantly analyze your pricing structure?
26:00 – Getting Ready for an AI-Powered Buying World. Why businesses should start preparing now for a future where AI becomes the buyer.
Key Takeaways:
"If you don't want the AI to hallucinate about your company, you should give it the data it needs to do its job." — Steven Forth
"The AI needs to understand the value before it can understand if the price is reasonable or not." — Steven Forth
"The value project is just plumbing. Let's be able to connect the pipes." — Steven Forth
People & Resources Mentioned:
The Value Project. An open-source initiative designed to create standardized, machine-readable formats for value models and pricing models that can be shared across business systems and understood by AI. Value Intelligence (ValueIQ). Steven's company focused on value management, value modeling, and helping organizations quantify and communicate customer value. GitHub. The repository where technical contributors can access, test, and improve The Value Project's open-source schemas. Linux Foundation. Mentioned as a potential future home for the project if adoption and community participation continue to grow. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation). The structured data format used to represent value and pricing models in a way that software systems and AI can interpret.Connect with Steven Forth:
Website: https://thevalueproject.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenforth/ Email: [email protected] Subscribe to Steven's Substack: Synthetic data in pricing: https://pricinginnovation.substack.com/p/synthetic-data-in-pricingConnect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected] -
This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on April 6, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.
Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/willingness-to-pay-isnt-about-your-product/
If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].
Now, go make an impact.
Connect with Mark Stiving:
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ -
What if the pricing function isn't just a specialty discipline—but one of the best training grounds for future CEOs?
Ryan Walter, Partner at Jennings Executive Search and author of The Pricing Talent Playbook, joins Mark to explore the evolution of pricing careers, what separates great pricing leaders from average ones, and why pricing may soon become a recognized pathway to the CEO role. Ryan draws on his experience recruiting pricing talent and leading pricing teams across retail, manufacturing, data products, and industrial businesses.
If you're building a pricing career, hiring pricing talent, or wondering how AI is reshaping the profession, this episode offers a glimpse into where pricing is headed next.
Why you have to check out today's podcast:
Discover why pricing may become a legitimate path to the CEO role. Learn why pricing transformations often fail despite strong strategy. Understand how AI is changing pricing talent expectations and why curiosity may now be more important than technical expertise alone."My prediction is that the pricing function is going to end up being a path to CEO."
— Ryan Walter
Topics Covered:
01:00 – From Professional Musician to Pricing Leader. Learn why the skills required in professional music translated surprisingly well into pricing leadership.
03:05 – The Rare Combination Every Great Pricing Professional Needs. Why pricing success requires both IQ and EQ—the ability to work with complex data while influencing executives, sales teams, and non-technical stakeholders. Ryan explains why finding both traits in one person is surprisingly rare.
05:05 – The EQ Problem Pricing Professionals Must Solve. Mark and Ryan discuss why being right isn't enough. Learn how great pricing leaders simplify complexity, build trust, and communicate insights in ways that drive action instead of resistance.
06:50 – Why Ryan Wrote The Pricing Talent Playbook. Ryan explains the motivation behind his new book and why pricing leaders need more guidance on talent, team building, interviewing, and career development—not just pricing models and strategy.
09:20 – The Hidden Reason Pricing Transformations Fail. A fascinating hiring story reveals how a successful pricing leader was undermined when executive priorities shifted. Learn why organizational support often matters more than technical pricing expertise.
11:30 – What AI Is Changing About Pricing Right Now. Ryan shares examples of pricing leaders using AI to perform customer profitability analysis, strategic planning, and complex investigations in hours instead of weeks. The discussion moves beyond productivity into AI as a strategic thought partner.
14:30 – The New Hiring Question Every Pricing Candidate Should Expect. More companies are now evaluating AI readiness during interviews. Ryan explains what hiring managers actually want to hear—and why curiosity matters more than having the perfect answer.
17:00 – Why Pricing Professionals Change Jobs More Often. Many pricing leaders thrive on building functions, driving change, and solving messy problems. Ryan explains why some professionals leave after creating momentum—and why that's often a feature, not a flaw.
19:15 – The Two Pricing Archetypes. Are you the builder or the operator? Ryan breaks down the two common pricing career paths: the change agent who loves creating order from chaos and the operator who excels at maintaining and evolving mature pricing functions.
22:00 – Why Pricing Could Become a Path to CEO. The episode's biggest idea. Ryan explains why pricing professionals gain unusually broad exposure to strategy, systems, finance, customers, and operations—and why that experience mirrors many responsibilities of a CEO.
Key Takeaways:
[on pricing talent and skills ] "You need to be able to do the math and deal with the data and build models and figure out how systems work. But you also need to speak to non-technical folks in a way that they understand what your model is doing." – Ryan Walter
[on pricing talent and skills ] "It's not just how to do math. It's helping as a thought partner to come up with [pricing] strategy." – Ryan Walter
[Communication & Influence ] "You can't tell the sales leader about the R-squared. You have to simplify that down." – Ryan Walter
People & Resources Mentioned:
Jennings Executive Search – Executive search firm specializing in pricing and commercial leadership recruitment. The Pricing Talent Playbook – Ryan's new book focused on pricing talent, career development, and building pricing organizations.Connect with Ryan Walter:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-walter3141/ Email: [email protected]Connect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected] -
This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on March 30, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.
Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/why-more-features-make-it-harder-to-buy/
If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].
Now, go make an impact.
Connect with Mark Stiving:
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ -
Jenny Millar is the CEO and Founder of Untapped Pricing, and Ann Padley is a Senior Strategy Consultant at Untapped Pricing. Together, they are the co-authors of The Pricing Sprint, a practical framework that helps organizations make better pricing decisions through customer insight, behavioral science, and cross-functional alignment.
In this episode, Jenny and Ann explore why pricing is ultimately a human problem—even as AI becomes more capable of analyzing data, running scenarios, and optimizing decisions.
If you're responsible for pricing, product strategy, or commercial growth, this episode will change how you think about behavioral pricing, customer decision-making, and why human behavior still wins in the age of AI.
Why you have to check out today's podcast:
Learn why pricing problems are often people problems—not pricing problems. Discover how small changes in pricing presentation, packaging, and choice can increase willingness to pay. Understand why AI can improve pricing decisions, but human judgment still drives great pricing."Most pricing problems aren't pricing problems. They're human behavior problems."
— Jenny Millar
Topics Covered:
01:20 – Why Great Pricing Starts With Human Behavior, Not Spreadsheets. How human-centered design helps companies create pricing that customers actually understand and respond to.
03:59 – Are Buyers Irrational? The Debate Every Pricing Team Needs to Hear. Why customer decisions aren't always driven by logic—and how pricing teams can use that reality to their advantage.
10:19 – The Hidden Link Between Behavioral Economics and Willingness to Pay. How customer perceptions, context, and price presentation influence what buyers are actually willing to spend.
12:15 – The Pricing Sprint: A Faster Way to Improve Pricing Decisions. Jenny and Ann break down their practical framework for testing, validating, and implementing pricing changes with confidence.
16:19 – Why Companies Consistently Misjudge Customer Value. The internal biases and assumptions that cause businesses to leave money on the table—and how to uncover what customers truly value.
21:50 – Who Should Own Pricing? Solving One of Business's Toughest Questions. Why pricing often falls between departments and what successful companies do differently to create alignment.
26:51 – Can AI Improve Pricing Without Replacing Human Judgment? Where AI can help pricing teams move faster—and where human insight remains irreplaceable.
28:11 – Why the Way You Present a Price Can Matter More Than the Price Itself. Real examples of how small changes in pricing presentation can drive revenue growth without changing the underlying price.
Key Takeaways:
"When behavioral pricing is done right, it actually leads to higher customer satisfaction and better customer experience." – Ann Padley
"Most pricing problems aren't pricing problems—they're human behavior problems." – Jenny Millar
"Loss aversion, status quo bias, and misaligned incentives are all shaping pricing decisions inside a company." – Jenny Millar
"Every dollar that flows into an organization is the result of a pricing decision." – Jenny Millar
Resources Mentioned:
The Pricing Sprint - The new book by Jenny Millar and Ann Padley that outlines a human-centered approach to pricing, combining behavioral science, customer research, experimentation, and cross-functional decision-making. Dan Ariely - Behavioral economist and author of Predictably Irrational. Referenced during the discussion about whether buyers are truly rational in their decision-making. Steven Forth - Founder of Ibbaka and longtime pricing thought leader. Mentioned during the discussion about the possibility of AI agents eventually becoming buyers and negotiating on behalf of humans. eBay — Jenny's former employer, where she spent 10 years in pricing analytics and pricing strategy roles, helping shape pricing for a multi-billion-dollar business. University of Bristol Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship - Referenced as part of Ann's background in human-centered design, innovation, and behavioral science. Behavioral Economics - Referenced throughout the episode as the study of how psychological factors influence decision-making, willingness to pay, and pricing perceptions. Human-Centered Design - A core principle behind the Pricing Sprint methodology, focused on understanding customer needs, behaviors, and decision-making processes before making pricing changes.Connect with Jenny Millar & Ann Padley:
Website: https://www.untappedpricing.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennymillar/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annpadley/ Book: The Pricing Sprint: https://www.amazon.com/Pricing-Sprint-Steps-Unlock-Power-ebook/dp/B0GN8CTTW4Connect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected] -
This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on March 23, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.
Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/will-ai-shrink-our-teams-or-expand-our-ambitions/
If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].
Now, go make an impact.
Connect with Mark Stiving:
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ -
Todd Caponi is the author of The Transparency Sale, The Transparency Sales Leader, and The Four Levers of Negotiating. He advises revenue teams on decision science, transparency, and how buyers actually make decisions.
In this episode, Todd challenges one of the biggest assumptions in business: that more information leads to better decisions. Drawing from buyer psychology and real-world sales research, he explains why buyers actively seek out negatives, why perfect pitches create skepticism, and why transparency accelerates trust.
Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast:
Discover why more information often makes buying decisions harder. Learn why buyers seek out negatives before positives and how transparency can increase trust, shorten sales cycles, and improve win rates. Master the shift from persuasion to prediction so buyers feel confident moving forward instead of getting stuck in analysis paralysis."We don't buy when we're convinced. We buy when we can predict."
— Todd CaponiTopics Covered:
01:03 – Why Negotiating Pricing Feels So Unnatural. Todd shares the negotiation breakthrough that led him to embrace transparency instead of traditional sales tactics.
05:18 – Why Buyers Trust Imperfect Solutions More Than Perfect Ones. The consumer research that changed Todd's thinking—and why buyers actively seek out negatives before making decisions.
08:50 – Transparency vs. Honesty: The Difference That Changes Sales Outcomes. What transparency really means and how proactively sharing weaknesses can accelerate trust.
12:15 – The Long Game Wins the Short Game. A debate on incentives, trust, and whether transparency actually benefits individual salespeople.
15:11 – Do Buyers Make Emotional or Logical Decisions? Todd explains why feelings often drive decisions before logic enters the picture.
20:24 – Why B2B Buyers Still Behave Like Consumers. Buying committees, RFPs, and the hidden emotional biases behind supposedly rational decisions.
25:14 – Buyers Don't Buy Products—They Buy Predicted Futures. Mark introduces a powerful framework for understanding how buying decisions really happen.
31:42 – More Information Doesn't Help Buyers—It Makes Decisions Harder. From mail-order catalogs to AI, Todd explains why information overload increases decision friction.
32:35 – The Case for Radical Pricing Transparency. Todd's practical framework for pricing conversations built around volume, commitment, cash flow, and predictability.
Key Takeaways:
"Transparency is without asking, I'm going to tell you the truth." — Todd Caponi
"The long game wins the long game—but it wins the short game too." — Todd Caponi
"More information has never made buying easier. It's always made it harder." — Todd Caponi
"True salesmanship is the science of service." — Todd Caponi (quoting Arthur Sheldon)
People & Resources Mentioned:
Arthur Sheldon - Early sales philosopher and author of The Art of Selling (1911), whose principle that "true salesmanship is the science of service" remains relevant today. António Damásio - Neuroscientist and author of Descartes' Error, referenced during the discussion on emotion, logic, and decision-making. Northwestern University Research - Consumer behavior research that revealed buyers actively seek out negative reviews and trust products with balanced ratings more than perfect scores. The Transparency Sale - Todd's bestselling book exploring how openness and honesty accelerate buying decisions and improve sales outcomes. The Four Levers of Negotiating - Todd's latest book on transparent negotiation and value creation.Connect with Todd Caponi:
Website: https://toddcaponi.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/Connect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected] -
This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on March 16, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.
Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/buyers-are-rational-its-the-sellers-that-arent/
If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].
Now, go make an impact.
Connect with Mark Stiving:
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ -
Ajit Ghuman is the co-founder of Monetizely, former VP of Product at Segment, and author of Price to Scale.
In this episode, Ajit breaks down one of the biggest pricing challenges AI companies are about to face: what happens when software no longer supports employees — but starts replacing them entirely?
If your company is building, pricing, or monetizing AI products, this episode will change how you think about per-seat pricing, buyer psychology, and the future of SaaS monetization.
Why you have to check out today's podcast:
Understand why per-user pricing may stop working as AI agents increasingly replace human workflows inside software products. Learn Ajit Ghuman's 3-part "Agentic Pricing Spectrum" for evaluating AI products based on autonomy, operational scope, and output-to-cost dynamics. Discover why buyers are suddenly comfortable with tokens, credits, and bundled AI pricing — even when they don't fully understand what those units actually mean."Unless you understand what your market is, who your buyers are, what do they want... it's the only thing that I start with when I do any project."
– Ajit Ghuman
Topics Covered:
02:02 – Why Pricing Became the Most Direct Link to Customer Value. How pricing became the clearest connection between products, value, and business strategy.
06:29 – The AI Pricing Problem Nobody Has Fully Solved Yet. Why AI is forcing SaaS companies to rethink seats, tokens, outcomes, and margins.
07:38 – "Zero Human Companies" and the End of Per-User Pricing. Ajit explores a future where AI agents replace entire job functions — and asks the terrifying question: what happens when there's no user left to charge for?
12:30 – Why Cursor Still Charges Per User (For Now). A fascinating breakdown of AI coding tools, human "anchors," and why most AI products still can't fully move to outcome-based pricing.
16:51 – The Coming AI Commoditization Wave. Why Ajit believes agentic AI companies could rise — and collapse — dramatically faster than traditional SaaS businesses.
23:07 – Why Buyers Suddenly Accept Tokens, Credits, and Weird AI Pricing. Ajit explains how ChatGPT normalized token-based pricing — even though most buyers still don't fully understand what they're paying for.
26:00 – The Real Reason AI Pricing Feels So Chaotic Right Now. Inference costs are dropping, users are disappearing, and pricing anchors keep shifting faster than companies can adapt.
29:35 – The One Pricing Principle That Still Matters in the AI Era. Despite all the chaos around AI monetization, Ajit says successful pricing still starts with deeply understanding your buyers and their problems.
Key Takeaways:
"The anchor is still the human… but the moment the human disappears, per-user pricing starts breaking." – Ajit Ghuman
"Agentic AI may compress 20 years of SaaS evolution into just a few years." – Ajit Ghuman
People / Resources Mentioned:
Cursor — Used as a real-world example of current AI pricing models Harvey AI — Referenced as an example of high-value AI transformation inside the legal industry Anthropic — Mentioned in relation to inference models powering AI tools OpenAI — Referenced throughout the discussion on tokens and AI pricing behavior Salesforce — Discussed in relation to potential future shifts away from per-seat pricing Zoom — Used as an example of changing pricing priorities during growth stagesConnect with Ajit Ghuman:
Website: https://www.getmonetizely.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajitpalghuman/ Email: [email protected]Connect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected] -
This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on March 9, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.
Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/credits-trade-clarity-for-flexibility/
If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].
Now, go make an impact.
Connect with Mark Stiving:
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ -
Dan Balcauski is the founder of Product Tranquility, where he helps B2B SaaS companies improve pricing, packaging, and monetization strategy.
In this episode, Dan breaks down the uncomfortable reality behind today's AI gold rush: buyers are tired of "AI-powered" hype, SaaS companies are struggling to monetize features nobody uses, and pricing teams are rewriting their strategies in real time.
If your company is trying to monetize AI without becoming another forgettable AI feature, this episode will change how you think about pricing, adoption, and customer value.
Why You Have to Listen:
Learn why AI features alone don't drive purchases — and how to position AI around customer outcomes people actually value. Discover the biggest AI pricing mistake SaaS companies are making — charging for features before customers build adoption habits. See how smart SaaS companies roll out AI strategically — using adoption-first pricing, early access models, and workflow-driven product design."Prove value with your new AI features before you throw a paywall in front of it."
— Dan Balcauski
Topics Covered:
02:10 - "Freemium Is a Terrible Idea for Most SaaS Companies". Why most freemium models fail before companies fully understand the real costs behind them.
06:48 - Why AI Can't Automatically Set Your SaaS Prices. Dan explains where AI can help pricing teams and where human judgment still matters most.
09:53 - The Dangerous Truth About AI Pricing Advice. Most LLMs learned pricing strategy from bad SEO content and outdated thinking.
13:35 - The Adoption vs. Monetization Framework. The simple 2x2 model every SaaS company should use before pricing AI features.
17:34 - Margin Percentage vs. Margin Dollars. A smarter way for CFOs and SaaS leaders to think about AI profitability.
18:32 - "Buyers Don't Care That Your Product Uses AI". Why customers care more about outcomes and workflows than your AI technology.
24:31 - Why SaaS Companies Keep Changing AI Pricing. Most AI pricing models don't survive their first 18 months.
26:07 - The "Early Access" AI Pricing Strategy. How smart SaaS companies introduce AI features without hurting adoption.
29:24 - "Earn the Right to Monetize". Why proving customer value should happen before putting up a paywall.
Key Takeaways:
"We need to prove our value first before we can monetize it." – Dan Balcauski
People / Resources Mentioned:
Steven Forth — Mentioned as a trusted source of pricing expertise and strategic thinking. Anthropic Claude Code — Dan's primary AI workspace for research synthesis and pricing analysis. Readwise — Tool Dan uses to ground AI outputs using trusted expert highlights and notes. Salesforce — Referenced as an example of rapidly evolving AI pricing strategies. Pragmatic Institute — Mentioned during the discussion on product adoption and feature prioritization.Connect with Dan Balcauski:
Website: https://www.producttranquility.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/balcauski/ X: https://x.com/dan_balcauski Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saas-scaling-secrets/id1682338188Connect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected] -
This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on March 2, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.
Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/if-buyers-cant-explain-it-youve-not-sold-it/
If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].
Now, go make an impact.
Connect with Mark Stiving:
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ -
Blair Enns is the founder of Win Without Pitching, author of The Four Conversations, and co-host of the 2Bobs podcast. He helps experts, agencies, and consultants move from being treated like vendors to becoming trusted advisors.
In this episode, Blair joins Mark Stiving to unpack the hidden dynamics behind how buyers decide who they trust, who they listen to, and who they ultimately hire.
They explore why selling expertise is fundamentally different from selling products, how authority is established long before proposals are presented, and why presenting multiple options changes the psychology of buyer decision-making.
If you've ever wondered why some experts command confidence while others get stuck competing like commodities, this conversation will change how you think about selling, value, and buyer behavior.
Why You Have to Listen:
Learn how buyers decide who feels like the trusted expert — long before proposals, pricing, or deliverables are discussed. Discover why presenting multiple options changes buyer psychology and keeps you out of "convince mode" during sales conversations. Understand the Four Conversations framework that helps experts move from being treated like vendors to becoming trusted advisors."Selling isn't talking people into things. It's helping somebody make a decision."
— Blair Enns
Topics Covered:
02:44 — Why Selling Expertise Changes Buyer Behavior. Blair explains why buyers evaluate experts differently from traditional salespeople and why trust starts forming before proposals are discussed.
06:20 — The Four Conversations Behind Every Buying Decision. A breakdown of the four conversations that quietly shape how buyers decide who they trust and hire.
07:41 — Expert vs. Vendor: The Positioning Buyers Feel Immediately. Why buyers instinctively place sellers into categories and how experts avoid becoming "just another option."
11:36 — The Question That Unlocks Better Buyer Conversations. How focusing on a buyer's desired future state changes the entire direction of a sales discussion.
15:51 — Why Multiple Options Change Buyer Psychology. Blair explains why presenting choices keeps you out of "convince mode" and makes buyers feel safer saying yes.
19:17 — Why Value Should Come Before Pricing. A conversation on why buyers think differently when outcomes are discussed before solutions or costs.
23:53 — The Hidden Power of Price Anchoring. How the first numbers buyers hear quietly reshape expectations, negotiations, and decision-making.
Key Takeaways:
"Selling isn't talking people into things. It's helping somebody make a decision." — Blair Enns
"We rarely do the amount of thinking required to reason ourselves away from the starting point." — Blair Enns on how anchors shape buyer decisions
People and Resources Mentioned:
Mahan Khalsa — Referenced for the idea that "the sale is the sample of the engagement to follow" from his book Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play. Thinking, Fast and Slow — Referenced during the discussion on anchoring, heuristics, and buyer decision-making psychology. Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky — Mentioned for their work on Prospect Theory and anchoring effects that shape how buyers evaluate pricing and options. 2Bobs — Blair's podcast co-hosted with David Baker, known for conversations on positioning, expertise, and agency growth. The Four Conversations — Blair's book introducing a framework for selling expertise through authority, value conversations, and buyer trust.Connect with Blair Enns:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairenns/ Website: https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/ Books: https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/booksConnect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected] -
This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on February 23, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.
Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/why-ai-is-making-saas-metrics-grow-up/
If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at [email protected].
Now, go make an impact.
Connect with Mark Stiving:
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ -
Bobby Moesta is the President & CEO of The Re-Wired Group, where he helps companies understand why customers buy.He is the co-creator of Jobs to Be Done alongside Clayton Christensen, and has spent decades studying the demand side of innovation—what actually drives people to change, choose, and pay.
In this episode, Bobby joins Mark Stiving to challenge some of the most common assumptions behind pricing and decision-making—starting with how buyers really think (and why it's not what most companies expect).
They explore what's actually happening beneath the surface of a purchase decision—and why understanding that can completely shift how you approach pricing.
If you've ever felt like your pricing "should work" but doesn't—this conversation will make you rethink what's really going on.
Why You Have to Listen:
Understand why context + outcome determines willingness to pay (not features). Learn why buyers don't "choose" instead they eliminate options and build confidence. Discover why most companies underprice by targeting the average instead of high-value contexts."Pricing is contextual. It's based on the context they're in and the outcome they want."
— Bobby Moesta
Topics Covered:
02:21 – Why buyers don't change (until something breaks). The hidden trigger that forces people out of the status quo
04:41 – What buyers actually expect when they pay. Why value isn't what you think—and where expectations really come from
06:30 – The invisible forces behind every purchase. Push, pull, anxiety, and habit—and how they quietly control decisions
12:13 – How buyers really decide (it's not what you think). Why people don't "choose"—and what they actually do instead
18:17 – Why confused buyers walk away. The simple reason deals stall (and how to fix it)
20:06 – What creates buyer confidence. How people convince themselves to finally say yes
23:20 – What "I need to think about it" really means. The hidden signals behind hesitation—and how to uncover them
27:41 – Why one price doesn't fit all. How context changes what customers are willing to pay
29:37 –Every decision is a purchase decision. Why pricing thinking applies far beyond products and sales
Key Takeaways:
"We can't convince them of anything. They have to convince themselves." — Bobby Moesta
"Most of the time we end up pricing at the bottom of the market… and we're giving away the high end." — Bobby Moesta
Resources Mentioned:
Jobs to Be Done – Framework for understanding customer decisions The Re-Wired Group – Bobby's firm focused on demand-side insight Demand-Side Sales – Bobby's book on how customers actually buyConnect with Bobby Moesta:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobmoesta/ Website: https://therewiredgroup.com/Connect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: [email protected] - Show more
