Impact Pricing

Mark Stiving, Ph.D.
  • 4.8 (50)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

  1. 2D AGO

    Blogcast: Pricing AI: Outcome-Based Pricing – The Holy Grail for AI

    This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on December 1, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/pricing-ai-outcome-based-pricing-the-holy-grail-for-ai/ 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/

    6 min
  2. "You're Wrong" — A Friendly Pricing Debate on Buyer Context with Steven Forth and Mark Stiving

    6D AGO

    "You're Wrong" — A Friendly Pricing Debate on Buyer Context with Steven Forth and Mark Stiving

    This episode takes a slightly different approach than the usual Impact Pricing conversation. Instead of teaching a finished framework, Mark brings an early draft of his upcoming book to the table and asks Steven to react to it as a thoughtful pricing peer.  Steven Forth, co-creator of ValueIQ, largely agrees with the direction of the book, but pauses on a key point: how buyer context is defined, and whether the argument separates value and willingness to pay too cleanly. Mark jokingly tells Steven he's "wrong," setting the tone for what follows: a calm, constructive discussion that explores where the ideas hold up and where they still need work. What unfolds is a straightforward, unscripted book review in progress. The ideas are tested against real examples, refined through debate, and shaped in real time.  For listeners who care about pricing theory and how it actually gets formed, this episode offers a transparent look at how those ideas evolve before they're finalized and published.   Why you have to check out today's podcast: Why buyer context is trickier than it sounds and where pricing frameworks often oversimplify it. How value and willingness to pay diverge in real buying decisions using practical examples. What this debate changes about how you think about pricing before ideas turn into rigid rules.   "Most pricing books don't really deal with buyer context. That's why this conversation matters."  — Steven Forth   Topics Covered: 01:11 – Steven's career update, transition from being a CEO. 08:54 – Why this episode is different. Mark brings an unfinished book draft to the conversation, setting up a rare moment where ideas are explored, challenged, and shaped before they're finalized. 10:40 – The core question the book has to answer. A turning point in the review as Steven pushes on whether context affects only willingness to pay or fundamentally changes value itself. 17:13 – Testing the argument with real examples. They pressure-test the book's ideas using real buying scenarios where value stays the same but willingness to pay shifts dramatically. 22:10 – Where theory meets real buyer constraints. A discussion of budget limits, framing effects, and mental ceilings that complicate clean pricing logic and challenge how the book explains buyer behavior. 25:45 – How this feedback shapes the final book. Mark reflects on what this debate changes in the manuscript and why early, honest pushback is essential before pricing ideas turn into published frameworks.   Key Takeaways: "Value didn't change, context did." — Steven Forth "I agree that context influences willingness to pay, but I'm not convinced it doesn't also influence value." — Steven Forth   People Mentioned: Michael Mansard - referenced for his Compass Framework and ongoing work on pricing, value, and attribution. Edward Wong - Mentioned in the context of collaborative work on value attribution and pricing research. Karen Chiang - Mentioned as leading the services side of Ibbaka as Steven transitions away from CEO roles. Tom Nagle - Referenced in discussions around economic value, willingness to pay, and foundational pricing theory.   Connect with Steven Forth: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenforth/  Email: steven@ibbaka.com   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com

    27 min

  3. JAN 30

    Blogcast: Credits: A Tool to Reveal Your Value Literacy

    This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on November 24, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/a-tool-to-reveal-your-value-literacy/ 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/

    7 min
  4. The Logic of Luxury Pricing: How Elite Brands Set Price with Kathryn Porritt

    JAN 26

    The Logic of Luxury Pricing: How Elite Brands Set Price with Kathryn Porritt

    Kathryn Porritt is the founder and CEO of Iconic Empires, where she specializes in helping elite experts build luxury and premium positioning. With a focus on monetization expertise and authority, Kathryn works with clients to elevate their brands and expand their vision of possibilities. Her unique approach emphasizes mastery, rarity, and transformative experiences, enabling her clients to connect deeply with high-end buyers. In this episode, Mark Stiving sits down with Kathryn Porritt to explore the intricacies of selling luxury goods. They discuss the differences between luxury and premium buyers, the importance of creating an expanded vision of possibilities, and how to effectively communicate value in high-end markets.    Why You Have to Check Out This Episode: Learn why luxury buyers don't negotiate and how expanding a buyer's future vision removes price from the conversation entirely. Understand the difference between premium and luxury pricing, and why treating them the same quietly caps your revenue. Discover how elite sellers confidently say bold prices without flinching, discounting, or overselling.   "Expand a vision of possibility for people—show them what they can't see for themselves. When you focus on that, pricing becomes easy."  – Kathryn Porritt   Topics Covered: 01:30 – What Luxury Buyers Actually Buy. Why true luxury customers aren't purchasing features or value props—they're buying rarity, mastery, and first-of-its-kind experiences. 05:40 – Premium vs. Luxury: The Line Most Sellers Miss. How premium buyers still compare and negotiate—while luxury buyers step outside price entirely. 08:45 – The "Expanded Vision of Possibility" Framework. Why the most powerful pricing conversations anchor buyers in a future they didn't know was available. 12:30 – When Budgets Grow (Even in Corporations). How elite sellers expand scope and impact—causing "fixed" corporate budgets to quietly increase. 16:10 – Confidence, Control, and Saying the Number. Why the price you can say without hesitation determines whether the buyer trusts you. 19:40 – Intuition vs. Calculators in Luxury Pricing. How elite experts balance cost, margins, and intuition when there is no reference price. 23:20 – Why This Isn't Just for Luxury Brands. Mark connects the dots: this is exactly how every B2B seller should be selling value. 26:40 – One Pricing Principle That Changes Everything. Kathryn's closing advice—and why expanding possibilities is the fastest path to higher prices.   Key Takeaways: "People at this level, people who buy luxury, like true luxury buyers, they're looking for something that's not necessarily about the value." – Kathryn Porritt "That expanded vision of possibility is the difference. And like I said, that's when pricing becomes almost obsolete in the conversation." – Kathryn Porritt "For a luxury buyer, it's not about the budget." – Kathryn Porritt   People & Resources Mentioned: Iconic Empires – Kathryn's firm helping elite experts position, monetize, and sell at the highest levels. Jeff Bezos – Referenced as an example of true luxury buying behavior where budget is irrelevant Coca-Cola - Mentioned as a corporate example in the context of budget discussions for events. Luxury Market - Discussed as a distinct market segment with unique buyer motivations.   Connect with Kathryn Porritt: Website: https://www.kathrynporritt.com/ Website: https://iconicempire.com  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-porritt?originalSubdomain=au    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: mark@impactpricing.com

    29 min

  5. JAN 23

    Blogcast: Credits: The Bridge Between AI Uncertainty and Value Clarity

    This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on November 17, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/credits-the-bridge-between-ai-uncertainty-and-value-clarity/ 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/

    6 min
  6. Pricing and Billing: Where Strategy Meets Execution with Ryan Susanna

    JAN 19

    Pricing and Billing: Where Strategy Meets Execution with Ryan Susanna

    Ryan Susanna is the VP of Sales at LogiSense, where he helps telecom, IoT, and SaaS companies operationalize complex usage-based and hybrid pricing models. With more than two decades in monetization, automation, and billing infrastructure, Ryan didn't come up through pricing theory—he came up through execution. His work sits at the intersection of pricing ideas and the systems required to make those ideas real at scale. In this episode, Ryan breaks down why billing platforms quietly shape—and sometimes constrain—pricing innovation, what usage-based pricing actually looks like in practice, why many AI pricing models default to credits, and the single pricing habit he believes every company must adopt: testing pricing ideas in isolation before scaling them across the business.   Why You Have to Check Out This Episode: Understand why pricing innovation fails after approval—and how billing and monetization systems quietly block execution. Learn which modern pricing models die first in rigid systems (usage-based, high-watermark, hybrid, credits). Discover how to test pricing ideas safely without risking your entire go-to-market motion.   "Find an isolated way to test your pricing hypothesis before you boil the ocean for your entire motion."  — Ryan Susanna   Topics Covered: 02:00 – From Physics to Monetization (By Accident). How Ryan's background in physics, computer science, and sales led him into billing systems—and why monetization sits closer to pricing than most teams admit. 04:00 – "Why Should Pricing Care About Billing?" Mark challenges the assumption that billing is just collecting money. Ryan explains how billing systems determine which pricing models are even possible. 07:00 – High-Watermark Pricing Explained. Charging based on peak concurrent usage—not total usage—and why this better reflects customer value in many SaaS and telco models. 08:30 – Earned Discounts and Hybrid Usage Models. How companies combine multiple usage metrics to guide behavior while protecting margins. 14:00 – Meter Everything (Even If You Don't Charge for It). Ryan explains why future pricing decisions depend on historical usage data you may not even know you need yet. 19:00 – Credits vs. Value-Based Pricing. Mark reframes credits as a payment mechanism—not a pricing model—and explains why value correlation matters. 23:00 – The Pricing Test Most Companies Skip. Why executives roll out pricing changes globally—and how isolated testing could prevent costly mistakes. 25:00 – Final Advice for Pricing Leaders. Ryan's core message: pricing strategy without monetization readiness is just theory.   Key Takeaways: "You could dream up any pricing scenario if you want, but if you can't operationalize it at scale, you are setting yourself up for failure." – Ryan Susanna "Billing systems quietly decide which pricing models you're allowed to use." – Ryan Susanna "If you pick a model and you have the same model forever, then it will not appear hard for you—because it's what you've always done. What's hard is change." – Ryan Susanna   People / Resources Mentioned: LogiSense – Monetization and billing platform enabling complex usage-based pricing OpenAI – Referenced in the context of AI credit-based pricing models Databricks – Example of proprietary credit-based pricing (DBUs) Slack – Example of active-user pricing metrics   Connect with Ryan Susanna: Email: rsusanna@logisense.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryansusanna/   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: mark@impactpricing.com

    28 min

  7. JAN 16

    Blogcast: Designing Hybrid and Evolving Pricing Models for AI

    This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on November 10, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/designing-hybrid-and-evolving-pricing-models-for-ai/ 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/

    6 min
  8. How AI Is Changing Buying Behavior—and Why Value Still Wins with Mike Wilkinson

    JAN 12

    How AI Is Changing Buying Behavior—and Why Value Still Wins with Mike Wilkinson

    Mike Wilkinson, founder of Axia Value Solutions, joins Mark Stiving to explore how AI is fundamentally changing buying behavior—and why this shift exposes weak value stories more than it threatens good sellers. In this episode, Mike explains how AI has raised buyer expectations by enabling benchmarking, price testing, and faster comparisons—rewarding sellers who clearly communicate value and exposing those who don't. He and Mark show why AI creates mediocrity when used blindly, and why value clarity—not pricing tricks—determines who wins.   Why You Have to Check Out This Episode: Understand how AI is changing buyer expectations—and why buyers now demand clearer value justification before accepting price. Learn where AI helps sales—and where it hurts—including why copying AI outputs creates "AI mediocrity" instead of differentiation. Discover how value clarity and value literacy become your competitive moat in an AI-saturated selling environment.   "Whatever price you're charging or thinking of charging, make sure that it's supported by the value that you are communicating that you can deliver."  – Mike Wilkinson   Topics Covered: 02:17 – AI Is Changing How Buyers Buy. Buyers now show up informed with comparisons and benchmarks, shifting the focus from persuasion to value justification. 06:00 – How Buyers Use AI When Making Decisions. Why price-focused questions produce very different answers than value-focused ones. 09:08 – Using AI to Support Value Selling. Where AI helps sellers think through value—and where copying AI outputs makes everyone sound the same. 11:32 – The Real Problem: Most Salespeople Don't Understand Value. Why unclear definitions of value break value-based selling, with or without AI. 17:23 – AI as a Sales Assistant, Not a Replacement. How AI supports preparation and thinking, but can't replace real customer conversations. 19:25 – Practical Ways Salespeople Should Use AI. What actually helps sellers win—from research to prep—and what's just busywork. 22:55 – Researching Customers with AI Before the Call. How to use AI to understand the company, the market, and the buyer before the meeting. 27:17 – Pricing Advice: Value Has to Justify Price. Why prices fall apart when sellers can't clearly explain why they're worth it.   Key Takeaways: "The people who truly understand and communicate value are the people who will rise above that mediocrity." – Mike Wilkinson "For me, the question in the customer's mind is: if you're more expensive than a competitor, why should I make that additional investment? What do I get back in return? And if the answer is, 'I haven't a clue,' prepare to discount. If you've got some great reasons why you're worth more than competing alternatives, then you're into the conversation." – Mike Wilkinson   People & Resources Mentioned: Axia Value Solutions – Mike Wilkinson's consultancy focused on value-based selling and commercial excellence. Value-Based Selling – A sales approach centered on discovering, quantifying, and communicating customer-specific value rather than competing on price. AI in Sales Enablement – Used for research, preparation, and idea generation—not as a substitute for human judgment or relationship-building. Mentioned LinkedIn article in the episode: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-selling-ai-world-michael-wilkinson-5brme/    Connect with Mike Wilkinson: Website: https://axiavalue.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikewilkinson-thevalueexpert/ Email: mw@axiavalue.com   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: mark@impactpricing.com

    29 min
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4.8
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Stiving, Ph.D.
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    500
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Impact Pricing 2022
  • Show Website
    Impact Pricing

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