Quotes

"I could argue that how to price support, maintenance and services may be the most important financial issue facing tech companies."
                                                                                                                                                      JB Wood, CEO, TSIA, March 2010

                "I can feel purchasing agents trembling across the land when Tim and George are on hand"

                                                                   Ralph Oliva, Executive Director, Institute for Study of Business Markets, Penn State University

                                  "Your workshop ratings are glowing"

                                                                                                  Clara Nelson, Program Manager, American Marketing Association

                                                "Interesting and thought provoking"

                                                                                                                 Andy Duff, Senior Vice President, Convergis IM


Sample Program Detail: Pricing Technology Services

Background
In response to the expressed needs of the Technology Services Industry Association, Value and Pricing Partners has developed an education program on how to manage and execute services pricing strategies in technology companies - whether they be software, hardware, aerospace, telecomm or healthcare.  In many sectors, growth in services revenue is surpassing the growth in product revenues.  As a result, there is an increasing need for development of the pricing capabilities of service organizations.  This program adresses that need.

Content
Pricing Technology Services comes in two flavors: Management and Sales.  These programs may focus on the needs of specific units within the services organization, e.g. Price Managment of  Value Added Services or Pricing Effectiveness of Professional Services Sales.

The Management Workshop is intended for business leaders responsible for price planning, pricing operations, price management and pricing execution.  Though the program is typically customized to the needs of individual companies, content might include

• Value Assessment using the ValueDMQ^TM Approach
• Megatrends shaping technology services, including the consumption gap and cloud computing
• Pricing Essential Services, including defending maintenance, implementation, basic training and integration services
• Pricing Value Added Services, including process reengineering, rapid response, and services to increased adoption
• Structuring the Offer to Reduce Discounting
• Developing Effective Price Policies
• Improving Pricing Effectiveness through Sales/Channels, including incentives and capabilities development
• Strategic Pricing Intellience to inform pricing decisions
• Pricing Data and Systems, including price performance measurment, and sales support
• Revenue Leaks Management, including on-invoice and off-invoice discount managmeent

The Sales Workshop is intended for developing the pricing capabilities of the sales organization.  Sales workshops are often part of a broader pricing effectiveness initiative that may include changes in sales compensation, introduction of new sales tools or the launch of changed price policies or processes.  As a result, common topics for a sales seminar might include

• Financial Impact of Pricing Decisions
• Sales Incentives and Pricing Success
• Qualifying Buyers: Price Buyer vs. Value Buyers
• Determining Customer Value Drivers
• Controlling Price Through Sales
• How the Value Proposition Informs Sales Conversations
• Demonstrating Value Using the ValueDMQ^TM Approach
• Communicating Price Changes
• Negotiation Strategies for Limiting Discounting

For more information about how education programs can be tailored to the needs of your organization, contact tim@valueandpricing.com

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