16
Apr
2025
•
5 min read
Introduction: Why Is Pricing a Strategic Issue?
Setting the right price is a delicate exercise for B2B companies: price too high, and you lose opportunities; price too low, and you sacrifice your margins. 82% of B2B companies report that their pricing is not optimal (source: McKinsey), largely because they lack a true understanding of how customers perceive their value.
Win-Loss Analysis helps reducing this area of uncertainty. By collecting and analyzing feedback from customers and prospects about their buying decisions, you can uncover the real drivers behind price perception and adjust your strategy accordingly.
How exactly does Win-Loss Analysis help you fine-tune your pricing? Discover the 3 key levers you can activate thanks to customer feedback.
Number 1: Understanding Price Sensitivity Beyond the Surface
Price is rarely the sole reason behind a buying decision. 58% of companies that believe they lose deals because of pricing are wrong (Source: Gartner). More often, it’s the perceived value proposition that isn’t compelling enough.
What Win-Loss Analysis Reveals:
- The comparison context: Who are prospects comparing you to? What pricing or value elements do they find more attractive elsewhere?
- Perceived value for money: Are the features seen as essential aligned with the price you’re asking?
- Triggers of resistance: Is there a psychological threshold or pricing model that’s blocking the buying decision?
Concrete example:
A SaaS vendor believed it was losing deals due to high pricing. Win-Loss Analysis revealed that customers actually viewed their customer support as weaker than the competition. By improving this service without changing their prices, they increased their conversion rate by 15%.
Number 2: Identifying the Most Relevant Pricing Models
Flat-rate subscription, usage-based pricing, freemium... the right model depends on your market and buyer personas. Nearly 70% of B2B companies that adapt their pricing model based on customer feedback see an improvement in their conversion rate (source: Pricing Solutions).
How does Win-Loss analysis help you choose?
- Identify payment preferences: do your customers prefer the predictability of a flat-rate subscription or the flexibility of a usage-based model?
- Spot deal-breakers: hidden fees or unclear pricing tiers can slow down decision-making.
- Anticipate future expectations: some segments want advanced features, while others are looking for an affordable product.
Case study:
A cybersecurity company discovered through its Win-Loss interviews that customers found its pricing model too complex. By switching to a simple and transparent plan, it increased its closing rate by 18%.
Number 3: Adjust Pricing Based on Perceived Value
The optimal price isn’t the one you consider fair — it’s the one your customers see as aligned with the value they receive. Only 23% of B2B companies incorporate perceived value into their pricing strategy (source: Simon-Kucher).
Win-Loss Analysis helps you:
- Identify differentiating features: Which characteristics justify a premium price in the eyes of your customers?
- Spot perceived weaknesses: Which features underperform and require adjustments in the sales narrative?
- Define segmentation strategies: Expectations and price sensitivity vary across different customer segments.
Example:
An HR software provider discovered that its customers especially valued native integration with other tools. By highlighting this feature and adjusting its packaging, the company was able to increase its average deal size by 12%.
Conclusion: Win-Loss Analysis, a Key Ally in Shaping Your Pricing Strategy
Pricing is a powerful yet delicate lever. Ignoring customer feedback means staying trapped in your own assumptions.
With Win-Loss Analysis, you move from pricing based on guesswork to a strategy grounded in real market expectations and perceptions. A deeper understanding of price sensitivity, the identification of the right pricing models, and adjustments based on perceived value — these are key to optimizing revenue while strengthening your competitive edge.
Want to learn more about how to use these insights to refine your pricing strategy? Discover our Win-Loss Analysis programs and book a demo with our team.
