Let's Talk Pricing Podcast

Most organizations say they've adopted value-based pricing. But when it's time to price the next deal, many sales teams still default to cost-plus.In this episode of Let's Talk Pricing, Kevin Mitchell sits down with Gaurav Dawar, Senior Manager, Pricing & Revenue Management at WillScot, to explore why that gap exists and what it takes to make value-based pricing the default in everyday commercial decisions.Drawing from a real-world implementation at WillScot, Gaurav shares practical lessons on estimating willingness to pay from transaction behavior, delivering pricing guidance sales teams can actually use, and measuring whether those recommendations improve business outcomes.In this episode, you'll learn:Why many organizations never fully transition from cost-plus pricing.How transaction data can provide a more practical estimate of willingness to pay.Why pricing ranges are often more effective than a single recommended price.The role explainability plays in sales adoption.Lessons learned from implementing value-based pricing at scale.Where pricing is headed over the next several years.

Pricing isn’t just about numbers.While models, margins, and optimization often take center stage, the most powerful forces shaping pricing decisions are human—how customers perceive value, how decisions are made, and what ultimately drives willingness to pay.In this episode of Let’s Talk Pricing, we’re joined by Jenny Millar, Founder and CEO of Untapped Pricing and co-author of The Pricing Sprint. Drawing on her experience leading pricing strategy at eBay across eleven European markets, Jenny shares how behavioral science is reshaping the way organizations approach pricing.We explore:Why pricing is often treated as a technical exercise—and what’s missingHow human behavior influences pricing outcomes more than data aloneWhy companies consistently leave value on the tableWhat it takes to build a more collaborative, evidence-driven pricing processHow pricing teams must evolve in a more data-driven, customer-centric worldIf you’ve ever felt that pricing decisions don’t always follow logic, this conversation will change how you think about the role of behavior in pricing strategy.

Guest: Josh Bardell, Principal of Global Industries, CongaMany pricing organizations have historically optimized around one objective: winning the deal. But as technology, buying behavior, and data capabilities evolve, leading companies are beginning to rethink what pricing success actually looks like.In this episode of Let’s Talk Pricing, Josh Bardell joins Kevin Mitchell to explore how AI-powered pricing and decision intelligence are helping B2B organizations move beyond transactional thinking toward maximizing customer lifetime value.The conversation examines how advances in neural networks and AI agents are enabling pricing teams to generate more dynamic, real-time offers while aligning pricing decisions with long-term customer engagement. Along the way, Josh shares practical perspectives from industries including airlines, retail, distribution, and manufacturing.Topics discussed include:Why focusing only on “winning the deal” can limit long-term profitabilityHow pricing teams can shift toward a customer lifetime value mindsetWhat neural networks have changed about AI-driven pricing modelsHow AI agents enable real-time, optimized offers for digital-native buyersThe evolving role of rebates, subscriptions, and engagement-based pricing tacticsWhere pricing leaders should start when adopting AI-driven decision intelligenceWhat capabilities will define high-performing pricing teams in the coming yearsThis episode offers a practical look at how pricing strategy is evolving as AI capabilities mature and customer expectations change.

Many pricing professionals don’t struggle because their analysis is wrong — they struggle because their insights don’t travel.In the first new episode of 2026, Kevin Mitchell sits down with Claire Wang, pricing strategist and influence expert, to explore the shift from technical excellence to strategic influence.Pricing teams are often analytically strong. They build rigorous models, validate assumptions, and produce sound recommendations. Yet too often, those recommendations stall — not because they lack logic, but because they fail to gain buy-in across functions and decision-makers.Claire shares why influence is not persuasion or authority — but a skill rooted in relevance, translation, clarity, and consistency. Drawing from her upcoming book The Price of Influence, she explains:Why technically correct recommendations often fail to landWhat separates an analyst from a strategic advisorHow pricing professionals can influence decisions without formal authorityWhy influence, like pricing, depends on perceived valueWhat high-performing pricing leaders will need in increasingly complex organizationsIf you’ve ever felt that your pricing insights deserved more traction than they received, this episode will challenge how you think about influence — and show you that it’s a learnable capability, not a personality trait.

In this special episode of Let’s Talk Pricing, PPS President Kevin Mitchell reflects on a year of profound change across the pricing profession. From shifting market dynamics and rising complexity to the growing influence of AI, data, and cross-functional leadership, Kevin explores how pricing roles, expectations, and capabilities are evolving in real time.Looking ahead, he shares his perspective on what pricing professionals must focus on next—where opportunities are emerging, where risks remain, and how the discipline is positioning itself as a critical driver of enterprise value. Whether you’re early in your pricing career or shaping strategy at the leadership level, this episode offers timely insights into where pricing has been—and where it’s headed.