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Cost based pricing is relatively simple; you figure out your cost of goods, set a desired margin for each unit, add that margin onto your costs and you have your price. Cost based pricing doesn’t require the detailed level of analysis and value measurement necessary to employ a value-based pricing strategy. Because it’s simple, many companies fall into a trap of cost-based pricing. But as far as smart pricing goes, cost-based pricing strategies are anything but. So if it’s simple, why does it suck? Here are three reasons why:

Reason 1:  Cost based pricing limits your ability to price to different segments of the market.  Think about these two examples; the last sporting event you went to and your SEO strategy. In the case of the sporting event, ticket prices vary based on the view you get of the game. The cost to install a seat, serve a customer and the game itself don’t change whether you are at game level or up in the nosebleeds, but you certainly pay more to sit up close because it is perceived to be a better, more valuable seat. In the case of SEO, it doesn’t cost Google more to place your key words near the top of the list, but you pay more for a higher position if you value higher visibility of your key words. Both of these examples have something in common; pricing is about capturing as much of the demand curve as possible. In each example the customer base can be segmented by its willingness to pay. There are multiple offers, each at different prices based on what people are willing to pay, not based on the cost of the offer. By setting a variety of prices based on how different customer segments value your offer you capture a greater portion of the market, maximizing revenue at each point on the demand curve.

Reason 2:  Customers don’t care about your costs, they care about the product attributes they value. In the Smartphone market, do customers really think about what it costs the manufacturer to produce a phone? Do customers consider what the wireless carrier is paying to carry Blackberry, iPhone or various Android phones? The answer is typically no. Customers focus on the product attributes that they value; data capabilities, network coverage, apps, screen size, touch screen vs. keyboard, etc. Customers will be willing to pay more for a phone that has the features that best meet their needs regardless of the manufacturing costs. If a customer’s willingness to pay is not based on the cost of goods, your price shouldn’t be either.

Reason 3:  Unrealized revenue and profit can be substantial.  A tire manufacturer developed a more durable, longer lasting tire. If a cost-based pricing strategy had been implemented the manufacturer would have set prices about 10% higher than competitive products reflecting the higher cost of materials required for added durability. This would have resulted in the manufacturer missing out on millions in profit, because the price would have been 10% higher but durability was 100% better than competitive tires. The manufacturer would have missed out on capturing the true value of the tire. To capture that premium the tire manufacturer developed an innovative pricing strategy. Historically, customers expected tires to be priced based on size; tires that are the same size should be about the same price. A 10% price premium would not have been received well by customers without realizing the benefits of the added durability. To avoid losing out on sales and profit, the manufacturer avoided a cost-based strategy and used a pay-per-landing model. This created a situation where the new tire could not simply be compared to competitive products based on size and price, and customers felt they were getting better value paying per landing. The customers realized the benefit of the additional landings they could get out of each set of tires. The manufacturer achieved close to a 100% premium over competitive tires resulting in significantly higher profits than a cost-based strategy would have generated.

The impact of a smart pricing strategy will show up on your bottom line.  Spend the time to price based on value and avoid the easy trap of cost-based pricing.  It will pay off in the long run.

Paul Hunt

(Editor’s Note: Paul Hunt’s post originally appeared in the Financial Post: http://natpo.st/IWqECY. We have his permission to use the post on our blog.)

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Paul Hunt

Paul Hunt is the president of Pricing Solutions and has specialized in pricing for more than 20 years. During that time he has worked with leading companies on a global basis. As a pricing strategist, Hunt has developed a vast array of proprietary methodologies that go straight to the heart of the problem. He has helped clients with such pricing issues as bundling/unbundling, competitive pricing, customer categorization, new-product pricing, perceived value, price complexity vs. simplification, pricing policy, price structure, price wars, price/volume relationship, and value-added pricing. He has a particular interest in helping companies implement the cultural changes necessary for them to become more effective value-based pricers. In this capacity, Hunt has helped companies make significant changes that have led to substantial bottom-line improvements. He also lectures and writes on pricing strategy. Hunt regularly conducts in-house training for corporate clients, speaks at industry conferences and works with leading MBA programs. Hunt has written articles for leading publications and associations such as Marketing Magazine, American Marketing Association, Marketing Research Industry Association and the Professional Pricing Society. To learn more about Hunt and his company, visit the website at www.pricingsolutions.com.

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