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We're proud to present an exclusive interview with pricing expert Joanne Smith in our #PricingPodcast series! Joanne, President of Pricing to Profits Consulting talks with PPS about her consulting career, leadership in pricing, CPP designation, and change management. As an author and former Head of Marketing for DuPont, Joanne Smith's interview is full of great information for business professionals in various industries. Click to listen to the #PricingPodcast: About Joanne: Joanne Smith is the President of Pricing to Profits Consulting, author of The Pricing and Profit Playbook (Bradley Publishing - October 1, 2013), and the former DuPont Corporate Head of Marketing, Pricing, and Customer loyalty. A senior marketing and business executive, Joanne has broad and diverse experience leading B2B marketing, pricing, business development and customer loyalty initiatives, generating millions of dollars to bottom lines in multiple industries, including chemicals, industrial, polymers, food/nutrition, agricultural, automotive, safety, and electronics.Joanne is an expert in pricing and profit management and transformation, product management and development, cross-functional collaboration and leadership, business transformation and change management, customer loyalty initiatives, B2B marketing strategies, marketing and customer segmentation, and team leadership. She achieved her bachelor’s degree from Drexel University and completed advanced Marketing and Sales courses with the Kellogg School of Management Program. She is a certified Six Sigma Champion. Joanne Smith is a featured Workshop Speaker during #PPSATL17 The Summer School For Pricing Workshops Event in Atlanta, Ga! (Click The Image To Learn More) Registeryour team to attend! Thanks to Joanne for a great interview and pricing shares! Catch up on our new podcasts featuring interviews with leading pricing professionals!

Alison Yama, Senior Director with Holden Advisors, shares proven pricing strategies and case studies from wins against the competition. Knowing your competitors is only half the battle in business. How do you compete when trying to price products? Price services? What are the winning businesses using to succeed? Pricing industry expert and Senior Director with Holden Advisors Alison Yama talked with PPS in this #PricingPodcast: "Get Your Price and Win Against Low-Priced Competitors" About Alison: Alison is a Senior Director Product and Service Management. She has over two decades of marketing, sales, client, and relationship experience and currently creating thought-leading, innovative offerings to help Sales teams develop the backbone to defend value and price in the face of tough negotiations. Prior to working with Holden Advisors, Alison was Principal of Consulting Services with Strategic Pricing Group where she lead consulting and educational services sales teams, large-scale project teams across multiple businesses, client relationship management, consultant development, and pricing content development. The #PricingPodcast series provides a way to learn from the professionals that directly influence the pricing industry. Join us in-person this Spring during the 29th Annual Fall Pricing Workshops and Conference in Dallas, TX! Click the image for Registration Information! Have a suggestion on who to feature during an upcoming #PricingPodcast? Shoot an email to Meagan@Pricingsociety.com!

Our friends at Apttus are hosting the ACCELERATE Conference April 12-14th 2016 in San Francisco and PPS President Kevin Mitchell is a featured Speaker! On April 13 at 4:25 PM Kevin Mitchell will present: "The Rise and Impact of Pricing Excellence In The Communications, Media, & Financial Service Industries" When it comes to pricing, companies across diverse service industries share common challenges as well as universal truths. Communications, Media, and Financial Services companies have become increasingly focused on optimizing pricing decisions and revenue management processes to drive innovation and maximize profitability. In this session, learn about the basis of pricing decisions, such as customer value and willingness to pay, and how your business can “creatively borrow” pricing strategies from different industries to succeed. Attendees will gain knowledge on the pricing strategies exclusive to these industries from a leading, global expert. Interested in attending? We have an exclusive discount code for the first 10 readers that email after reading this post! Simply send an email to Meagan@PricingSociety.com, mention this blog post and reading about Kevin Mitchell's upcoming presentation, and we'll make sure you receive a special PPS discount to the ACCELERATE Conference!* Join PPS this May in Illinois during the 27th Annual Spring Pricing Workshops and Conference! Registration is open and rooms are going fast!

Every industry can utilize pricing strategy tips, and our most recent #PricingChat focused on tips for the startup owner and entrepreneur. No matter the product, deciding on the best methods to price services or goods is crucial to revenue in business. No matter the changing market factors, several basic tips will ensure entrepreneurs can make the best decisions to receive the best ROI for their service offerings. Our recent #PricingChat was prompted by a Twitter conversation between several new followers, and their content sharing around tips for startup companies. and entrepreneurs. We asked President Kevin Mitchell to share several pricing tips for startup company owners and new entrepreneurs. Read below for the full recap! PPS is always working to understand the needs of our growing audience of pricing and business professionals, and several pricing tips can be utilized for various industries. Would you like to see more pricing tips for entrepreneurs? Have a general question about pricing? Join our next #PricingChat every Thursday at 2 PM EDT now on #FacebookLive! Simply log in to our Facebook Page - and ask your questions LIVE to our team!

All companies seek price optimization value in business strategies. Many companies utilize pricing in daily interaction but aren't getting the best optimization. Value pricing strategies are essential, especially as technology continues to rapidly change. These unique challenges impact pricing optimization: Powerful Buyers Intense Competition Short Life cycles Declining Price Curves For End Products Complex Go-To Market Paths A Historical Bias Toward Marketing Speeds & Feeds vs. Customer Benefits These challenges are root of many frustrating pain points. Businesses must make accurate and timely pricing decisions, be effective in managing the processes required to make offers and execute them through internal systems without error, in spite of any challenges. Historically, companies have addressed value capture in three ways. First, most companies should start by creating and educating a small pricing team. Carefully craft a team with relatively little authority compared to the amount of revenue or profit they will oversea. Secondly, most companies should invest in pricing execution software that automates the quoting and pricing approval processes. Pricing automation is an important step to improve overall pricing strategies and to better track profits and losses. While both of these suggestions are essential to developing clear values to pricing optimization, neither effort drives direct behavioral changes to the business. This can dilute the results because administering an approval process without maximizing their true value-add. Collaborating with the sales teams to craft product and pricing solutions that meet customer’s needs, which provide the profit margins for the company, to fuel the engine. Third, companies often address value capture by focusing on the cost side of the profit equation. However, focusing primarily on cost can result in downward spirals of steps to find redundancies and extract concessions from suppliers. This mode of operation is not a sustainable because when all areas of cost improvement are exhausted, companies often turn to the R&D and product development activities that led to success in the first place. What are ways your company practices pricing optimization value? Please share in the comments below! Learn more about increasing value for your business at our 27th Annual Spring Pricing Workshops and Conference in Chicago, IL! During May 3-6th hear directly from over 25 of the world's leading pricing professionals! Register your team TODAY!

In this #PricingPodcast expert Lydia DiLiello shares how to increase revenue and profit generation from CPQ (Configure Price Quotes) investments. Learn how to master this pricing strategy for your business. "How to Monetize Your CPQ Investment" with Lydia DiLiello! Click to listen About Lydia: Lydia Di Liello is the founder and principal of Capital Pricing Consultants L.L.C. a Revenue Management consultancy dedicated to improving profitability for its clients. She brings more than 22 years of global revenue management, pricing expertise and business leadership experience to her clients. Spending her corporate career in B2B, Di Liello’s experience working in 16 countries with global Fortune 500 companies and mid-size privately held firms provides a breadth of knowledge and an understanding of the unique challenges her clients face. Her leadership roles have included manufacturing, pricing and procurement.Di Liello earned her MBA from The Youngstown State University and is a prominent member of the Professional Pricing Society Board of Advisors and regularly presents at Conferences. She also frequently contributes to pricing industry publications including The Pricing Advisor, Pricing Brew and The Journal of Professional Pricing. To learn more about CPQ, sales strategies, as well as hear more from Lydia in-person, join us in Miami, FL May 2-5th at the 28th Annual Spring Pricing Workshops & Conference! Lydia will host the CPP Workshop "Pricing & Selling: Strategies and Tactics to Win With 21st Century Procurement."

Lydia DiLiello shares four great tips with PPS to cover the pricing basics around CPQ strategies for business. Lydia DiLiello shared four great tips with TPA Blog that cover the basics around pricing and CPQ. Gain a better understanding of the tool and how leaders within the industry are using CPQ from pricing strategy expert Lydia DiLiello. About Lydia: Lydia Di Liello is the founder and principal of Capital Pricing Consultants L.L.C. a Revenue Management consultancy dedicated to improving profitability for its clients. She brings more than 22 years of global revenue management, pricing expertise and business leadership experience to her clients. Spending her corporate career in B2B, Di Liello’s experience working in 16 countries with global Fortune 500 companies and mid-size privately held firms provides a breadth of knowledge and an understanding of the unique challenges her clients face. Her leadership roles have included manufacturing, pricing, and procurement. Di Liello earned her MBA from The Youngstown State University and is a prominent member of the Professional Pricing Society Board of Advisors and regularly presents at Conferences. She also frequently contributes to pricing industry publications including The Pricing Advisor, Pricing Brew and The Journal of Professional Pricing. What is a Configured Price Quote - CPQ - anyway?! Lets chat CPQ! Question: So, what is CPQ?! Answer: CPQ traditionally refers to software that supports Configuration, Pricing and Quoting of custom products. Question: What are additional ways to define CPQ and the business process? Answer: Other names for CPQ include "Quote To Cash", "Opportunity To Order", "Quote To Sell", "Lead To Win", "Contact to Conversion." Question: How is CPQ bigger than "just software?" How can companies best incorporate sales strategies? Answer: CPQ is no longer "just software." Historically, CPQ was created to solely as software, but progressive definitions include dynamics of Change Management, Business Processes, and Policy development. These additions change the thought process around CPQ making it an essential part of a successful global, multi-channel selling strategy. CPQ grants companies full control over which partners, groups, or channels can access certain pricing or product information, with role-based access, discount locks, and portals, allowing a greater management of revenue, discount offers, or pricing and shipping fees. CPQ software and strategies also allow businesses to manage different strategies for multiple channels and geographies by providing full visibility into sales trends and channel effectiveness. This allows executives to course-correct when needed. Question: How does CPQ affect today’s Pricers? Answer: CPQ affects not only Pricing but also Finance, Sales, Customer Service, and Operations. It touches every part of an organization in both breadth and depth. The expanded definition includes Change Management, Business Processes and Policy Development, all critically important. Sales leaders want to follow a product's life throughout the entire organization. From the point of initial customer contact, all the way to the end - a closed sale with a happy customer. For more information about CPQ strategies that will better impact your business, contact Lydia directly with questions and comments! Email: Lydia@capitalpricingconsultants.com To learn more about CPQ, sales strategies, as well as hear more from Lydia in-person, join us in San Diego, California this fall for the 29th Annual Fall Pricing Workshops & Conference!

We have selected a WINNER for the #PPSCHI Early Registration Give Away!! Out of our early registrants, we randomly selected David Scritter of Elkay Manufacturing as the winner!! Congratulations! Our membership manager Cherica Spann will contact you regarding collecting the gift card or opting to make a charitable donation instead. Early Bird registration for the Spring Pricing Conference and Workshops in Chicago, IL is now CLOSED.There will be more exciting news surrounding #PPSCHI shared here on our blog, across social media and especially during our #PricingScope! (Click the image below to learn more). There is STILL time to book a room, but act quickly because our discounted rates end April 14th! Register TODAY for #PPSCHI and we can't wait to see you in Chicago!

The Keynote Speakers have officially been announced for #PPSCHI and the lineup is awesome! PPS will feature leading, prominent pricing experts from the best brands in the industry to provide exclusive business insights to our attendees! We announce two (2) of our Keynote Speakers presenting this May: Laura Preslan - General Manager, Microsoft Corporation Pricing expert Laura Preslan will deliver the Keynote: "Using Influence Versus Authority For Better Pricing Decisions" The pricing industry is filled with cross-organization, cross-team, cross-company communication and decision-making, often blurring the roles the of authority. Progress can still be achieved however, if key strategies are learned to increase pricing influence within the organization. Laura will share proven strategies, how to find supporters and break down real-world business examples for Conference attendees to maximize success within their organizations. About Laura: Laura Preslan has 20 years of experience in marketing, sales, pricing, consulting, technology implementation, industry analysis, and team leadership. She has worked at Microsoft for nine years. Prior to Microsoft, she was a Senior Manager at Deloitte Consulting’s pricing practice and was a VP of Research at AMR Research. She graduated from Brown University and is a member of the PPS Board of Advisors. Mark Burton - Principal, KPMG Industry leader Mark Burton will deliver the Keynote Presentation: "The Four Disciplines of Breakout Pricing" Learn how the leaders in pricing consistently apply four disciplines that connect target markets to customers. Attendees will gain the tools to drive strategic, financial alignment ensuring that pricing supports the business goals, and ways to turn attention to the customers. Burton will share ways to develop expert-level pricing skills that ensure success throughout sales organization. About Mark: Mark Burton is a Principal in the Strategy Consulting Practice at KPMG and leader of their pricing practice, where he develops cutting-edge pricing strategies across diverse sets of clients and industries. A recognized thought leader with 20 years experience developing and implementing pricing strategy and transformations, Burton has an MBA in Business from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Union College. Burton is an author with experience spanning several industries including manufactured products and parts, high technology components and devices, business and outsourced services, software and data services, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and distribution. Register TODAY - take advantage of the EARLY BIRD pricing special! For more information about the Spring Pricing Conference and Workshops in Chicago, IL please visit PricingSociety.com.

We're preparing for our Annual Spring Pricing Conference and Workshops event and this year, we're heading BACK to Chicago! If you've never visited the great city of Chicago, you must add it to the travel list! Endless attractions, breathtaking architecture, city events, delicious restaurants and of course...shopping (just try not to spend on the Magnificent Mile). The #PPSCHI18 event will be held at the luxurious Loews O'Hare Chicago, and we're excited to return to the host hotel. Here are five (5) great reasons to book a room for your team: 5) World-Class Shopping - Two blocks from the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel are over 130 designer outlets, including staples like Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. Also, The Fashion Outlets of Chicagois also home to world-class brands like Gucci, Prada, Tory Burch, Michael Kors and Burberry. 4) Exclusive Dining @ The Rural Society - Warm hospitality, and welcoming decor transport guests from the modern lines of the hotel to the sweeping cattle ranches and grill-fired kitchens of Argentina. Rural Society is a contemporary Argentine steakhouse with nationally renowned master of Latin cuisine Chef Jose Garces. Inspired by his travels to South America, Rural Society is at once rustic and luxurious, bringing the energy and sophistication of Buenos Aires to Chicago. 3) Newly Redesigned Spaces - The Art Gallery has been redesigned and remodeled for a one-of-a-kind guest experience! View famed artwork from celebrated artists around the globe classic framed pieces, hanging sculptures, a green rooftop covered in soil and wheatgrass, and even wind-powered electricity. 2) Rosemont Entertainment District -Minutes away from the hotel is the famed entertainment and attraction hub the MB Financial Park at Rosemont. A 200,000 square-foot entertainment and dining complex that opened 2012 is home to 12 venues offering upscale international cuisine, live music, comedy, state-of-the-art film, bowling and more. This new entertainment district is a one-stop suburban destination for big city dining, entertainment, nightlife, and family fun. 1) Convenience - We're just minutes from the Chicago O'Hare airport, complete with a 24-hour shuttle to transport guests. Only a mile away is the large intersection connecting to all the major highways. Oh, and all of the Pricing Workshops, Tracks, and Conference Breakout sessions are going to be held right in the hotel, convenient throughout the week.Take advantage of all Chicago has to offer - by booking the best rooms during #PPSCHI18! Register HERE for the Pricing Conference and Workshops - take advantage of the EARLY BIRD special! At the Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel, guests have the best of both worlds.Don’t choose between downtown energy and the convenience of being five minutes (2.6 miles) from the Chicago O'hare International Airport. If your group is looking to extend the stay and explore more of the city, there's a special Group rate available 3 days before and/or after the conference. Whether you’re looking for the convenience of Rosemont’s great entertainment, dining and shopping – or the iconic attractions of downtown Chicago, it’s all easily accessible from Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel. Reserve your room: https://www.loewshotels.com/chicago-ohare/pps-spring-conference-2018Remember the Pricing Workshops and Conference event in Chicago 2016: View photos on our Facebook page! Follow #PPSCHI18 across social media for Conference updates! We'll see you in Chicago!

We're excited to continue sharing pricing education and business strategies on Twitter in our #PricingChat series! Last Thursday, we hosted the first #PricingChat of the year: We discussed "Pricing and the CEO" with Dr. Hermann Simon, the Founder and Chairman of Simon-Kucher & Partners. He shared insights to of the impact the CEO has on pricing strategies in business. Take a look at the Storify RECAP below: About Dr. Hermann Simon:Hermann Simon is Founder and Chairman of Simon-Kucher & Partners, the global leader in price advising with 29 offices in 23 countries and 750 employees. Simon has authored more than 30 books, published in 26 languages, and has been named the most influential living management thinker in German-speaking countries. Cicero-Magazine lists Simon as one of the 100 leading intellectuals in Germany.Four leading pricing consultants from Simon-Kucher and Partners will speak during the 27th Annual Spring Pricing Conference and Workshops in Chicago, IL this May! Follow #PPSCHI across Social Media and continue checking back to ThePricingAuthority.com for more Conference and #PricingChat information! We look forward to the next #PricingChat

Announcing the 27th Annual Spring Pricing Workshops and Conference in Chicago, IL May 3-6 2016! Register TODAY for the pricing event of the season! Over 40 Speakers Over 100 Hours of Exclusive Content 13 CPP Workshops CPQ, Sales, Operation Breakout Tracks & MORE! Full Lineup TBA For more information, questions or registration help, please visit PricingSociety.com. We'll see you in Chicago! #PPSCHI