Deepak Bhootra is the CEO of Jabulani Consulting, with over 19 years of experience in the tech industry, including significant roles at Hewlett Packard and Sun Microsystems. Deepak has a deep understanding of pricing strategies and their impact on sales performance. He is passionate about helping organizations navigate the complexities of pricing and sales operations.

In this episode, Deepak shares his journey into pricing and sales, discussing the cultural nuances of negotiation in India and how they influence pricing strategies. Together, they explore the challenges salespeople face with pricing, the importance of understanding value from the customer's perspective, and how AI can play a role in pricing strategies.

Why you have to check out today’s podcast:

• Discover the common pitfalls salespeople face when discussing pricing.
• Explore the importance of aligning pricing with customer value and the psychological aspects of pricing.
• Learn how AI can enhance pricing strategies and sales effectiveness.

“Pricing is something that companies use to control sales behavior. Salespeople don’t like to be controlled.”

– Deepak Bhootra

Topics Covered:

01:46 – Deepak introduces himself and shares his background in pricing.
03:10 – The cultural significance of negotiation in India and its impact on pricing.
07:44 – The relationship between sales and pricing and the challenges salespeople face.
14:21 – Discussion on the emotional aspects of pricing and how they affect sales decisions.
17:12 – Insights into the importance of understanding value from the customer's perspective.
23:09 – The role of AI in enhancing pricing strategies and sales effectiveness.
30:35 – Deepak’s pricing advice.
33:18 – Connect with Deepak.

Key Takeaways:

“Salespeople need to understand the value of pricing and how it relates to customer perception.” – Deepak Bhootra

“Value is in the eye of the beholder. Understand what the customer values before discussing pricing.” – Deepak Bhootra

“When you ask a budget question right up front, you're actually setting yourself up for a pricing discussion.” – Deepak Bhootra

“Pricing is one of those conversations where you have complete control of your CRM updates, you have complete control over your forecast, your relationship, but you do not have control over the price because someone else dictates the price.” – Deepak Bhootra

“When you are looking at price, giving a discount is the easiest lever to pull right up front. And typically (salespeople) they do it because they can also bamboozle you with a lot of stuff.” – Deepak Bhootra

People/Resources Mentioned:

• Jabulani Consulting: https://jabulaniconsulting.com
• Amartya Sen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amartya_Sen

Connect with Deepak Bhootra:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepakbhootra/
• Email: deepak@jabulaniconsulting.com

Connect with Mark Stiving:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/
• Email: mark@impactpricing.com

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on February 24, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.

Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/the-single-perfect-price/

If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at mark@impactpricing.com.

Now, go make an impact.

Connect with Mark Stiving:

• Email: mark@impactpricing.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Vladyslav Podoliako is the founder and CEO of Belkins.io, a leading B2B appointment setting agency, and Folderly, an email deliverability system. With a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on performance-based results, Vlad has successfully navigated the complexities of pricing in the B2B space. He is passionate about helping companies scale their businesses through effective client acquisition strategies.

In this episode, Vlad shares his journey from launching Belkins to evolving his pricing strategies as the company grew. Together, they explore the critical role of pricing in business growth, the importance of aligning pricing with customer value, and the unique challenges of pricing in the B2B landscape.

Why you have to check out today’s podcast:

• Understand the significance of aligning pricing with customer value and performance.
• Discover the importance of testing pricing strategies and gathering client feedback.
• Explore the psychological aspects of pricing and how they influence customer decisions.

“Pricing is like blood in the veins for a growing company. You should have a great pricing model that is scalable and profitable.”

– Vlad Podoliako

Topics Covered:

01:10 – Vlad introduces himself and discusses the common misinterpretation of his company names.

02:15 – The importance of pricing in Vlad's entrepreneurial journey and how it evolved over time.

04:36 – Overview of Belkins and its approach to client acquisition.

06:51 – Discussion on the pricing model based on sales qualified leads (SQLs) and its correlation with client ROI.

09:32 – Insights into product packaging and the pricing strategy for Folderly.

13:15 – The impact of high pricing on customer expectations and delivery pressure.

15:42 – The psychological aspects of pricing and how they relate to perceived value.

19:41 – Discussion on the entrepreneurial spirit in Ukraine and its impact on business success.

24:21 – In scaling your company, how often should you revisit your pricing?

26:50 – Vlad’s advice on being courageous with pricing and testing strategies.

28:01 – Thoughts on ChatGPT pricing for pro.

30:01 – Connect with Vlad.

Key Takeaways:

“Be courageous about your pricing. Test it out more than you strategize theoretically.” – Vlad Podoliako

“(on pricing) It's about how much tries you do before you succeed and how resilient you do that. All of these events, historically, we kind of have this in our blood, adaptability, resilience, and hard work.” – Vlad Podoliako

People/Resources Mentioned:

• Belkins: https://belkins.io/
• Folderly: https://folderly.com/
• OpenAI: https://openai.com/
• Sam Altman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Altman
• NVIDIA: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/
• Google: https://www.google.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/

Connect with Vlad Podoliako:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladPodoliako/
• Email: vlad@belkins.io

Connect with Mark Stiving:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/
• Email: mark@impactpricing.com