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Frameworks, core principles and top case studies for SaaS pricing, learnt and refined over 28+ years of SaaS-monetization experience.
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In today's competitive SaaS landscape, Revenue Operations (RevOps) platforms face unique challenges in developing pricing and packaging strategies that effectively communicate value while driving growth. With B2B buyers becoming increasingly sophisticated and the RevOps category continuing to mature, your pricing approach can make or break your market position.
Why Pricing Strategy Matters for RevOps Platforms
Revenue Operations platforms sit at a critical intersection, touching sales, marketing, and customer success functions. This cross-functional nature creates both opportunity and complexity when determining how to price and package your solution. According to a study by OpenView Partners, SaaS companies that conduct regular pricing reviews see up to 25% higher growth rates than those that don't.
The stakes are high: McKinsey research indicates that a 1% improvement in pricing can translate to an 11% increase in operating profit for software companies. For RevOps platforms specifically, where the value proposition often includes revenue enhancement for customers, your own pricing strategy serves as a powerful demonstration of your expertise.
Step 1: Assemble Your Pricing Strategy Team
Before diving into models and metrics, assemble the right team:
- Executive sponsor: Typically the CEO, CRO, or CFO
- Project lead: Often from product marketing, strategy, or revenue operations
- Cross-functional representatives: Product management, sales, finance, customer success
- Data analyst: Someone who can mine customer data for insights
The ideal team size is 5-7 people who can meet weekly during the project's duration. According to Bessemer Venture Partners' State of the Cloud report, the most successful SaaS pricing projects include representation from both product and go-to-market functions.
Step 2: Gather Competitive Intelligence
Understanding market positioning is crucial. Create a comprehensive competitive matrix that includes:
- Direct competitors: Other RevOps platforms with similar functionality
- Point solutions: Tools that solve specific problems within your broader offering
- Market alternatives: Including manual processes or internal solutions
For each competitor, document:
- Pricing models (per user, per revenue, tiered, etc.)
- Package structures
- Feature differentiation
- Target customer segments
- Published pricing vs. negotiated pricing (if available)
Don't just screenshot pricing pages—actually go through the buying process to uncover the full experience. Request demos from competitors to understand how they position value during sales conversations.
Step 3: Analyze Current Customer Data
Your existing customer base holds the keys to effective pricing. Analyze:
- Usage patterns: Which features correlate with renewal and expansion?
- Customer segments: How do value perception and willingness to pay vary across segments?
- Win/loss analysis: Why do you win or lose deals? Is pricing a factor?
- Expansion patterns: What triggers upsells and cross-sells?
ProfitWell research shows that companies with data-driven pricing strategies are 25% more profitable than those using intuition-based approaches. For RevOps platforms specifically, segment analysis by customer size, industry, and use case is particularly valuable.
Step 4: Define Your Value Metrics
The most critical decision in SaaS pricing is choosing the right value metric—what you charge for. For RevOps platforms, consider:
- User-based: Simple but may limit adoption
- Revenue-based: Aligns with customer success but can be unpredictable
- Activity-based: Charges based on workflows, automations, or processes
- Outcome-based: Tied directly to value delivered (e.g., pipeline generated)
According to Kyle Poyar of OpenView Partners, the best value metrics share three characteristics:
- They align with the value customers receive
- They grow with customer success
- They're easily understood by customers
For RevOps platforms, hybrid approaches are becoming increasingly common—combining a base platform fee with usage-based components that grow with customer success.
Step 5: Design Your Packaging Structure
With your value metric(s) established, design your package structure:
Good-Better-Best Approach
Creating three tiers works well for most RevOps platforms:
- Basic: Core functionality for smaller teams or specific functions
- Professional: Complete solution for mid-market companies
- Enterprise: Advanced capabilities, integrations, and support
According to Paddle's SaaS pricing survey, 64% of successful SaaS companies employ a tiered strategy with 3-4 packages.
Feature Allocation
When determining which features go in which package:
- Place high-value, differentiated features in higher tiers
- Include "table stakes" features in all packages
- Consider creating add-ons for specialized functionality
The "40/40/20 rule" suggests 40% of features should be in all plans, 40% in mid-tier and above, and 20% reserved for your premium offering.
Step 6: Price Discovery Research
With packaging structure defined, determine price points through:
- Customer interviews: Structured conversations with existing customers and prospects
- Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Analysis: Survey-based approach to uncover price thresholds
- Conjoint analysis: Advanced research technique that determines willingness to pay for specific features
According to research by Price Intelligently, SaaS companies should aim to conduct at least 30 customer interviews and 100+ survey responses for meaningful pricing insights.
For RevOps platforms specifically, price anchoring against the ROI you deliver is particularly effective—articulating how your platform drives revenue growth, pipeline acceleration, or operational efficiency.
Step 7: Design Your Pricing Communication Strategy
How you communicate pricing is as important as the prices themselves:
- Transparency level: Will you publish prices or use "contact sales"?
- Sales enablement: How will you equip your team to communicate value?
- Negotiation guidelines: What discounting parameters will you establish?
- Grandfathering policies: How will you handle existing customers?
Research from TrustRadius indicates that B2B software buyers increasingly expect pricing transparency—with 55% of buyers more likely to consider vendors who publish pricing.
For RevOps platforms, consider using ROI calculators that demonstrate value in concrete terms, helping justify investment and shift conversations from cost to value.
Step 8: Plan Your Implementation
The final step is creating your rollout plan:
- Timeline: Typically 6-8 weeks from final approval to market launch
- Customer migration strategy: How existing customers will transition
- Sales enablement: Training, battle cards, objection handling
- Marketing materials: Website updates, collateral, announcement strategy
- Success metrics: KPIs to track effectiveness
According to Gainsight research, companies that effectively communicate pricing changes to existing customers see 20% higher retention rates during transitions.
The Continuous Pricing Journey
Effective pricing isn't a one-time project. The most successful RevOps platforms revisit pricing strategy every 6-12 months, making incremental adjustments based on:
- Market changes
- Competitive shifts
- New feature releases
- Customer feedback
- Performance data
OpenView's SaaS benchmarks suggest companies that treat pricing as an ongoing discipline achieve 30% higher net revenue retention than those who approach it as a periodic project.
Conclusion
Building an effective pricing and packaging strategy for your RevOps platform requires methodical research, cross-functional collaboration, and ongoing optimization. By aligning your pricing with customer value perception, competitive positioning, and your own growth objectives, you create a foundation for sustainable success.
Remember that pricing is ultimately about value communication—helping prospects understand not just what they'll pay, but what transformative outcomes they'll achieve with your platform. In the RevOps space particularly, where your customers are focused on driving revenue efficiency, your own pricing approach sends a powerful message about your understanding of value-based selling.