Executing a Pricing and Packaging Strategy Project for Account-Based Marketing Software

July 18, 2025

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In the competitive SaaS landscape, a well-crafted pricing and packaging strategy can be the difference between struggling for market share and establishing a dominant position. For Account-Based Marketing (ABM) software providers, this is particularly critical as the market continues to evolve and mature. According to Forrester, companies with optimized pricing strategies generate 11% higher profits than their counterparts with less sophisticated approaches.

This article outlines a comprehensive approach for SaaS executives to execute a pricing and packaging project specifically for ABM software solutions.

Understanding the Stakes

The ABM software market is projected to reach $1.6 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 12.9% according to MarketsandMarkets. With increasing competition and more discerning buyers, your pricing strategy must not only capture appropriate value but also clearly communicate your solution's unique advantages in the market.

Phase 1: Market Assessment and Value Discovery

Analyze the Competitive Landscape

Begin by mapping the competitive terrain:

Identify direct and adjacent competitors: Document not just obvious ABM platform competitors but also point solutions that address segments of your value proposition.
Create detailed pricing grids: Capture competitor pricing structures, tiers, and packaging approaches. According to OpenView Partners' 2023 SaaS Pricing Survey, 78% of high-performing SaaS companies regularly conduct competitive pricing analyses.
Evaluate positioning: Determine if competitors position as premium, value, or middle-market solutions and identify any pricing model innovations.

Understand Customer Value Perception

Your pricing should reflect the value customers actually perceive, not just what you believe you deliver:

Conduct customer interviews: Speak with at least 20-25 current customers across different segments to understand:

Which features drive the most value
How they measure ROI from your solution
Price sensitivity factors

Analyze usage patterns: Review product analytics to identify:

Features that correlate with retention
Adoption patterns across different customer segments
Underutilized capabilities that may not warrant premium positioning

Win/loss analysis: Review sales outcomes to identify where pricing or packaging created friction in the buying process.

Phase 2: Pricing Strategy Development

Define Your Value Metrics

Select the right value metric - the unit by which you charge customers. For ABM software, consider:

Account-based metrics: Number of target accounts, account tiers, or account lists
User-based metrics: Marketing users, sales users, or total platform users
Usage-based metrics: Campaign volume, engagement metrics, or data consumption
Outcome-based metrics: Pipeline influenced or revenue attributed

According to Price Intelligently, companies that align their pricing with a clear value metric grow 2x faster than those that don't.

Structure Your Pricing Tiers

Develop a tiered structure that creates natural upgrade paths:

Entry point: Create a compelling yet limited offering that allows prospects to experience core value
Growth tier: Position your "recommended" plan with the most balanced price-to-value ratio
Enterprise tier: Include advanced capabilities, higher limits, and premium support

Research by Simon-Kucher & Partners indicates that the optimal number of pricing tiers for B2B SaaS is typically three to four, allowing for sufficient segmentation without overwhelming buyers.

Feature Differentiation

Strategically allocate features across tiers:

Core features: Available in all plans (account identification, basic reporting)
Growth features: Mid-tier differentiators (advanced segmentation, intent data)
Enterprise capabilities: Premium offerings (custom integrations, advanced analytics)

Phase 3: Packaging Design

Create Clear Value Narratives

Each package should tell a coherent story about the buyer it serves:

Entry package: For organizations beginning their ABM journey with focused campaigns
Growth package: For marketing teams running multi-channel ABM programs
Enterprise package: For sophisticated revenue teams implementing account-based strategies at scale

Address Expansion Opportunities

Design your packaging to facilitate natural expansion:

Land-and-expand paths: Create clear upgrade triggers based on customer success metrics
Add-on modules: Consider which capabilities work best as separate add-ons versus included features
Usage-based components: Identify elements that can scale with customer success

According to Gainsight, SaaS companies that effectively package for expansion see 20-30% higher net revenue retention.

Phase 4: Testing and Validation

Before full-scale implementation, validate your approach:

Conduct pricing workshops: Bring together cross-functional teams to identify potential issues
Run financial modeling: Project the impact of pricing changes on revenue, growth, and retention
Test with prospects: Use techniques like Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter or conjoint analysis
Soft launch: Consider running A/B tests with new prospects or piloting with a segment

Phase 5: Implementation and Communication

Develop a Migration Strategy

For existing customers:

Grandfathering policies: Decide how long existing customers remain on current plans
Incentives: Create offers to encourage migration to new packages
Communication timeline: Develop a phased approach to introducing changes

Enable Your Teams

Prepare your organization:

Sales enablement: Train on value articulation, objection handling, and negotiation guardrails
Marketing collateral: Update all pricing pages, sales materials, and comparison tools
Customer success: Equip teams to explain changes and highlight added value

Phase 6: Measurement and Optimization

Establish KPIs to evaluate success:

Conversion metrics: Track changes in conversion rates across the funnel
Average deal size: Monitor changes in initial contract value
Net revenue retention: Measure expansion, contraction, and churn impact
Feature adoption: Track usage of tier-differentiating capabilities

Get Started with Pricing Strategy Consulting

Join companies like Zoom, DocuSign, and Twilio using our systematic pricing approach to increase revenue by 12-40% year-over-year.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

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