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Estd 4.22.2023
Introduction
In today's hyper-competitive SaaS landscape, your pricing and packaging strategy can be the difference between accelerated growth and stagnation. For sales acceleration software specifically, the challenge is particularly nuanced—you're selling to sales leaders who are hyperaware of value propositions and ROI calculations. According to OpenView Partners' 2023 SaaS Benchmarks report, companies that revisit their pricing strategy quarterly see 30% higher growth rates than those who approach pricing as a set-it-and-forget-it exercise. This guide will walk you through how to run an effective pricing and packaging strategy project specifically tailored for sales acceleration software.
Why Traditional Pricing Approaches Fall Short
Many SaaS companies default to competitor-based pricing or cost-plus models. Research from Price Intelligently shows that these approaches leave an average of 30-40% of potential revenue on the table. Sales acceleration software poses unique challenges because:
- The buyer (typically VP of Sales or CRO) expects clear, attributable revenue impact
- Value perception varies dramatically by company size and sales process maturity
- Feature requirements differ significantly across industries and selling motions
Building Your Pricing Strategy Framework
Phase 1: Discovery and Research (4-6 Weeks)
Market Analysis
Begin with comprehensive market research. According to Gartner, the sales enablement platform market is growing at 19.4% annually, but different segments show varying price elasticity.
- Analyze 10-15 direct and indirect competitors' pricing pages
- Sign up for demos to understand their packaging structures
- Identify which features are freemium, core, or premium across the market
Customer Value Research
ProfitWell research indicates that 80% of SaaS executives think they understand their customers' willingness to pay, but only 20% have actually gathered relevant data.
- Conduct 15-20 interviews with current customers across different segments
- Run a Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity study with prospects
- Analyze usage data to identify your "hero features"—those that correlate with retention and expansion
Internal Stakeholder Alignment
- Hold workshops with Product, Marketing, Sales, and Finance teams
- Document current pricing limitations and challenges
- Establish clear objectives (e.g., increase new customer acquisition vs. maximize existing customer revenue)
Phase 2: Strategy Development (3-4 Weeks)
Value Metric Selection
According to pricing expert Patrick Campbell, companies using value metrics that align with customer success grow 2x faster than those using arbitrary metrics.
For sales acceleration software, consider metrics like:
- Number of sales reps
- Number of sales sequences/cadences
- Volume of outreach (emails/calls/meetings)
- Revenue influenced
The most effective value metrics naturally scale with the value customers receive. For example, Outreach.io scales primarily by user seats plus additional capacity for sequence automation.
Packaging Architecture
Your packaging should create natural upgrade paths:
- Essential Plan: Core functionality for small teams or those new to sales acceleration
- Professional Plan: Advanced analytics and integrations for scaling teams
- Enterprise Plan: Custom workflows, advanced permissions, and dedicated support
Software Equity Group data suggests that feature differentiation between tiers should focus on scale, depth, and administrative controls rather than core functionality.
Price Anchoring Strategy
Research from Stanford shows that presenting three pricing tiers with the middle option highlighted can increase average deal size by 20%. Consider:
- How you'll display pricing (transparent vs. "contact sales")
- Annual vs. monthly commitment incentives
- Where add-ons and expansion opportunities exist
Phase 3: Testing and Validation (4-6 Weeks)
Pricing A/B Tests
According to Price Intelligently, only 18% of SaaS companies run pricing tests, yet those that do see 30% higher LTV. Design tests for:
- Different price points for the same packages
- Different feature distributions across packages
- Various discount strategies for annual commitments
Controlled Rollout Plan
- Start with new prospects in a specific segment
- Monitor key metrics: win rates, sales cycle length, and discount frequency
- Prepare detailed objection handling guides for your sales team
Grandfathering Strategy
OpenView Partners suggests that SaaS companies who successfully transition existing customers to new pricing models retain 15% more of those customers during the change.
- Determine grandfather period duration (typically 6-12 months)
- Design migration incentives (e.g., one-time discounts for early adoption)
- Create communication templates for account managers
Implementation: Bringing Your Strategy to Market
Sales Enablement (2 Weeks)
Sales teams need comprehensive training on your new pricing model:
- Develop value calculators that demonstrate ROI
- Create battlecards addressing competitive pricing questions
- Run role-playing sessions for common negotiation scenarios
Salesforce research indicates that sales teams with strong pricing enablement tools achieve 28% higher quota attainment.
Marketing Alignment (2-3 Weeks)
Your marketing materials need to emphasize your new value propositions:
- Update website pricing pages with clear value articulation
- Develop case studies showing ROI under new pricing
- Adjust lead scoring based on fit with ideal package profiles
Measurement Framework (Ongoing)
Define key metrics to measure success:
- Average deal size by package
- Upgrade/downgrade rates
- Customer acquisition cost by package
- Expansion revenue percentage
- Discount frequency and depth
Case Study: How Gong Revolutionized Their Pricing
Gong, a leading conversation intelligence platform for sales teams, originally priced solely on a per-seat basis. After thorough market research, they identified that customers derived increasing value from historical conversation data and analytics.
They redesigned their packaging to include both seat licenses and conversation storage tiers. This hybrid approach allowed them to:
- Capture value from both user adoption and platform utilization
- Create natural expansion triggers as companies scaled their sales processes
- Differentiate enterprise offerings with advanced compliance and administrative features
According to their Chief Revenue Officer, this pricing evolution contributed to their successful $7.25B valuation by better aligning pricing with customer-perceived value.
Conclusion: Pricing as a Continuous Process
The most successful SaaS companies view pricing as an ongoing strategic advantage rather than a one-time project. According to Bessemer Venture Partners' State of the Cloud report, top-performing SaaS companies revisit their pricing strategy at least twice annually.
For sales acceleration software specifically, your pricing strategy should evolve as:
- Competitive landscapes shift
- New features fundamentally change your value proposition
- Customer segments and use cases diversify
- Sales methodologies and techniques evolve
By implementing a disciplined, data-driven approach to pricing strategy, sales acceleration software companies can significantly improve unit economics while better aligning their packaging with actual customer value—ultimately accelerating their own growth while helping customers accelerate theirs.