Why “Red Flag” Prices Often Mislead Pricing TeamsSome of the most expensive pricing mistakes start with a pattern that feels obvious. A sales team begins hearing the same message from the field: competitors are coming in lower, deals are getting harder to win, and customers are pushing back. The signal feels consistent. It feels credible. Then the team turns to the data.…
The Benefits of SWOT AnalysisDon’t Overlook the Benefits of SWOT Analysis While a SWOT analysis is not a novel concept, many companies do not perform this type of analysis as often as needed. A traditional SWOT (sometimes also known as TOWS) helps increase awareness and planning to help fine tune any company’s business strategies and create situational awareness. This…
Turning VoC Insights into Actionable Growth StrategiesMost Voice of Customer (VoC) programs fail. Not because the insights are wrong, but because they never change a decision. Companies run surveys, conduct interviews, analyze feedback, and produce detailed reports. Yet too often, the insights stop there. The research becomes informative but not transformative. For me, the real value of VoC is not simply…
Why Averages Are Dangerous in Pricing AnalysisAverages make people feel safe. When pricing discussions become tense, someone inevitably says, “What’s the average competitor price?” The assumption is that the average represents the market. The assumption is that it gives clarity. In pricing intelligence, averages often create the illusion of clarity while hiding the real story. Here’s why. Several years ago, I…
Why the Number 3 Is Magic in Pricing IntelligenceOne of the biggest mistakes I see companies make in pricing analysis is believing that a single price, or even two prices, tells them anything meaningful about a competitor’s strategy. It doesn’t. Pricing intelligence only starts to become reliable when you capture at least three price points. Three is where patterns begin to emerge. Three…
The Power of Storytelling in VoC: Turning Data into Actionable NarrativesOver the years, I have seen organizations make significant investments in Voice of Customer research, yet struggle to translate those insights into clear strategy, actionable plans, and sustained business impact.The problem is not the data.It is the story. Data informs.Stories move people. If we want Voice of Customer insights to drive real decisions—product pivots, pricing…
The Comfort TrapFor over 35 years, I’ve helped leadership teams anticipate competitors. New entrants. Pricing pressure. Product innovation. M&A threats. But the biggest risk rarely sits outside the building. It sits inside the executive conference room. It’s the comfort trap. Comfort feels earned. It feels rational. It feels stable. Strong results. Predictable growth. Solid margins. And slowly,…
Informing Is Nice. Influencing Wins.A few years ago, I was sitting in a conference room with a client, watching their intelligence team walk senior leadership through a beautifully crafted briefing. You know the kind. Tight storyline. Smart charts. Competitor moves clearly mapped. Opportunities highlighted. Risks flagged. Implications spelled out. At the end, one of the executives leaned back and…
How Voice of Customer Drives Emerging Trends, Innovation, and Strategic AdvantageOne question leaders raise consistently is how organizations can stay ahead when markets change so quickly. After years of working with leadership teams, one pattern is clear. The answer is rarely found in more dashboards or longer strategy decks. Those tools explain what has already happened. Staying ahead requires listening to customers in a structured…
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