Define a strategy for growth: Too many firms have been hunkered down in survival mode. The result has been short-term decisions that will impede growth when business turns around.  Leading firms are preparing their pricing strategies now.

Restore the integrity of your price lists: When recessions hit, one of the first casualties is the price list, as companies over-use discounts in a mad scramble to get or keep business. This panic discounting teaches customers that list prices don’t mean anything.

Reassert your value: The focus for the past several months has been the value of the customer to the firm as steep declines in revenue meant painful internal decisions.  Lost in this was a basic truth – customers buy your offerings because they place value on them. Time to remind them of all of the value that you deliver.

Reinvigorate you offerings: Customers need clearly defined choices when budgets are tight. Your sales teams need a “good-better-best” offering structure to manage difficult price negotiations. Have you given that to them?

Commit to price leadership: No matter what the economic conditions are, firms that commit to price leadership outperform their peers. These firms share one common attribute – a committed and consistent leadership team. Are your executives sending out mixed messages on pricing?

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