Using a Cost-Plus Mindset to Your Advantage
How One Company Improved Profitability Without Changing Their Team's Cost-Plus Pricing Behaviors
In a B2B environment, an entrenched cost-plus mindset can be a huge obstacle when people get into the habit of using a flat percentage markup to set or quote prices, with no regard for the nature of the product, the needs and values of the customer, or the circumstances of the deal at-hand. In this case study, you will learn about:
- Devising a strategy when your back is against the wall and the "right way" just isn't an option
- How effective pricing can be a secret weapon when you need to increase revenue and margin
- An unusual way to "trick" a sales team into pricing better without the resistance and pushback
- The right and wrongs ways to deal with internal politics and weak senior management teams
This case study is just one of hundreds of educational resources you get access to as a SellingBrew Playbook subscriber.
More Subscriber-Only Resources From Our Library
-
Suffering from a Bad Case of Sticker Shock
In B2B environments where discounting is habitual, it's easy to think that your list prices don't really matter all that much. But before you conclude that list prices are inconsequential in your business, consider this case of a B2B reseller who just couldn't see what they were missing.
View This Case Study -
How Strict Pricing Enforcement Killed a Product
Strict enforcement of pricing policies can seem like a great idea. But this comical case study sheds some light on the perils of enforcing policies that are lacking (and somewhat ridiculous).
View This Case Study -
Competitive Insights for More Strategic Selling
For strategic selling, playing against your competitors' features, functions, and price-points isn't enough. This video guide explains how to win more often by gaining a much deeper understanding of your competitors.
View This Guide -
Fooling Yourself About Customer Retention
In this Expert Interview, Rick Reynolds, the CEO of AskForensics, discusses their latest research and reveals a number of effective strategies for maintaining strong customer relationships and retaining your most valuable accounts.
View This Interview

Why Subscribe?
When you join your peers and become a SellingBrew Playbook subscriber, you get immediate access to this case study as well as all of these other features:
- Training WebinarsDozens of on-demand webinars covering crucial sales ops topics with new webinars every few weeks
- On-Demand LibraryA searchable library of hundreds of concise guides, tutorials, cases, assessments, and research reports
- Expert InterviewsLearn from others in sales who’ve “Been There and Done That” through our Expert Interview Series
- Help DeskAsk our team of analysts for advice, insights, and perspectives on your specific sales ops challenges