Strategies for Selling in a Competitive Market

How do you fight a price war? Some first hand learnings from the last 3 years which can be relevant for founders of new age brands Every major brand had their range of BLDC fans by 2019. And by 2022 when everyone realised that BLDC fans are the future, we started facing huge pricing pressure from one of the biggest fan brands. At the entry level, some of the products were priced 15-20 percent lower than Atomberg Whenever you see any pricing action, the first step is to diagnose the cause and find what is the source of this low price? Is it a structural advantage ( lower costs due to scale or design) or competition giving up short term margins for market share gain By doing a basic zero based costing analysis, We figured out that there was no big structural cost advantage. The design of our motors were the most efficient and since we manufacture our motors end to end, we had the cost advantage too. And wherever they had some cost advantage, those were trade offs with long term quality Now, we had 2 options at that point - Take pricing actions to match it. But it would have meant diluting our margins. And since it was a much bigger brand, there was no guarantee they won’t reduce further. Bldc fans as a percentage of revenue was very low for them so they would have managed it easily. In start up parlance, This is akin to fighting a price war with a competitor who raised 10x more than you - Take non pricing actions to fight a price war We decided to go the second route. So this is what we did - Increased marketing budget by couple of percentage points. Ramped up the awareness building journey. Did marquee impact properties including the BCCI sponsorship - Premiumized the portfolio at breakneck speed. Launched smart/iot versions of most fans. Launched super premium fans at 6000 Rs price points - Ramped up after sales service infra to make at home service within 24 hours a reality. And these value additions were communicated by trade - Communicated more around our quality and longevity of products. At ground level, apple to apple comparisons with cheaper products was done to all retailers - Ramped up BTL and display at counters All of this helped us keep growing at very high double digit numbers. And competition pricing intensity also reduced after a point when they realised we haven’t taken the pricing bait So, while from a cost point of view, we did incur some costs, but those helped bring long term benefits to the brand( better product, better service, more awareness) Much better than simply matching the price and go into a full blown price war Pricing pressure by competition will mean a short term hit on your P&L. But you can spend it on things that makes you a stronger business in the long run

"Is $20/month too much for our product?" Instead of guessing, we used the Van Westendorp method to find our pricing sweet spot. 4 questions revealed exactly what users would pay (and we haven't touched our pricing since). Here's the framework any founder can steal: 1. Send a survey to actual users, not prospects We surveyed people already using Gamma. They understood the real value of our product, not hypothetical value. Too many founders survey their waitlist or randomly select people who have never used their product. That's like asking someone who's never driven about car prices. 2. Ask these 4 specific questions - At what price would this be too expensive for you to consider it? - At what price is it expensive but still delivering value? - At what price does it feel like a bargain? - At what price is it so cheap you'd question if it's reliable? These create bookends for perceived value. You're mapping the entire spectrum of price psychology, not just asking "what would you pay?" 3. Plot the responses and find where the lines intersect Graph responses from lots of users. Where "too expensive" and "too cheap" lines cross: that's your acceptable range. Where "expensive but fair" meets "bargain": this is your optimal price point. 4. Test within the range, don't just pick the middle The intersection gives you a range, not a number. We ran pricing experiments within that range to see actual conversion rates. A survey shows willingness to pay; testing reveals actual behavior. 5. Lean towards generous (especially for product-led growth) We chose to be more generous with AI usage than our "optimal" price suggested. Word-of-mouth growth matters more than maximizing initial revenue. Not everything shows up in the numbers. 6. Lock it in and stop tinkering Once you find the sweet spot through data, stick with it. We haven't changed pricing in 2 years. Every month debating pricing is a month not improving product. Remember: pricing is a signal, not just a number (Image: First Principles)

Cold Calling Is Dying. Here’s What’s Replacing It. The numbers don’t lie: • Cold call success rates have dropped to 2.3% in 2025, down from 4.8% last year (Cognism). • 72% of sales calls never reach a person, and it takes 8+ dials to connect with just one prospect. • Only 28% of reps still view cold calling as effective. Meanwhile, high-performing teams are doing something different. Research-Driven, Insight-Led Outreach Wins: • Reps who thoroughly research their prospects are 3x more likely to succeed (Clevenio). • Prospect-specific research can lift conversions by ~30%. • Insight-led outreach builds trust before a call is ever placed. Email and Social Are Outpacing Phone-First Approaches: • Personalized cold emails outperform generic ones by 32%; average reply rates are 8–9%. • 78% of social sellers outsell peers, and social-enabled teams hit quota 66% more often. Takeaway: 1. The call is no longer the first touchpoint. It’s the third or maybe the fourth; it’s only viable once you have demonstrable engagement via other channels. 2. Buyers start with research—so should you. Start with research. Deliver value. Leverage email and social. Then—and only then—call with context. You’re no longer the teacher like when you were knocking on doors. 3. This is how modern sales works. And this is how trust is built at scale. Welcome to the future, my friends. 🙌🏾 #NervousSystemsStrategist #SalesLeadership #ModernSelling #ColdCalling #SalesDevelopment #InsightSelling #SalesStrategy #SalesEnablement

Demand gen is utterly broken. It's overly complicated & lacks the soul and creativity that consumers deserve. I promise there's a better way. Here's the 3-pronged content engine we're building for companies at storyarb: Principles: - Treat your content as the product, not as marketing for another product - Unique insights + Unique voice + Unique packaging = Unique content - Pick topics that make your Market of 1 better at their job Channels: 1) Deeply researched long-form content Purpose: create data-driven OR interview-based website content that is deep enough & insightful enough such that a reader feels the need to bookmark & reference later. Good examples: Lenny Rachitsky: "How the biggest consumer apps got first 1,000 users" - Lenny interviewed hundreds of founders, identified patterns, and broke down the seven strategies consumer apps used to grow. Carta: "State of Private Markets: Q3 2024" Report - Using tons of internal funding data by Carta customers to pull together trends in startup funding for the quarter. HubSpot: "My First Million's Business Idea Database" - Aggregating & organizing 57 startup ideas shared by past MFM podcast guests into an e-mail gated database 2) Editorial email newsletter Purpose: create the best industry read for your market of 1 that allows you to build an owned audience of current/future customers. Good examples: - Content Examined by Alex Garcia: the best read for consumer content marketers, which acts as a perfect nurturing tool for his community, course, and agency - Big Desk Energy by Tyler Denk 🐝: a window into building a high-growth startup as it's happening by the founder of beehiiv - Exploding Topics: a snapshot of 4 emerging trends (based on google search data) that founders & investors should be aware of. 3) Personal brand social content Purpose: allow your market of 1 to build a parasocial relationship with your company through 1-4 personalities (execs, founders, etc) who enable connection with your faceless brand. Good examples: - Adam Robinson: fully transparent monthly breakdowns of his companies' (Retention.com & RB2B) performance with lessons learned & plans to fix key issues - Peter Walker: Head of Insights at Carta uses first party data from the company to share unique startup ecosystem trends + his own POV - Kieran Flanagan: AI & GTM expert who shares deep marketing insights, playbooks, and predictions that help build his & HubSpot's brand If you want help building this 3-pronged engine at your company, shoot me a DM or email at alex@storyarb[.]com.

I have spent years in the highs and lows of the consumer goods industry but never seen a pricing climate quite like this. Manufacturers are getting squeezed from every direction-tariffs, skyrocketing raw material costs, and relentless supply chain disruptions. The old playbook of raising prices to cover costs? That’s dead. Why? Because consumers are feeling the pressure too. A 2024 Nielsen report makes it clear: today’s shoppers are scrutinizing every dollar they spend, and brands that aren’t strategic about pricing risk losing market share fast. Here’s what I’m seeing from top CPG brands that get it: 1️⃣ Walmart is investing heavily in AI-driven pricing models to keep costs competitive-e-commerce now makes up 18% of total revenue. 2️⃣ PepsiCo is doubling down on pack-size innovation, offering smaller, affordable options to maintain volume without excessive discounting. 3️⃣ Luxury brands are using price elasticity models, testing demand thresholds before rolling out increases-avoiding consumer pushback. 4️⃣ Supply chain resilience is non-negotiable. Companies are shifting manufacturing away from China, despite short-term cost spikes, to avoid future geopolitical risks. The smartest brands aren’t just reacting. They’re rethinking. They’re moving toward Revenue Growth Management (RGM) frameworks that help them: ✅ Optimize pricing and promotions (because blanket price hikes are a losing game) ✅ Focus on margin-smart growth, not just revenue ✅ Leverage data analytics to make smarter, faster pricing decisions Brands that don’t evolve risk eroding profitability or pricing themselves out of the market. CPG leaders who master strategic pricing, operational efficiency, and consumer-driven value creation will own the future of this industry. Are you adjusting your strategy, or just reacting to rising costs? Because in 2025, only the most adaptable brands will win. #CPG #FMCG #PricingStrategy #RevenueGrowth #ConsumerGoods

I watched a company lose a $1.2M deal last quarter because they were still running MEDDPICC like it's 1996. They identified a Champion and an Economic Buyer. They documented Pain points. They were textbook perfect. The problem in 2025 is that no single Champion can get a deal done. Sales methodologies from the 90s weren't built for today's buying committees, consensus-driven decisions, and distributed authority. The modern sale requires a complete methodology upgrade. No more obsessing over a Champion. You need relationships with the entire team. No more chasing generic Pain points. You need Numerical Priorities linked to business outcomes. No more vague "Compelling Event". You need documented, financially-validated trigger points. No more hoping for Decision Criteria. You need to shape it with objective benchmarks. The best sellers still run a methodology, but it's evolved. They're identifying group priorities, mapping out competing initiatives, and anchoring everything in provable ROI. Try this on your next deal…instead of asking "What's keeping you up at night?" ask "What are the top 3 numerical priorities for your department this quarter?" Watch how quickly you can separate real deals from wishful thinking.

"We're moving forward with another vendor." Every rep's nightmare sentence. I pressed for details. "Their approach felt more open. We actually knew what we were buying into." That stung. I'd shared: ••• Exhaustive feature documentation ••• Dozens of success stories   ••• Complete pricing breakdowns Where'd I go wrong? Days later, I got access to our competitor's sales process. The difference hit instantly: They didn't preach transparency. They lived it. Their follow-up wasn't an email avalanche. It was one collaborative hub where buyers could: ••• Monitor which stakeholders engaged with what ••• See their exact position in the evaluation journey ••• Find materials curated for their unique pain points ••• Manage internal distribution seamlessly My revelation: I was buried in PDFs. They were cultivating partnership. Next prospect, new approach: I built a shared workspace exposing EVERYTHING: → Which team members on our side viewed their data → Critical docs they'd missed → Realistic implementation expectations → Where we excel AND where we don't The buyer's response: "Finally, someone not playing games." Ink on paper in 10 days. Here's what's real: Today's buyers aren't starved for data. They're starved for authenticity. Yesterday's strategy: Bombard with polished assets that sidestep weaknesses. Tomorrow's strategy: Build transparent environments that tackle doubts directly. Your buyers know when something's off. Even when nothing is. Quit running sales like a shell game. Start running it like a glass house. You with me?

Here's how to simplify your pitch and 10x your sales: 1. Talk less, sell more. Short sentences = more sales. Hemingway once bet he could write a story in 6 words that'd make you feel something: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." Your pitch should pack the same punch. 2. Complexity is for people who want to feel smart, not be effective. The worst salespeople make simple things sound complicated. The best make the complex simple. 3. Complexity says, "I want to feel needed." Simplicity limits to only what is needed. 4. Read your pitch out loud. I remember when I'd asked my COO to read the manuscript of my book. He chose to do it aloud. All 258 pages. Ears catch what eyes miss. The final version reads like butter. 5. "Be good, be seen, be gone." This was the best sales advice I ever got. - Good: Deliver value - Seen: Make an impression - Gone: Don't overstay your welcome People buy from those they remember, not those who linger. 7. Speak like your customer, not a textbook. We like to sound sophisticated. "We create impactful bottom-line solutions." But we like to listen to simple. "We help small businesses explode their sales." Which one would you buy? 8. Every word earns its place. Your pitch should be lean and mean. - Be specific - Avoid cliches - Check for redundancy - If it doesn't add value, cut it out 9. Abstract concepts bore. Concrete examples excite. ❌ "We'll increase your efficiency." ✅ "We'll save you 10 hours a week." Paint a picture. 10. People buy on emotion & justify with logic So tap into their feelings: - Fear of missing out - Desire for success - Need for security Then back it up with facts. 11. The "Grandma Test" never fails. If your grandma wouldn't get your pitch, simplify it. No jargon. No buzzwords. Just plain English. 12. Benefits > features. Dreams > benefits. ❌ "Our group hosts 10+ events per year." ✅ "Our program helps you close deals." 🚀 "Let's take back Main Street through ownership." 13. Use power words: - You - Free - Because - Instantly - New These words grab attention and drive action. Two final things to keep in mind... Simplicity isn't just for sales. Apply these principles to: - your business operations - your thinking processes - your next investment - your relationships - your to do list Sales isn't just for car dealerships. You pitch when you: - Negotiate a raise - Interview for a job - Post on social media - Hire someone for a job - Talk to an owner about buying their biz If you found this useful, feel free to share for others ♻️

"Should we launch a cheaper sub-brand to compete with our knockoffs on Amazon?" This is what a brand founder asked me on a call recently. His situation: Premium product. $200+ price point. Lifetime warranty. Superior materials. But Amazon is flooded with $50-$80 knockoffs using thinner, cheaper specs with no warranty. He's watching his own customers — people HE educated through years of mass media, search Amazon and buy the cheap version. So the idea is simple: Launch a fighter brand. Same supply chain. Same manufacturer. Same quality control. But limited SKUs. Limited specs. Price point that goes toe-to-toe with the knockoffs. Sounds smart. But here's where it gets complicated. The risks of a fighter brand: Cannibalization. Your $200 customer sees your $99 option and trades down. You just lost $100 in margin on a customer who would've paid full price. Brand confusion. If the sub-brand is too close to the parent, you dilute the premium positioning you spent years building. Operational drag. Now you're managing two brands, two listings, two ad strategies, two sets of inventory. That's not free. The case FOR a fighter brand: - You're already losing those customers to knockoffs. At least capture them with your own product. - You control the quality. A $99 product with your 6mm specs still beats their 4mm at the same price. - You take up more real estate in search results. Two brands means two listings on page one. - You protect the premium line by giving price-sensitive shoppers somewhere to go that isn't a competitor. Here's how I'd think about it: If your premium product conversion rate is strong and the issue is just traffic, don't launch a fighter brand. Fix your ads and listing first. But if you're losing conversions at the point of comparison? That's different. The customer is ON your page. They see the price. They bounce to a knockoff. That's when a fighter brand makes sense. The key: the fighter brand has to be far enough from the parent that it doesn't cannibalize, but close enough that it leverages your supply chain advantage. Same factory. Different brand story. Different price tier. Different customer. If you can thread that needle, you're not competing with your knockoffs anymore. You're replacing them. Curious to hear your thoughts - should they launch a challenger brand? Which companies have done this successfully?

The State of Tech Sales in 2025 AI and automation are now table stakes. If you are still treating them like a competitive advantage, you are already behind. Everyone has AI cold email tools. Everyone is automating DMs. Everyone is using AI call summaries. Everyone is trying to scale conversations instead of mastering them. That is why most reps are getting worse. They are moving faster while building less trust. They are replacing human connection with efficiency. They are cutting corners on the exact skills that actually close deals. Here is what is working in 2025 1️⃣Human connection. Buyers are overwhelmed with automation. They are craving real conversations with people who can understand their challenges and solve real problems. 2️⃣Unscalable tactics. Physical mailers. In person meetings. Handwritten notes. Live events. These used to be normal. Now they are rare. That is why they work. 3️⃣Critical thinking. AI can give you information. It cannot give you insight. Reps who think deeply and provide new perspectives immediately stand out. 4️⃣Creativity. Copying templates and following the crowd used to be safe. Now it gets you ignored. Reps who bring fresh solutions are getting the meetings and closing the contracts. 5️⃣Consistency. Most reps quit when it gets hard. The ones who keep showing up and refining their craft are taking market share. The reps who will dominate the next five years are not the ones with the fastest automation. They are the ones doing the unsexy work that cannot be automated. Master the fundamentals. Build real relationships. Keep leveling up your business acumen. That is how you win in 2025. — These daily habits helped me create $195m/year in sales (even in ROUGH economies): https://lnkd.in/gbpFye_t