Agriculture · Brazil, India, China
Recent work · 2026
A core sales program across three continents
A global crop nutrition company wanted one core sales program for its commercial teams in very different markets.
Read the case →
Sales can’t defend the price
Problem we solve · Pricing & Value
Sales can't defend the price
“Every negotiation becomes a discount conversation.”
Without a value story, sales has nothing to say except the price. Value selling gives reps a quantified story, evidence and objection handling, so they can hold price and negotiate on value.
Why it happens
Cause 1
No quantified value story
Cause 2
No objection handling
Cause 3
Incentives reward volume
What we hear from clients
Paraphrased and anonymized from recent conversations.
“There is an immediate need for value selling; the basics are not in place.”
How we solve it
The approaches we use most often for this problem. Most clients start with one.
How we help
Value selling and negotiation
We train and coach sales teams to sell on value: quantifying it, telling the value story, handling objections and negotiating without defaulting to discounts.
How it works →How we help
Value pricing
We quantify the value your offer creates against the customer's next-best alternative, set price positions on a value map and build the pricing logic sales can defend.
How it works →Tools that help
Market Edge frameworks used to diagnose and fix this problem.
Value CreationValue Creation quantifies the economic value your offer creates for a customer compared with their next-best alternative: savings, extra revenue and reduced risk.Value Proposition builderThe Value Proposition builder turns analysis into a clear statement for each segment and stakeholder: who it is for, the problem it solves, the value it delivers and why it is better than the alternative.Competitive AssessmentA Competitive Assessment scores your offer and competitors' offers on the purchase criteria that matter to a segment, weighted by importance.
Clients who solved this
All case studies →Life Sciences · Delivery devices
Recent work · 2025–2026
Value pricing for a medical device launch
A business unit was about to price a new drug-delivery device at cost plus, with no view of its value to the value chain. The opportunity was significant.
Read the case →Point of view
Our point of view
All points of view →Further reading
Articles by Market Edge consultants on mkt-edge.com.
Questions about sales can't defend the price
What does a value story contain?
Quantified value against the alternative, proof, and answers to the likely objections.
How do we keep reps from discounting?
Shared pricing logic, guardrails and documented rationale for holding price.
Situations where this shows up
"We've been sales and rebate led for years."
Moving from commodity to specialty
Your strategy now depends on selling on value, but the sales force, pricing and segmentation were built for volume.
How we help →"We're about to launch, and the price is cost plus margin."
Pricing a new product launch
A new product worth tens of millions is about to be priced without a view of its value to customers.
How we help →"We're reorganizing our route to market to grow margin, not volume."
Reshaping the sales force
New customer tiers, channels or owners mean the sales force has to change who it calls on and what it sells.
How we help →Other Pricing & Value problems we solve
Pricing & Value →Pricing & Value
Prices drift to cost-plus
“When markets get uncertain, we fall back on cost-plus.”
Read more →Pricing & Value
Discounts leak margin
“Rebates and exceptions are eating margin, and nobody tracks it.”
Read more →Pricing & Value
New products launch underpriced
“We gave away the innovation premium.”
Read more →Recognize this problem?
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