Real-world results from applying the Total Profit Added™ methodology across industrial, technology, and engineering markets.
Proof That Value Pays
The most powerful argument for value-based selling is not theory — it is results. These case studies draw on Todd Snelgrove's 20 years of field experience at SKF and with clients worldwide, illustrating how companies that commit to quantifying and communicating value consistently outperform those that compete on price.
Each case represents a real commercial challenge — a customer who wanted a discount, a sales team that didn't know how to justify a premium, a pricing team that lacked the tools to defend their numbers. And in each case, the answer was the same: quantify the value, align on the number, and price accordingly.
Documented Impact
The Numbers Speak
$7B+
In documented Total Profit Added™ across 100,000+ cases
100+
Global value agreements established with major customers
20+
Years of field-tested methodology across global markets
100K+
Individual value cases built and validated with customers
The Research Is Clear
The Benefits of Selling on Value
The data is unambiguous. Companies that quantify and sell on value consistently outperform those that compete on price — across profitability, win rates, deal size, and customer retention.
Value Merchants HBS Press
MIT Sloan Mgmt Review, 2024
Value First, Then Price
24%
More profitable than industry average
Companies that price for value are 24% more profitable than their industry average, and 36% more profitable than those focused on cost or market share.
Monitor Deloitte, 2012
80%
Higher sales win rate
Sales teams that build customized value cases and lead with quantified customer outcomes achieve win rates up to 80% higher than those that do not.
Value Merchants — Anderson, Kumar & Narus (Harvard Business School Press)
25%
Larger deal sizes
Creating customized value cases for each customer increases average deal size by 25% — and simultaneously reduces discounting pressure.
Closing rates increase by 25% when sellers build and present customized value cases tailored to each customer's specific economic situation.
Value Merchants — Anderson, Kumar & Narus (Harvard Business School Press)
2×
Net operating margin
Value sellers have been shown to double net operating margin compared to competitors who lead with price.
20%
Higher Net Promoter Score
Companies selling on value earn a Net Promoter Score 20% higher — customers who understand the value they receive stay loyal.
Faster
Sales cycle speed
Value-based selling accelerates the sales cycle by removing price negotiation. When the economic case is clear, decisions happen faster.
Less
Discounting
Reduced discounting is a direct outcome of value selling. When customers see the return, price pressure drops.
"Companies that price for value are 24% more profitable than their industry average — and 36% more profitable than those focused on cost or market share."
Monitor Deloitte, 2012
Cited in Value Merchants & Acing Value-Based Sales (MIT Sloan Management Review, 2024)
Profitability and margin
Value sellers achieve double-digit percentage improvements in profitability and have been shown to double net operating margin compared to competitors who lead with price. The gap between value delivered and price captured is the single largest untapped profit opportunity in most B2B businesses.
Value Merchants (HBS Press) & Monitor Deloitte, 2012
Customer retention and loyalty
Companies that sell on value experience higher customer retention and less churn — and earn a Net Promoter Score 20% higher than those that compete on price. When customers understand the value they receive, they stay.
Value-based selling accelerates the sales cycle by removing the back-and-forth over price. When the economic case is clear, decisions happen faster. Discounting requests drop because the conversation shifts from cost to return.
Value-based buying is not just good for suppliers — it is transformative for customers. When buyers shift from evaluating price to evaluating Total Profit Added™, they make better decisions, reduce risk, and unlock returns that a lowest-price strategy can never deliver.
35%
More profitable
Companies that bought and rewarded suppliers on Total Profit Added™ were 35% more profitable than industrial companies that did not.
Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation — Chief Procurement Officer Survey
4–6%
Over and above contracted agreement
Companies using Supplier Relationship Management to buy on value obtained 4–6% over and above their contracted agreement — value that price-focused buyers left on the table.
State of Flux — Supply Relationship Management Report
40%
More value from collaborative suppliers
Buying companies realized 40% more value from their most collaborative suppliers than from their least collaborative suppliers.
IACCM & Strategic Account Management Association Study
49%
More value delivered to collaborative customers
Suppliers reported delivering an average of 49% more value to their most collaborative key customers — value that only flows when the buyer engages on outcomes, not price.
IACCM & Strategic Account Management Association Study
Better total economics, not just lower price
The lowest-priced option is rarely the lowest-cost option. Buyers who evaluate Total Profit Added™ — factoring in uptime, quality, energy, maintenance, and risk — consistently find that the higher-priced supplier delivers a superior economic return.
What's In It For We (WIIFWE)
Based on the 2009 Nobel Economics Prize-winning work of Prof. Oliver Williamson, Prof. Kate Vitasek's Vested Outsourcing framework demonstrates that the most successful buyer-supplier relationships are built on shared outcomes — not adversarial price negotiation. When both parties win, both parties invest.
Reduced operational risk
Suppliers who quantify value are suppliers who understand your business. That depth of knowledge translates into fewer failures, faster resolution, and a partner who is invested in your outcomes — not just the transaction.
Faster, more confident decisions
When a supplier presents a clear, quantified value case, procurement decisions become easier to justify internally. The economic case does the work — reducing the time spent on internal approvals and competitive re-evaluation.
Defensible procurement decisions
A value-based buying decision is a documented decision. When the economic case is on paper, procurement teams can defend their choices to finance, operations, and leadership — even when the price is not the lowest.
Alignment between price paid and value received
Value-based buying creates transparency on both sides. Buyers know what they are paying for. Suppliers know what they need to deliver. That alignment reduces disputes, improves performance, and builds the foundation for a long-term commercial relationship.
"The best commercial relationships are not built on the lowest price — they are built on a shared understanding of value."
Todd Snelgrove, The Experts in Value
Featured Cases
How Value Changes the Conversation
Industrial Manufacturing
Value Selling Transformation
The Challenge
A global manufacturer was losing deals to lower-priced competitors despite offering a technically superior product. The sales team defaulted to discounting rather than defending the premium.
The Approach
Built a Total Profit Added™ model that quantified the customer's true cost of downtime, maintenance, and energy consumption. Trained the sales team to lead with the economic case before discussing price.
The Outcome
Win rate on contested accounts improved significantly. The sales team stopped discounting and started having conversations at the economic buyer level.
Technology & Software
ROI Quantification
The Challenge
A B2B software company was struggling to justify its pricing against lower-cost alternatives. Procurement teams were treating the solution as a commodity.
The Approach
Developed a customer-specific ROI model that translated software capabilities into measurable business outcomes — reduced labor hours, error rates, and compliance costs. Deployed the model as a sales tool.
The Outcome
Average deal size increased. Sales cycles shortened because economic buyers could see the payback period clearly. Discounting requests dropped.
Engineering Services
Value Documentation
The Challenge
An engineering services firm was winning projects on price but struggling to retain clients at renewal. Customers didn't understand the value delivered over the contract period.
The Approach
Implemented a value documentation process that tracked and reported the financial impact of the firm's work throughout the engagement. Created a value summary report for each renewal conversation.
The Outcome
Renewal rates improved. Customers who received value reports were significantly more likely to expand the engagement rather than put it out to tender.
Fintech
Economic Buyer Engagement
The Challenge
A fintech company was selling to procurement teams who evaluated the solution purely on license cost. The economic buyers — CFOs and treasury teams — were not engaged in the buying process.
The Approach
Redesigned the sales approach to target economic buyers first. Built a value model in the language of the CFO — risk reduction, working capital improvement, and operational efficiency — rather than product features.
The Outcome
Sales cycles that previously stalled at procurement were elevated to CFO-level conversations. Average contract value increased and competitive pressure decreased.
Ready to Build Your Own Success Story?
Every case study started with a conversation. Let's talk about what value-based selling could mean for your organization.
