Case study

An industrial equipment company recorded an 8.7% increase in total margins

The challenge

The company needed a pricing system that sales could execute consistently, customers could understand, and leadership could scale without sacrificing volume.

List price adherence was only 20% to 30%, with heavy discounting as the norm.

Sellers relied on "last price paid" or "lowest acceptable," not value-based price bands.

Prior pricing attempts eroded trust, increasing resistance to change.

Supply chain volatility created uncertainty in availability, cost, and quoting decisions.

The organization lacked governance, tools, and enablement to sustain pricing discipline.

The Cortado Group solution

Diagnose & Segment

Analyzed customer behavior, value drivers, and price sensitivity to define actionable segments and price corridors.

Design the Pricing Model

Built a clear, defensible model aligned to customer dynamics, prioritizing high-value accounts and products.

Set Guardrails & Governance

Established discount rules, escalation paths, and approval workflows to protect margin while managing volume risk.

Build the Execution Engine

Converted strategy into seller-ready tools (rate cards, deal guidance, exception logic, talking points).

Plan the Campaigns

Implemented pricing campaign planning from annual direction down to weekly execution, with accountability by region and team.

Enable the Field

Delivered role-based training, scripts, and objection handling so reps could communicate the "why" and hold price.

Measure Financial Impact

Tracked margin lift, price realization, and mix impacts to guide iterative refinements and protect volume.

Results

8.7%

Total margin increase

Net margin on covered products increased 14.7%: after model rollout and field adoption.

Overall margin improved 8.7%, strengthening profitability across: the business.

Pricing change management restored commercial confidence: after prior failed efforts.

Performance exceeded EBITDA targets, validating the strategy: and execution system.