Boost Your Sales With Value-Based Pricing

Hi!

Welcome to Sparksense's Newsletter! Every month, I personally bring you insights to fuel your sales strategies, drive business growth, and succeed on your entrepreneurial journey. My focus is clear: to equip you with actionable takeaways. Anticipate valuable advice on prospecting, smart selling, and sealing deals that matter for Deep Tech Entrepreneurs!

This month, we’re focusing on a key challenge: one of the hardest questions for any founder: how to price your product.

Just look at OpenAI. Their new consulting arm pilot starts at $10 million+ for enterprise deployments. It’s a bold move that shows value comes first, not free trials or endless proofs of concept. Most startups do the opposite, and end up stuck in “pilot purgatory.”

In this edition, we’ll look at common pricing mistakes, explain how to set your value clearly, and share practical steps to make sure you get paid for the impact you create.

The real problem with pricing

Pricing feels simple, but it’s one of the hardest choices for any founder. Set it too low, and you lose money. Set it too high, and you risk scaring customers away. Most startups freeze in the middle and end up copying others or giving their solutions away for free.

That’s the trap. Too often, founders think in numbers instead of value. But the real question is what your product is worth. Do you want to stay in the commodity business, or position yourself as a tech breakthrough? If you don’t set the conversation on value, the market will drag you into a race to the bottom. You need to prove value and capture it. And too many startups fall into the same mistakes.

Watch out for pricing pitfalls

Most founders fail because they fall into bad pricing habits even when they have a great product. Here are the big ones to avoid:

1. Lowest bid wins it all
Confronted with uncertainty, many Entrepreneurs are looking for ways to undercut the “market”. It is a common misconception that a low price will increase the likelihood of success. In reality offering the right Value is key to sustainable success.

2. Do not blindly follow the pricing herd
There is a large wave of solutions which are being priced through a monthly subscription fee model. While this brings many advantages, your customer group might be used to a very different model e.g. one-time fixed price.

3. Free “Proof of Concept”
Winning a first customer is a challenge for most new Ventures. Getting a track record has often priority to first revenues. However, offering a Free solution does not demonstrate if you provide true customer value, or confirm Readiness to Pay.

4. Project consulting temptation
Selling a new solution often requires some pre and post sales consulting. While these consulting revenues help pay the bills, they are not scalable, non-recurring, postpone price discovery and distract valuable resources away from building a great product.

The lesson is simple: avoid these traps, or you’ll never uncover your true value. The good news? There’s a smarter way to set prices, and it’s one that starts with value, not cost.

Maximize customer perceived value

We break this down in detail in our Startup Guide.

Implement a successful value-based pricing

If pricing mistakes drag you down, value-based pricing lifts you up. What is value-based pricing? According to Harvard Business Review: 

The goal is simple: price around the impact you create. Here’s how to make it work:

1. Define your target customer
Not every buyer is equal. Your price depends on who you sell to. Use a clear persona so you know exactly whose problem you are solving.

2. Assess market value
Talk to customers. Find out what they see as valuable—whether it’s cutting costs, saving time, or unlocking new revenue. Test what they are ready to pay.

3. Validate customer benefits
Show proof. Quantify how your product improves efficiency, reduces risk, or raises quality. Numbers beat opinions.

4. Set the price
Price to reflect the extra value you create, not just your costs. Look at alternatives in the market and decide if you play premium, feature-based, or subscription.

5. Keep it lean
Collect feedback fast. Adjust as you learn what your best-fit customers value most. Software markets move quickly, so your pricing has to evolve with them.

Value-based pricing is about making sure your price reflects your worth and showing customers that paying you is an investment, not a cost.

Are you looking to grow into demanding deep tech markets? Let’s discuss your industry requirements and speed up your market adoption. Reach out to uncover new growth opportunities with Sparksense.

How to get paid for your pilot

Many founders treat pilots as giveaways. That’s a mistake. A pilot should prove value and confirm that customers are ready to pay for it. Here’s how to frame it right:

Paid pilots filter out tire-kickers, validate your value, and put real revenue in the bank. That’s how you escape “pilot purgatory” and set yourself up for scalable growth.

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Value-based pricing helps Atlant 3D capture market potential

Sparksense helps Atlant 3D to capture value by reaching out to cutting edge laboratories and research institutes “early adopters”. This allows Atlant 3D to position itself on unique benefits such as precision, speed, and scalability. By focusing on value-based pricing, they show customers that atomic-level deposition is an investment, not a cost.

Our BD-as-a-Service model helps deep tech innovators like Atlant 3D build a strong global presence faster. Are you entering a new market or planning to attend key industry events? Let’s talk about how Sparksense can support your growth with smart scouting.

Tap into hidden market opportunities in … Pharmatech innovation

Are you struggling to gain traction or compete with industry giants? We help startups find hidden market opportunities by connecting them with second-tier players that hold untapped potential.

Do you want to have access to more decision makers? Let’s work together to identify the Hidden Champions that need YOUR STARTUP’s solution.

Ignite your network: Let’s meet at upcoming industry gatherings

ESA BIC Demo Day | Zurich, Switzerland | September 8, 2025

The annual event for ESA BIC Switzerland brings together startups, partners, and industry stakeholders in Zurich. Expect a dynamic program with a keynote from Planet’s Martin Polak, an expert panel discussion, and live startup showcases revealing cutting-edge space technologies. 

3Pi Competition | Zurich, Switzerland | September 9, 2025

This year’s 3Pi Competition marks a double milestone: the 10th anniversary of the legendary pitch battle and 15 years of the ETH Pioneer Fellowship Program. Ten Pioneer Fellows will pitch their ventures live, showcasing the bold ideas shaping the future of deep tech. After the pitches, join the networking apéro with ETH spin-offs, founders, and investors.

FACHPACK 2025 | Nuremberg, Germany | September 23–25, 2025

Europe’s leading trade fair for packaging, technology, and processes, which brings together innovators, solution providers, and industry leaders. Over three days, visitors gain insights into the latest packaging trends, from new materials to advanced machinery and services. 

ECOC 2025 | Copenhagen, Denmark | September 28 – October 2, 2025

The 51st European Conference on Optical Communication is one of the most important worldwide events for optical communications. ECOC brings together researchers, innovators, and industry leaders to explore the latest in photonics, fiber optics, and communication networks. The ECOC Exhibition is the largest of its kind in Europe and is a key meeting point for decision-makers in fiber technology.

LEVEL UP 2025 | Eindhoven, Netherlands | September 29, 2025

The program includes hands-on sessions to refine business models, pitch practice at the Investor Café, peer-to-peer problem solving in the Clubhouse, and networking with entrepreneurs and accelerators. LEVEL UP is the place to accelerate your startup and connect with the people who can take it to the next stage.

Mark your calendar and let's connect at these game-changing events! If you are thinking of going - contact us here or email me directly.

Follow Sparksense LinkedIn for insights from industry events we attend!

Want to know more about Sparksense? Discover our services and packages here. Additionally, we offer free valuable insights and strategies to boost your Sales. Download our comprehensive Business Development Guide ebook. Let’s talk to find out how we can help take your sales to the next level. Book a call with me today!

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions please feel free to email me directly.

Stay Lean!

Hervé Flutto,

Managing Director and Founder of Sparksense

About Sparksense

With 200 global clients supported over the last 7 years, Sparksense is the trusted Sales Team for B2B Tech Startups. With a smarter outreach, Sparksense’s team of over 30+ advisors has ignited sales for hardware and software solutions across Europe, North America and Asia – thanks to its robust, proven business development skills and relevant market access to decision makers across key industries.

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