Ed Arnold, founder and managing partner at The Valorizer, brings decades of hands-on experience building customer value models, teaching value conversations, and guiding companies toward value-based pricing. After working directly with Tom Nagle at Monitor Group and leading value initiatives at LeveragePoint, Forrester, and Ibbaka, Ed has become one of the most respected practitioners of Economic Value Estimation (EVE) in B2B.

In this episode, Ed and Mark dive deep into what "value" actually means, why B2B buyers define it differently than sellers, and how to quantify economic outcomes in a way that withstands scrutiny. They debate value vs. willingness to pay, unpack why value stories outperform case studies, and explore how real conversations—not spreadsheets—unlock premium pricing.

Why You Have to Check Out Today's Episode:

• Master the real meaning of "value" in B2B—and why most companies still get it wrong.
• Discover how to run a value conversation that reveals economic impact and customer priorities.
• Learn how to turn EVE models into persuasive value stories your buyers can resell internally.

"You need to quantify the value of the product you're selling—and you need to talk to customers about that to understand it and write their value story."

— Ed Arnold

Topics Covered:

05:09 – Value Perception in B2B: Why Customers Decide with Both Logic and Emotion

08:34 – Value vs. Willingness to Pay: The Debate Begins

12:06 – Why Willingness to Pay Is Not Value (And What It Actually Measures)

19:04 – Value Perception in B2B Sales: Influence, Trust, and Risk

20:41 – Value Is Always Relative (And Why Alternative Choices Change Everything)

24:26 – Value-Based vs. Competitor Pricing: Why They Aren't the Same Thing

28:03 – Value Story vs. Case Study: What Buyers Actually Need to Make Decisions

32:47– Quantifying Product Value: How to Build a Story Buyers Can Take to Their Executives

Key Takeaways:

"Value comes from use, not purchase." — Ed Arnold

"Willingness to pay is not value, if it were, we'd never talk about leaving money on the table." — Ed Arnold

"In B2B, value is 80% logic, 20% emotion." — Ed Arnold

"A value story is customized. A case study is generic." — Ed Arnold

"You can't build a value story without having a value conversation first." — Ed Arnold

"Sometimes the value model reveals there simply isn't a differentiated advantage—and you have to accept that." — Ed Arnold

People and Resources Mentioned:

• Tom Nagle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-tom-nagle
• LeveragePoint: https://www.leveragepoint.com/
• Reed Holden: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-holden-913ab69/

Connect with Ed Arnold:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edarnold1/
• Newsletter: https://edarnold1.substack.com/

Connect with Mark Stiving:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/
• Email: [email protected]