Let's Talk Pricing Podcast

In this episode of Let’s Talk Pricing, host Kevin Mitchell sits down with DeAnn Hammer, Global Pricing Operations Director at 3M and keynote speaker at PPS profitABLE: Dallas. With nearly three decades of experience in marketing, product development, and pricing, DeAnn shares insights from her upcoming keynote: “Price Management: The Art of NOT Setting It and Forgetting It.”

Learn why ongoing price management is critical to sustained profitability, how to recognize when it’s time for a pricing reset, and what tools and frameworks can help your team stay ahead. DeAnn also gives a sneak peek into her innovative workshop at the conference — a Pricing Escape Room Experience co-led with Antonella Sinito.

Don’t miss this preview of one of our most exciting sessions at profitABLE: Dallas!

In this episode of Let’s Talk Pricing, Kevin Mitchell is joined by Andres Gonzalez, a seasoned pricing leader with over 11 years of experience in e-commerce and banking. Andres currently heads Pricing & Analytics and Pricing Intelligence teams, leading more than 15 high-performing professionals.

Together, they dive into the essential elements of building strong pricing teams—from critical skill sets to the value of diverse experience and strategic hiring. Andres also shares insights behind his new PPS micro-course, Building High-Performing Pricing Teams, and what leaders can do to ensure their teams are driving impact and profit.

If you're looking to strengthen your pricing function or grow your career as a team leader, this episode is for you.

How can businesses leverage pricing analytics to optimize profitability at every stage of the customer journey? In this episode, Kevin Mitchell sits down with Fred Puech, founder of Keenalytix, to explore the key pricing touchpoints—everyday pricing, promotions, and loyalty programs—and how companies can use data-driven strategies to enhance revenue.

Fred shares insights from his 15+ years of experience and over 120 completed pricing projects, breaking down the essential analytics tools businesses need, common pricing pitfalls to avoid, and practical steps to implement a winning pricing framework.

💡 Key Takeaways:
✅ The role of pricing at different customer journey touchpoints
✅ How businesses can use pricing analytics for smarter decisions
✅ Common mistakes in promotions and loyalty programs—and how to fix them
✅ Where to start with data collection and analysis for effective pricing

Fred will also be leading a workshop at PPS profitABLE: Dallas on Pricing Analytics and Strategy for Optimal Growth in B2C—don’t miss the chance to learn from him in person!

In this episode of Let’s Talk Pricing, PPS President Kevin Mitchell sits down with Matthew Knaggs, Senior Business Value Lead at Zilliant, to explore the evolving relationship between AI and human expertise in pricing.

As AI continues to reshape pricing strategies, where do human pricers fit in? Matt shares insights on how strategic thinking and interpersonal skills can enhance AI-driven decisions, real-world examples where human intuition outperforms algorithms, and how to build trust in AI across cross-functional teams.

📌 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How AI is transforming modern pricing strategies—and why human expertise is still essential
• Real-life examples where human insight fills AI’s blind spots
• Practical steps to align AI outputs with broader business goals
• How to foster confidence in AI tools across your organization

💡 Want to dive deeper? Matt will be leading a workshop at PPS profitABLE: Dallas called “Pricers Assemble! Defending Humanity in a World of AI.” Don’t miss your chance to learn directly from him and other industry leaders—register today at pricingsociety.com/ppsdallas25.

Pricing power isn’t just about the numbers—it’s about execution. And when it comes to defending value and preventing unnecessary discounts, your pricing strategy is only as strong as your sales team’s ability to uphold it.

In this episode of Let’s Talk Pricing, PPS President Kevin Mitchell is joined by Lori Rybaski and Travis Umpleby of Holden Advisors to explore how companies can equip their sales teams with the right tools, structures, and confidence to maintain pricing integrity.

Tune in as they discuss:

🔹 The biggest roadblocks to aligning pricing and sales teams

🔹 Common causes of price leakage—and how to prevent it

🔹 Strategies for designing pricing structures that support sales

🔹 How sales training and negotiation skills impact pricing power

Plus, don’t miss Lori and Travis live at PPS profitABLE: Dallas for their workshop, Equipping Sales Teams to Build Pricing Power. Register now at ⁠pricingsociety.com/ppsdallas25⁠.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe to Let’s Talk Pricing!

Lydia M Di Liello, CEO and founder (with more than 25 years of business leadership, supply chain and global pricing expertise) delivers exceptional results through Strategy, Process, and Technology. Leveraging a career at General Motors and b to b manufacturing in Supply Chain and Pricing management, client profitability typically increases from 15%-300% in as little as six months. Client engagements range from global Fortune 500 to smaller privately held firms.

Brooks Hamilton is the founder of Hamilton AI Strategy Advisors, an Austin-based consultancy specializing in crafting AI strategies for Fortune Global 1000 companies, family owned businesses, and high-growth startups. With a deep understanding of both AI technology and business operations, Brooks and his team enable organizations to successfully navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

A seasoned veteran in the tech industry, Brooks spent 17 years at Zilliant, where he held pivotal roles in Professional Services and Product Management, including Vice President of the Professional Services team. His tenure was marked by ground-breaking work in AI-driven price optimization and sales effectiveness in B2B companies. Brooks also spearheaded Product Management at several Austin-based startups.

Machine learning has long enhanced pricing, but

Stephanie Yee is a Partner at Bain & Company, where she exclusively serves clients on the topics of pricing and profitability. She has led multiple successful pricing transformation programs and is a former pricing and sales senior executive at a Fortune 75 company. She has published and spoken extensively on the topic of Pricing.  Stephanie holds a Management Information Systems degree from Texas A&M University.

Segmenting customers then differentially treating and/or pricing them is a critical aspect of driving both growth and profits. Yet, it’s easier said then done. This workshop provides practical approaches and best practices for avoiding the hidden pitfalls and challenges.

Joanne Smith, President of Price to Profits Consulting, is the author of The Pricing and Profit Playbook, The Price Negotiation Playbook and Pricing in a Crisis. She is the former DuPont Corporate Head of Marketing, Pricing and Customer loyalty. With more than 20 years of global business, marketing and pricing expertise, she now works with global companies in chemical and industrial industries to help them develop world class pricing and profit strategies, pricing transformations, pricing improvements and pricing skills.

When growth is stagnant, companies often adjust prices for more revenue. Without a strong understanding of pricing power relative to market alternatives, this can result in the opposite effect: customer churn. In this session, we’ll walk through drivers of pricing power, how to assess them, and strategies to employ before your next price increase.

 Attendees will learn:

- How to assess your pricing power relative to market alternatives

- The 3 most important levers for building and protecting your pricing power

- Top go-to-market tactics under each lever to improve price realization

Pricing is not only about money charged but also about how customers perceive the value a product, which changes over time. In today's connected and competitive world, effective pricing requires flexibility, strategy, and a scientific approach. By using technology to gather insights about customers and develop data-driven pricing strategies, businesses can enhance the customer experience, improve vendor management, keep an eye on competitors, and ensure market efficiency.