Every company wants to win at pricing, but most are still using yesterday’s playbook. In competitive markets, where margins get thinner and customers get pickier, old pricing tricks don’t cut it anymore. The difference between winning and losing often comes down to how smart you are about pricing – and that’s not just about setting numbers.
That’s where Daniela Leon Cornejo comes in. After years of helping companies turn pricing into a competitive edge, she’s seen what works and what doesn’t. Her track record spans industries, but her message stays the same: pricing isn’t just a function anymore – it’s how market leaders pull ahead of the pack.
The Money Left on the Table
Want to know something crazy about pricing? A little goes a long way. “A study from BCG using over 200 companies contrasted the impact of different levers over operating profits,” Daniela says. “It showed that only 1% of improvement in pricing can result in around 11.4% increase in operating profits.” That’s not pocket change – it’s the kind of money that keeps CEOs up at night once they know about it.
Here are Daniela’s 5 key aspects to build a pricing capability that wins the competitive game:
Aligning Teams for Pricing Success
First things first: you’ve got to get your people on board. “Pricing success is not just about the numbers,” Daniela points out. She should know – she’s spent years watching companies trip over their own feet because sales doesn’t talk to finance, and marketing is off doing their own thing. While training a hotel chain’s sales team, she watched the light bulbs go off as they learned to stop throwing discounts around and start selling value. Breaking down those department walls isn’t just good management – it’s money in the bank.
Uncovering Pricing Opportunities
Most companies look at their pricing from 30,000 feet. Big mistake, says Daniela. “The magic of pricing lies in the details. Granular insights unlock opportunities that others miss.” She’s got a point. Dig into the segments, products, and regions, and patterns start showing up. Some market segments are worth their weight in gold, while others just eat up resources. Knowing which is which? That’s where the real money is.
Adapting to Market Changes
Markets change fast these days. Your pricing better keep up. Daniela saw this play out during COVID when she worked with Banco Credito’s retail banking arm. When funding costs went through the roof, they had to think fast. “Using pricing intelligence enabled by technology to adjust interest rates dynamically based on customer behavior and market trends allowed us to achieve strong leadership in the market in terms of profit and market share,” she recalls. The banks that couldn’t adapt? They’re still playing catch-up.
Focusing on Value Over Price
Here’s a truth bomb from Daniela: “Winning the pricing game is not about being the cheapest. It’s about delivering the best value.” She’s helped companies figure out smart ways to show their worth – like banks offering faster loan approvals or specialized financial advice. Customers will pay more when they see what they’re getting. It’s not rocket science, but you would be surprised how many businesses miss this.
Continuous Learning in Pricing
You know what kills good pricing? Thinking you’ve got it figured out. “Pricing is not a one-time decision,” Daniela hammers home. “It’s an iterative process of testing, learning, and refining.” She tells companies to test new strategies in small markets first. Measure everything – profits, market share, customer happiness. The winners? They’re the ones who learn fast and aren’t afraid to change course.
Look around any industry – the companies crushing it aren’t just lucky. They’ve turned pricing into a weapon. They’ve got their teams working together, they dig into the details, they stay light on their feet, and they know their worth. Some of Daniela’s clients thought pricing was just about spreadsheets and calculations. Now they know better. These days, treating pricing like just another department is asking to get left behind. Smart companies are building it into their DNA. As Daniela sees it, “The pricing game is big. Are you ready to lead it and win in competitive markets?”
The truth is, most businesses are still playing checkers with their pricing while the market is playing chess. Daniela’s work shows that there’s a better way. Get the basics right, keep learning, and suddenly, you’re not just in the game – you’re changing how it’s played.
To learn more about Daniela Leon Cornejo and her approach, check out her LinkedIn profile.
