A flat 35 percent markup applied uniformly across 800,000 products reveals how mathematical elegance in pricing can slowly suffocate a company's profitability.
This book exposes why traditional cost-plus pricing is destroying corporate margins and reveals the path to value-based pricing that actually works. Through real-world examples—from Parker Hannifin's 800,000-part catalog disaster to Michelin's failed tire pitch in Lyon—Reid Holloway demonstrates how companies blindly apply flat markup percentages regardless of product differentiation, market demand, or competitive positioning.
The book dismantles the myth that MBA pricing theory translates to sales floor reality, showing why mathematical elegance in accounting often masks strategic failure. Readers learn concrete frameworks for identifying true value, negotiating without leaving money on the table, and implementing pricing strategies that reflect what customers will actually pay, not what spreadsheets dictate.
Reid Holloway
Author
pricing strategy value-based pricing cost-plus pricing profit margins sales negotiation business strategy manufacturing