Zilliant report outlines how CROs approach pricing

As tariffs and supply chain constraints have redefined how corporations approach revenue strategy, identifying the perfect price point could be the most critical thing a CRO can do.

• According to a survey from AI-driven price optimization firm, Zilliant, 27% of respondents believe CROs are most accountable for pricing outcomes.
• The report also outlined a volatile client environment as nearly two-thirds of respondents said they had lost 6%–10% of their customer base due to pricing changes.
• Some revenue leaders are also facing margin losses in the face of price hikes. Manufacturers and distributors cut into their own margins last year to stay competitive, with 57% cutting them by 6%–10% and 43% by 11%–20%.

Just ’riffing: Amid tariff turbulence, Pascal Yammine, CEO of Zilliant, advises against ignoring the problem instead of using it as an opportunity to build strategy.

“If you’ve lost $100 million in revenue in terms of margin leakage last year, and you realize, ‘I need to do something about it,’ you can prevent it for this current or the future year, but you can’t make up for last year’s,” Yammine said.

While a volatile market that necessitates pricing changes is challenging, he acknowledged, it can present opportunities for finding the right pricing strategy and managing pricing life cycle enforcement.

An executive who is fluent in market signals offers immense value when there is volatility, he added. It’s important, however, for CROs and CFOs, who focus on long-term planning, to work together.

“[CROs] have [a] really good understanding of the customers, specifically in the individual markets and segments and what’s realistic in terms of willingness to pay for whatever the product or services they have.”