From Winning the Deal to Winning the Customer: AI, Decision Intelligence, and the Future of B2B Pricing

Guest: Josh Bardell, Principal of Global Industries, Conga

Many pricing organizations have historically optimized around one objective: winning the deal. But as technology, buying behavior, and data capabilities evolve, leading companies are beginning to rethink what pricing success actually looks like.

In this episode of Let’s Talk Pricing, Josh Bardell joins Kevin Mitchell to explore how AI-powered pricing and decision intelligence are helping B2B organizations move beyond transactional thinking toward maximizing customer lifetime value.

The conversation examines how advances in neural networks and AI agents are enabling pricing teams to generate more dynamic, real-time offers while aligning pricing decisions with long-term customer engagement. Along the way, Josh shares practical perspectives from industries including airlines, retail, distribution, and manufacturing.

Topics discussed include:

• Why focusing only on “winning the deal” can limit long-term profitability

• How pricing teams can shift toward a customer lifetime value mindset

• What neural networks have changed about AI-driven pricing models

• How AI agents enable real-time, optimized offers for digital-native buyers

• The evolving role of rebates, subscriptions, and engagement-based pricing tactics

• Where pricing leaders should start when adopting AI-driven decision intelligence

• What capabilities will define high-performing pricing teams in the coming years

This episode offers a practical look at how pricing strategy is evolving as AI capabilities mature and customer expectations change.