AI is no longer a futuristic add-on. It’s already reshaping pricing and sales in five critical ways: dynamic pricing, faster launches, margin protection, transparency, and sales alignment. See how manufacturers and distributors are turning intelligence into profitability today – and how Vendavo AI can help.
Pricing has always been one of the most powerful levers for profitable growth.
But margins are under constant pressure. Volatile supply chains, inflation, and shifting customer expectations mean that slow, manual, or inconsistent pricing practices are no longer sustainable. At the same time, executives are pushing teams to “do something with AI.”
The challenge? Many companies have yet to see real results. In our joint research with Copperberg, just 13% of companies have deployed AI in pricing workflows, and only 9% report measurable ROI. The gap comes from distrust, fragmentation, and a lack of transparency.
But for those who get it right, the rewards are significant. Organizations embedding predictive analytics into pricing are twice as likely to report ROI improvements compared to peers.
Here are five ways AI is already reshaping B2B pricing, plus how you can move from instinct-driven decisions to intelligence-powered growth.
1. From Static to Dynamic Pricing
Pricing strategies were anchored in static models like annual price books, quarterly adjustments, and lengthy approval cycles for decades. That may have worked in stable markets, but rigidity is a liability today. Companies that can’t adjust in real time lose margin, competitiveness, and customer trust.
AI changes the game.
Algorithms process competitor moves, raw material fluctuations, and customer willingness-to-pay in minutes. Instead of reacting weeks later, companies can align prices daily or even hourly, with market conditions.
Vendavo’s embedded AI is built for the complexities of B2B. It combines decades of pricing science with industry-specific data to deliver recommendations that sales and pricing teams can defend with confidence. And guidance happens at the moment of decision because it’s embedded directly into deal desks and CPQ workflows.
Real-world impact: A global manufacturer moved from static price books to AI-driven daily price updates. The result? A 3-point improvement in gross margin across hundreds of SKUs in a single year.
2. Accelerating Market Entry and Product Launches
New product launches and market entries are high-stakes moments. Traditional pricing approaches often rely on cautious increments or historic benchmarks. The danger? Prices are set too conservatively, stalling adoption, or too aggressively, eroding margin.
AI eliminates the guesswork. Advanced models simulate dozens of pricing scenarios in minutes, blending competitive benchmarks, demand forecasts, and customer behavior. Teams launch with confidence, knowing their prices reflect both market readiness and willingness-to-pay.
Vendavo AI goes further, embedding industry-specific playbooks directly into pricing workflows. Leaders see the best price and why it will succeed.
Real-world impact: A specialty chemicals supplier simulated 20+ strategies in a single afternoon using Vendavo AI. Instead of delays, they launched quickly with differentiated prices, gaining adoption while defending margins. Another SaaS provider achieved a 25% increase in attach rates by aligning launch pricing with customer value.
3. Unlocking Margin in Every Transaction
Margin leakage is often invisible until it’s too late. Discounts given under pressure, inconsistent approvals, and manual policing drain millions from the bottom line.
AI embeds intelligence directly into CPQ and deal desk workflows. Reps receive proactive guidance on where to discount, when to upsell, and when to hold firm, and all without slowing deals down. Pricing leaders gain visibility and control in real time.
Vendavo’s research with Copperberg found that 52% of companies admit their price-setting is slow and inconsistent. Generic AI can’t solve that. Vendavo AI delivers explainable, embedded guidance reps actually use.
Real-world impact: A global distributor rolled out AI-driven recommendations across its sales teams. Deals closed faster, approval bottlenecks disappeared, and the company recaptured 2.5 margin points across $1B in revenue within 12 months.
4. Building Trust Through Transparent Insights
The biggest barrier to AI adoption is trust. Leaders resist recommendations they can’t explain. Sales teams won’t use “black box” outputs they can’t defend in front of customers.
Vendavo AI is transparent by design. Every recommendation comes with clear, business-level reasoning leaders can present to the board and reps can use with customers. Instead of siloed dashboards, intelligence is delivered through a single pricing engine that unifies list prices, rebates, contracts, and deals.
Real-world impact: A global distributor consolidated its fragmented systems with Vendavo AI. The CFO was initially skeptical, but began presenting AI-driven insights directly in board updates. Another manufacturer used AI to segment elasticity, uncovering untapped pricing power that delivered $80M in incremental profit in a single year.
5. Aligning Sales and Pricing for Growth
Pricing and sales have often been at odds. Pricing demands rigor, sales demands speed and deals get stuck in the middle.
AI bridges the divide by embedding intelligence directly at the point of negotiation. Reps get real-time discounting and upsell guidance, speeding up deals without sacrificing margin. Pricing leaders gain control without slowing down the cycle.
Vendavo AI unifies the full price waterfall (list price, pocket price, rebates, incentives, and more) so sales and pricing operate from the same playbook.
Real-world impact: A leading distributor layered AI into rebate programs to uncover which customers responded best to incentives. The result: a 12% increase in rebate effectiveness and closer alignment between sales and pricing.
Intelligence-Powered Growth Starts Here
AI in pricing is no longer futuristic. It’s here, and it’s already delivering measurable outcomes:
- Dynamic market response
- Faster, more profitable launches
- Protected margins in every deal
- Board-level confidence through transparency
- True alignment between sales and pricing
The opportunity is clear. Companies that price by intelligence, not instinct, will lead the next decade of profitable growth.
With Vendavo AI, embedded AI finally closes the gap between pricing potential and performance.
Ready to start seeing massive growth? Reach out to schedule a demo of Vendavo’s solutions today.