---
title: Weekly Blog for Holden Advisors | Tim Mullane
description: Vice President
---
[](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/)
- About
- [Overview](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/overview/)
- [Core Values](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/core-values/)
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- [Overview](https://go.holdenadvisors.com/solutions/sales/improve-sales-performance)
- [Negotiating With Backbone](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/solutions/sales/negotiating-with-backbone/)
- [Selling With Backbone](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/solutions/sales/selling-with-backbone/)
- [Coaching](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/solutions/sales/coaching/)
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- [Reed’s Bookshelf](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/bookshelf)
- [Contact](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/contact-us/)
- About
- [Overview](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/overview/)
- [Core Values](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/core-values/)
- [Leadership](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/leadership/)
- [Partners](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/partners/)
- [Careers](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/careers/)
- [Solutions](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/overview/#)
- [Sales](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/overview/#)
- [Overview](https://go.holdenadvisors.com/solutions/sales/improve-sales-performance)
- [Negotiating With Backbone](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/solutions/sales/negotiating-with-backbone/)
- [Selling With Backbone](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/solutions/sales/selling-with-backbone/)
- [Coaching](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/solutions/sales/coaching/)
- [Pricing](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/overview/#)
- [Overview](https://go.holdenadvisors.com/solutions/improve-pricing-performance)
- [Audit](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/solutions/pricing/audit/)
- [Analytics](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/solutions/pricing/analytics/)
- [Value-Based Pricing](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/solutions/pricing/value-based-pricing/)
- [Insights](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/overview/#)
- [Blog](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/blog/)
- [Video Series](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/overview/#)
- [Pricing with Confidence](https://go.holdenadvisors.com/pricing-with-confidence)
- [Publications](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/about/overview/#)
- [Books](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/insights/publications/books/)
- [White Papers](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/papers)
- [Newsletter](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/newsletter)
- [Case Studies](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/studies)
- [Events, Webinars & Podcasts](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/insights/events-webinars-podcasts/)
- [Reed’s Bookshelf](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/bookshelf)
- [Contact](https://www.holdenadvisors.com/contact-us/)
# Holden Advisors Blog
## Tim Mullane
Vice President
Find me on:
### Recent Posts
## [Warning: If You Compete Based on Price, Don’t Read This Blog](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/warning-if-you-compete-based-on-price-dont-read-this)
Posted by [Tim Mullane](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/author/tim-mullane) on Jan 10, 2019 10:41:11 AM
- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)
[](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/warning-if-you-compete-based-on-price-dont-read-this)
If you made it past the headline, you are likely not an importer of knock-off goods or the Walmart-wannabe of your industry. You hopefully compete on something other than price, which means you have superior products, services, quality, coverage or something else unique. Simply said, you offer something of business value to your target customers.
[Read More](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/warning-if-you-compete-based-on-price-dont-read-this)
0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/warning-if-you-compete-based-on-price-dont-read-this#comments-listing)
Topics: [Negotiating with Backbone](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/negotiating-with-backbone)
## [Advice: Don't Assume All Industry Sectors Behave the Same Way](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/advice-dont-assume-all-industry-sectors-behave-the-same-way)
Posted by [Tim Mullane](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/author/tim-mullane) on Nov 21, 2018 6:00:00 AM
- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)
[](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/advice-dont-assume-all-industry-sectors-behave-the-same-way)
Building off our [recent video blog](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/understand-the-application-of-your-product-against-use-cases) on the difference between use cases and personas, watch below as Tim Mullane explains how to go deeper to find actionable use cases within the same industry sector. The obvious use cases exist between application and industry. The trick is to look beyond the apparent applications to the use cases that support them.
[Read More](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/advice-dont-assume-all-industry-sectors-behave-the-same-way)
0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/advice-dont-assume-all-industry-sectors-behave-the-same-way#comments-listing)
Topics: [Negotiating with Backbone](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/negotiating-with-backbone)
## [Use Cases: Don't Target the Person, Target the Application](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/understand-the-application-of-your-product-against-use-cases)
Posted by [Tim Mullane](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/author/tim-mullane) on Nov 8, 2018 6:00:00 AM
- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)
[](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/understand-the-application-of-your-product-against-use-cases)
It's not just about knowing your customer, but also about really knowing your customer's product and how they plan to use it. In this video, Tim expands on [Ellen Quackenbush's recent blog](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/understand-the-application-of-your-product-against-use-cases?hs_preview=vunKpBgj-6452611872) to illustrate how you should be thinking about and approaching personas vs. use cases.
[Read More](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/understand-the-application-of-your-product-against-use-cases)
0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/understand-the-application-of-your-product-against-use-cases#comments-listing)
Topics: [Negotiating with Backbone](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/negotiating-with-backbone)
## [Value-Based Pricing: Shift Your Sales Conversation into High Gear](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/value-based-pricing-shift-your-sales-conversation-into-high-gear)
Posted by [Tim Mullane](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/author/tim-mullane) on Oct 25, 2018 6:00:00 AM
- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)
[](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/value-based-pricing-shift-your-sales-conversation-into-high-gear)
I was speaking with the VP of Pricing Transformation for a Fortune 500 company recently and, as disciples of value-based pricing, we debated the subtleties of modern-day pricing theory. We agreed that a shift to value-based pricing within an organization should achieve the following:
[Read More](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/value-based-pricing-shift-your-sales-conversation-into-high-gear)
0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/value-based-pricing-shift-your-sales-conversation-into-high-gear#comments-listing)
Topics: [Uncovering your Value](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/uncovering-your-value)
## [The Key to Escaping the Dangerous Discounting Cycle](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/the-key-to-escaping-the-dangerous-discounting-cycle)
Posted by [Tim Mullane](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/author/tim-mullane) on Oct 18, 2018 6:00:00 AM
- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)
[](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/the-key-to-escaping-the-dangerous-discounting-cycle)
Watch as Tim Mullane explains the key to escaping the ever-dangerous discounting cycle. Give-Gets℠ – a valuable tool for any value-centric commercial strategy – follow a simple principle: *If I give you something, I get something in return.* What Give-Gets℠ do you have for your team?
[Read More](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/the-key-to-escaping-the-dangerous-discounting-cycle)
0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/the-key-to-escaping-the-dangerous-discounting-cycle#comments-listing)
Topics: [Negotiating with Backbone](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/negotiating-with-backbone)
## [The Downward Effect of Pricing Technology](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/the-downward-effect-of-pricing-technology)
Posted by [Tim Mullane](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/author/tim-mullane) on Jul 11, 2018 5:56:31 PM
- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)
[](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/the-downward-effect-of-pricing-technology)
Recently, I had an interesting conversation with the VP of Pricing for a $15B manufacturing company. The primary topic of our discussion was the implementation of a pricing technology system that would suggest target prices based on benchmark deals within comparable [customer segments](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/managing-price-leakage-customers-not-pulling-weight). A few interesting trends quickly materialized in the dataset:
[Read More](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/the-downward-effect-of-pricing-technology)
0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/the-downward-effect-of-pricing-technology#comments-listing)
Topics: [Negotiating with Backbone](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/negotiating-with-backbone)
## [Translating Value for Sellers and Customers](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/translating-value-for-sellers-and-customers)
Posted by [Tim Mullane](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/author/tim-mullane) on May 23, 2018 1:22:23 PM
- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)
[](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/translating-value-for-sellers-and-customers)
I recently spoke with a major supplier to semiconductor manufacturers. The semiconductor industry has a handful of global players owning 80% of the market. Predictably, the supplier’s business model is heavily reliant on a few large customers. Because of this reliance, the supplier’s marketing team is well-schooled in measuring value delivered to customers. They knew critical semiconductor KPIs like cost of ownership, yield, performance, and risk. Their value analyses align with improving performance in these key areas. The value toolset is impressive – I had never seen such models and spreadsheets that calculated value so completely.
[Read More](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/translating-value-for-sellers-and-customers)
0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/translating-value-for-sellers-and-customers#comments-listing)
Topics: [Newsletter](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/newsletter), [Uncovering your Value](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/uncovering-your-value)
## [The Secret to Post-Merger Success](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/post-merger-success)
Posted by [Tim Mullane](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/author/tim-mullane) on Mar 21, 2018 5:33:05 PM
- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)
[](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/post-merger-success)
Mergers can be a terrific way to grow your business, customer base, and product offerings. Given the changes in the regulatory environment, access to capital, and overall market appreciation, we see many companies choose a merger as a growth strategy now. The message to shareholders promises 1+1=3. In other words, the new whole will be greater than the sum of its parts. A single transaction promises that a stronger market position will lead to a significant increase in sales—while reducing costs.
However, the promise of the merger can often fall short of the reality.
[Read More](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/post-merger-success)
0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/post-merger-success#comments-listing)
Topics: [Newsletter](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/newsletter), [Selling with Confidence](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/selling-with-confidence)
## [A Pricing Buzz Saw is Not Exclusive to Procurement: Expect Aggressive Negotiation Tactics from All Angles](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/a-pricing-buzz-saw-is-not-exclusive-to-procurement-expect-aggressive-negotiation-tactics-from-all-angles)
Posted by [Tim Mullane](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/author/tim-mullane) on Feb 8, 2018 10:21:31 PM
- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)
*In our book *Negotiating with Backbone,** Reed Holden describes strategies and tactics designed to combat the Procurement Pricing Buzz Saw. The situation was described well in a white paper by Reed Holden [*Selling to Procurement: The New Normal*](http://www.holdenadvisors.com/papers/selling-to-procurement-the-new-normal/). I strongly urge you to request it and read it.
[Read More](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/a-pricing-buzz-saw-is-not-exclusive-to-procurement-expect-aggressive-negotiation-tactics-from-all-angles)
0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/a-pricing-buzz-saw-is-not-exclusive-to-procurement-expect-aggressive-negotiation-tactics-from-all-angles#comments-listing)
Topics: [Negotiating with Backbone](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/negotiating-with-backbone)
## [Backbone for Big Law](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/backbone-big-law)
Posted by [Tim Mullane](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/author/tim-mullane) on Oct 5, 2017 2:07:38 AM
- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)
[](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/backbone-big-law)
Backbone for Big Law
[Read More](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/backbone-big-law)
0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/backbone-big-law#comments-listing)
Topics: [Negotiating with Backbone](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/negotiating-with-backbone), [Selling with Confidence](https://blog.holdenadvisors.com/tag/selling-with-confidence)
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