Pricing and commercial
Tomas Ekdahl
Head of pricing at a steel distributor for eight years; before that, a strategy consultant in Stockholm who got tired of leaving at the good part. He co-founded Kvist in 2014.
Always asks
“What did the customer actually pay?”
Practice
Pricing and commercial
Before Kvist
Head of pricing, a steel distributor
At Kvist
Co-founder, 2014
Works in
Swedish, English, Norwegian
Next start
1 March 2027
Why that question
A price list is a statement of intent. Between the list and the bank account sit discounts, rebates, free freight, payment terms, credit notes and the small order nobody charged extra for. Most companies know their list prices to the cent and their net prices to within a few per cent.
He starts with invoices, not price lists: one customer, every line for three years, list to net. The gap is rarely one big decision; it is a thousand small ones nobody reviewed.
Before Kvist
Strategy consultant in Stockholm, mostly industrial clients.
Head of pricing at a Nordic steel distributor, from a team of one to six.
Co-founded Kvist with Ingrid Malmberg.
Questions Tomas is asked most
And the first test Tomas runs on each, in week one.
Sales are up. Why is our margin down?
First test · a price waterfall per customer, last 36 months
Can we price service apart from the product?
First test · what service costs per installed unit, and who pays for it today
Should we raise prices, and what will we lose?
First test · win/loss on the last 200 quotes, against the price we offered
Engagements
The ones our clients have let us describe. Ask about the others.
A pump manufacturer in Västerås
Written up
Can we price service apart from the product?
A Norwegian marine-electronics company
Summary
Notes
Next partner
Saga Nordin
Product development
·
“Who is allowed to change the date?”
A question in Tomas’s part of the world? Bring it; Tomas reads it, and replies within two working days.