The Revenue Interview Template

Revenue Options and Pricing Sensitivity Questions

The revenue options and pricing sensitivity questions help you systematically explore revenue model preferences to ensure you adopt a pricing structure that resonates with customer expectations and supports revenue stability.

Align your revenue streams approach to customer behavior, maximizing revenue potential to build a sustainable revenue model.

1. Revenue Model Preference:
   “For a solution like this, would you rather pay a one-time fee, a monthly subscription, or only pay for what you use?“
   Directly uncovers their revenue model preference.
2. Asset Sale vs. Lending:
   “Do you prefer paying the full amount upfront, or would you rather spread payments out over time?“
   Helps identify whether customers value ownership, flexibility, or convenience.
3. Renting or Leasing:
   “Would you consider a rental or leasing model if it reduced upfront costs?“
   Tests acceptance of rental-based revenue models.
4. Licensing:
   “Have you used or paid for a similar solution on a licensing basis? What did you like or dislike about that approach?“
   Identifies opportunities for intellectual property monetization.
5. Usage Fees:
   “Would you feel comfortable with a pricing model that charges based on your actual usage of the solution?“
   Validates a usage-based revenue stream.
6. Performance-based pricing & Affiliate Fees:
   “What are your thoughts on a pricing model where you only pay when the solution achieves measurable outcomes?“
   Tests willingness for performance-based pricing.
7. Advertising:
   “If ads meant a lower cost for you, would you be willing to accept an advertising-supported version of the solution?“
   Reveals if customers would accept ads in exchange for lower prices.

Test how your revenue streams may fluctuate and what risks customers are willing to take. Aligning with customer preferences ensures stability and predictability.

1. Dynamic vs. Fixed Pricing:
   “When you see this prototype, do you prefer a pricing model that stays fixed or one that adjusts based on real-time demand? Why?”
   Directly gauges comfort with dynamic pricing models and risk tolerance.
2. Feature-Based Adjustments:
   “Imagine we add or remove features from our product/service. How do you expect the price to change, and what would make that acceptable or unacceptable to you?”
   Reveals expectations for feature-driven price shifts and helps shape a pricing model aligned with perceived value.
3. Volume Discounts:
   “Would you find a volume-based discount appealing—where the cost per unit drops as you buy more? What conditions would need to be met for you to consider it?”
   Tests the attractiveness and thresholds for bulk purchasing incentives.
4. Seasonal and Peak-Time Offers:
   “Have you ever taken advantage of seasonal or peak-time discounts? How did those deals influence your buying decisions?”
   Explores past experiences with dynamic pricing to assess current acceptance.
5. Negotiated vs. Set Pricing:
   “Do you feel more comfortable negotiating prices directly, or would you prefer clear, predefined rates? What drives your preference?”
   Identifies comfort levels with negotiation versus the transparency of fixed rates.
6. Fairness of Real-Time Pricing:
   “If our prices fluctuated based on supply and demand, would you consider that fair? What potential risks or benefits do you see?”
   Assesses the perceived fairness and risk associated with real-time pricing adjustments.
7. Premium for Exclusivity:
   “Would you be willing to pay a premium for exclusive or time-sensitive access to our service? What factors would justify that extra cost for you?”
   Tests willingness to invest more for perceived additional value or urgency.
8. Auction-Based Pricing:
   “What are your thoughts on an auction-based pricing model, where the final price is set by competitive bidding? Would you participate, and under what conditions?”
   Evaluates willingness to engage in a competitive bidding process and identifies any concerns or perceived benefits of an auction-style model.

Uncover how much value customers place on a product or service relative to its price.

1. Perceived Value vs. Price:
   “How do you perceive the value of this product/service at the current price point? Does it seem balanced, too high, or too low?“
   Gauge whether the price tag of the prototype aligns with the perceived value from the customer’s perspective.
2. Testing Value Increments:
   “Would you be willing to pay [€X, or too expensive price point] if it included additional features or better service?“
   Tests value for incremental benefits.
3. Testing Blockers:
   “At what price would you no longer consider this product or service?“
   Identifies hard pricing limits.
4. Testing Conditions and Constraints:
   “How likely would you be to purchase at this price if your budget were tight?“
   Assesses whether price is a significant barrier under constrained conditions.
5. Testing the Limit:
   “What’s the maximum you would pay for this solution if it significantly improved your results?“
   Directly quantifies the upper limit of acceptable pricing.
6. Price vs. Competitors:
   “How does this price compare to similar solutions you’re considering or currently using? What makes this price acceptable or too high for you?“
   Understand how your pricing compares to competitors and what drives a customer’s value perception relative to alternatives.
7. Flexibility and Discounts:
   “Would a discount or payment plan make this price more acceptable? If so, what type of payment option would work best for you?“
   Explore the potential for discounts or payment flexibility to make the price more accessible to customers who might be price-sensitive.
8. Price Elasticity:
   “If we increased the price by 10%, how likely would you still consider buying this product? What about a 20% increase?“
   Helps you understand at which point customers might drop off.
9. Perceived Fairness of Price:
   “How fair does the price seem for the features and benefits this product/service provides? What would make it feel like a better deal?“
   Uncovers customer perceptions of price fairness and what adjustments could make the offer feel more balanced.

This proven pricing method helps identify an optimal pricing range by directly probing customer price expectations. This method is ideal for new product offerings above an expected 25 € price tag. See the article at surveyking for detailed information on the method.

1. Too Cheap:
   “At what price would you consider the product to be priced so low that you would feel the quality couldn’t be very good?“
   Prevent pricing that diminishes perceived value.
2. Cheap:
   “At what price would you consider the product to be a bargain—a great buy for the money?“
   A great buy for the money.
3. Expensive:
   “At what price would you consider the product starting to get expensive, so that it is not out of the question, but you would have to give some thought to buying it?“
   Identifies the upper limit for optimal pricing.
4. Too Expensive:
   “At what price would you consider the product to be so expensive that you would not consider buying it?“
   Establishes a ceiling for acceptable pricing.

Based Van Westendorp’s Price Sensitivity Meter, the following questions help to estimate demand.

1. Expensive Price Purchase Estimation:
   “At the [expensive price] how likely are you to purchase the product in the next six months? Scale 1 (unlikely) to 5 (very likely)“
   Estimates the probability of purchase at the expensive price.
2. Cheap Price Purchase Estimation:
   “At the [cheap price] how likely are you to purchase the product in the next six months? Scale 1 (unlikely) to 5 (very likely)“
   Estimates the probability of purchase at the expensive price.

This technique helps gauge the highest acceptable price customers are willing to pay for your existing value proposition. This method is ideal for established products when you need to optimize for a proposed price increase or research a new price for an improved product. See the article at surveyking for detailed information on the method.

1. Test at least 5 different price points:
   “Would you still buy this solution if it were priced at [price point]?“
   Tests specific price points for willingness to purchase.

Knowing which payment methods customers prefer helps reduce friction at the point of sale and aligns with their habits.

1. Payment Method Preference:
   “For a solution like this, how do you envision to pay for (e.g., credit card, bank transfer, digital wallets)?“
   Ensures your chosen payment channels match customer habits.
2. Payment Process Preference:
   “Would you prefer automated billing, manual invoices, or on-demand payment?“
   Tests preferences for convenience versus control.
3. Financing Preference:
   “Would you consider installment payments to make larger purchases more manageable?“
   Assesses demand for flexible financing.
4. Service/Platform Preference:
   “Are there any payment platforms you strongly prefer (e.g., PayPal, Stripe, Klarna)?“
   Ensures compatibility with favored services.