Brandbusters
PLEN

Let's find where revenue and margin are being lost — and what it is really costing the business

I help boards improve results where offer, price, channels, customer experience and the sales process meet. The goal is not always more volume. The goal is growth that improves revenue, conversion and margin at the same time.

Let's talk about your businessStart with the diagnostic — 7 minutes

20+ years on the business side · retail, e-commerce and services · 10+ European markets

Revenue can grow while the company loses value

More sales do not always mean a better business.

A company can win new customers, grow traffic, run promotion after promotion and hit its sales budget — while giving away margin, increasing the cost to serve and making results dependent on discounts.

The most common signals:

  • 01sales grow, but margin stays flat or falls
  • 02customers buy mainly during promotions
  • 03discounts are granted without a clear link to customer value
  • 04prices come from history or competitor moves, not from data
  • 05there is plenty of traffic, leads or enquiries, but too few transactions
  • 06results vary significantly between channels, locations or salespeople
  • 07the range is broad, but it is hard to name the products that truly drive results
  • 08sales, marketing and e-commerce define the customer and success differently
  • 09nobody can put a value on lost transactions

It is rarely one big mistake. Value is lost in many small places: a poorly built offer, price, discount, availability, the buying process, service or the way decisions are made.

Where does the result disappear?

At every stage a company can lose part of its potential. That is why I don't start with recommendations on “how to sell more”. First I find out exactly where the loss occurs.

  1. Demand

    Potential loss: traffic, leads and enquiries that never turn into transactions

  2. Offer

    Potential loss: a broad portfolio without the products that truly drive results

  3. Price

    Potential loss: prices based on history or competitors, not on data

  4. Decision

    Potential loss: drop-off after seeing the price or when choosing a product

  5. Purchase

    Potential loss: drop-off at order, payment or contract signature

  6. Margin

    Potential loss: discounts, cost of acquisition, service and returns

01

Which sales actually make money?

Which segments, products, services, channels and markets generate revenue, and which remain profitable once discounts, acquisition, service and returns are taken into account?

02

Where does the customer give up?

At which stage do customers drop out: after seeing the price, when choosing a product, in contact with a salesperson, when placing the order, at payment or at contract signature?

03

Does price support the strategy?

Do prices reflect the value of the offer, customer behaviour and the brand's position? Do promotions generate incremental sales, or simply lower the price of purchases that would have happened anyway?

04

Does the offer help the customer decide?

Is the portfolio easy to navigate? Are the differences between options clear? Are the most commercially important products properly displayed, available and recommended?

05

Is the organisation working towards a shared commercial outcome?

Do sales, marketing, e-commerce, pricing and customer service work from the same data and KPIs? Does the incentive scheme support margin and customer value, or only volume?

Only by combining these answers can you identify the levers worth pulling first.

What the engagement can cover

01

Sales and customer economics diagnosis

  • revenue and margin analysis by segment, product, channel and market
  • a map of the funnel and where customers are lost
  • analysis of acquisition and cost to serve
  • identifying the products, channels and behaviours that drive results
  • comparing results across locations, teams or markets
  • quantifying the value of missed sales opportunities
  1. Traffic
  2. Interest
  3. Offer
  4. Transaction

The goal is not another dashboard. The goal is to show which decisions can have the biggest impact on results.

02

Pricing, discounts and promotions

  • assessment of the price architecture
  • analysis of customers' willingness to pay
  • tidying up discount rules
  • promotion effectiveness analysis
  • limiting cannibalisation of full-price sales
  • building good–better–best options
  • linking price to the value of the offer and brand positioning
  • preparing a price testing plan
  1. List price
  2. Discounts
  3. Promotions
  4. Net price

I don't assume in advance that prices should go up or down. First I check where the company loses value and how customers respond to change.

03

Offer, portfolio and merchandising

  • simplifying and structuring the portfolio
  • identifying products that drive traffic, margin and retention
  • optimising bundles, variants and add-on services
  • designing cross-sell and upsell mechanisms
  • developing offers for the most important segments
  • rules for displaying and recommending products
  • connecting the online and offline offer
  • supporting new product and service launches

A good offer does not force the customer to analyse a dozen similar options. It helps them understand the differences quickly and make the right choice.

04

Conversion and customer experience

  • analysis of the full journey from first contact to purchase
  • identifying barriers and unnecessary steps
  • optimising forms, basket, payment and contact with sales
  • improving lead quality and qualification rules
  • testing messages, offers and buying paths
  • better connection between digital, physical and direct sales
  • creating a test backlog prioritised by potential impact
  1. Contact
  2. Choice
  3. Basket
  4. Payment
  5. Purchase

Conversion is not just a UX problem. It can depend on price, availability, trust, communication, the salesperson's work or the structure of the offer itself.

05

Commercial operating model

  • shared KPIs for sales, marketing and e-commerce
  • a clear division of responsibilities
  • a rhythm for reviewing results and making decisions
  • standards for managing the funnel and lost customers
  • a model for cooperation between teams and partners
  • recommendations on structure and capabilities
  • a management dashboard linking revenue, conversion and margin
  • support with implementing change
  1. 01Data
  2. 02Review
  3. 03Test
  4. 04Scale

A company does not improve conversion with a one-off project. It needs a system that regularly identifies problems, tests solutions and scales what works.

AI in sales and commercial decisions

AI can help find patterns that traditional reports do not show. It should not, however, automate bad processes or make decisions on disorganised data.

  1. 01Data
  2. 02Pattern
  3. 03Recommendation
  4. 04Decision
  5. 05Result

Practical applications include:

  • analysing why customers and deals are lost
  • prioritising leads and sales opportunities
  • recommending the next best offer or action
  • analysing conversations, enquiries and customer feedback
  • equipping salespeople with knowledge of products, prices and arguments
  • automating quotes, follow-ups and CRM work
  • analysing pricing and promotional scenarios
  • forecasting demand and results
  • faster reporting of variances and opportunities

Every implementation must have a business goal, an owner, the right data and control over what information may be processed.

AI should help make better decisions — not generate more reports.

What remains after the project

Depending on the scope, you receive:

Recommendations don't stop at “conversion needs improving”. Every significant change should have an owner, a measure, a deadline and a way of checking its impact on results.

  • a map of where the company loses sales and margin
  • an analysis of segment, product and channel economics
  • a recommended pricing and promotion architecture
  • a list of changes to the offer and the buying journey
  • a test backlog prioritised by impact and difficulty
  • shared KPIs for commercial teams
  • rules for decision-making and performance control
  • quick wins that can be implemented immediately
  • a 90-day action roadmap
  • support in running tests and scaling results

Three ways to work together

Recommended starting point

Revenue & Margin Review

Who it is for
For companies that see a problem in the numbers but do not yet know whether its source is the offer, price, process, channel or the way the business is managed.
Scope
A focused diagnosis of sales, conversion, pricing, promotions, portfolio and margin.
Outcome
A map of value leakage, priorities, quick wins and a plan for the first 90 days.

02

90-Day Conversion & Pricing Sprint

Who it is for
For companies that want to improve a specific part of the result: conversion, pricing, promotions, portfolio, cross-sell or sales process effectiveness.
Scope
A project covering diagnosis, design of changes, testing and the start of implementation.
Outcome
Tested changes, shared KPIs and an embedded optimisation rhythm.

03

Fractional / Interim CCO

Who it is for
For companies that need senior leadership connecting sales, marketing, e-commerce, the offer and customer experience.
Scope
Temporary ownership of commercial change, the team, results or the key initiatives.
Outcome
Decisions, team coordination, execution and accountability for delivering agreed goals.

Selected example · Digital growth · New service · 6 markets

From 0.5 to 3 million users in four months

From interest to mass adoption of a new service

Challenge
The service was already available, but the number of users remained well below its potential. Product awareness alone was not translating into activation.
What was done
Bringing brand, digital channels, data and activation of existing customers together into one growth plan, with the focus on moving customers from knowing about the service to actually using it.
Outcome
From 0.5 to 3 million users in four months
See more case studies

Who this engagement is for

I most often work with retail, consumer, services, e-commerce and omnichannel businesses, and with portfolio companies backed by private equity or other investment funds.

This engagement makes sense if:

  • sales are growing more slowly than the company's potential would suggest
  • margin is under pressure
  • the company relies too often on promotions and discounts
  • prices and portfolio have not been reviewed for a long time
  • there is plenty of traffic or leads, but conversion is too low
  • channels and teams compete with each other
  • the board needs one reliable version of the numbers
  • implementation is needed, not just a presentation of recommendations

This is not sales outsourcing, nor a project limited to training the team in sales techniques. I work on the whole commercial system: offer, price, process, data, customer experience and accountability.

Frequently asked questions

Is this classic sales consulting?

No. I don't start with sales techniques or call scripts. First I look at the economics of the offer, pricing, the funnel, customer behaviour and the way the business is managed. Only then do I decide which parts of the process or the team's capabilities need to change.

Does improving margin mean raising prices?

No. Margin can also be improved through a better portfolio, cutting ineffective promotions, changing the sales mix, cross-sell, lower acquisition cost, better conversion or a simpler process.

Do we need perfect data?

No. I start with the data the company has. Gaps, inconsistencies and different versions of the numbers are part of the diagnosis. What matters is access to people who understand the data sources and the business decisions.

Can we start with one channel or market?

Yes. Often the best approach is a pilot in one market, channel, segment or product group, followed by scaling the proven solution.

Do you also work with the sales team?

Yes. I can work with the board, the head of sales, marketing, e-commerce, finance, pricing and customer service. The biggest losses often arise precisely between these functions.

How quickly do results appear?

The first quick wins can be identified during the diagnosis. The full impact depends on the sales cycle, the scale of change and the time needed for testing. Every project gets specific KPIs, owners and deadlines.

Let's not chase more sales at any cost. Let's find profitable growth that lasts.

Tell me where you see the problem today: in sales, conversion, price, discounts, the offer or margin. We will find out where value really disappears and where to start.

Let's talk about your businessSee what is holding your growth back