Stop Creating the Boogeyman: How SaaS Sellers Undermine Their Own Pricing | Michael Shields (Tropic)

In this episode of the Street Pricing Podcast, Marcos Rivera talks with Michael Shields, VP of Procurement at Tropic, to get the buyer’s perspective on SaaS pricing. Known as the “boogeyman” to sales teams, Michael pulls back the curtain on how procurement sees variability, discounts, and trust.

They unpack why end-of-quarter discounting has created a vicious cycle, how optionality differs from flexibility, and why inconsistent pricing erodes credibility. Marcos and Michael explore the structural fixes—from comp plans to enablement—that help companies sell on value instead of price.

The episode closes with Michael’s concept of the “trust dividend”: when buyers believe in your integrity, sales cycles shorten, margins improve, and negotiation disappears.

 

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction – Marcos welcomes Michael Shields from Tropic
00:42 Michael’s background: from manufacturing to SaaS procurement
02:52 What buyers really see in SaaS pricing
06:33 The end-of-quarter discount trap
09:58 The wet towel analogy – why sellers get squeezed
12:09 How sellers created the boogeyman
14:05 Optionality vs. flexibility in pricing
16:32 Discipline and enablement in pricing strategy
18:40 Fixing comp plans and quota pressure
21:34 Negotiation as a crutch for poor value framing
24:47 Training and cross-functional alignment in enablement
26:00 Using AI and conversational data to improve deal discipline
28:30 The trust dividend: transparency as a competitive edge
31:33 How great sales reps get procurement to say “yes”
34:16 Michael’s surprise pick: Les Misérables and the power of story
37:24 Marcos’s wrap-up: discipline, trust, and the remix of Street Pricing


TAKEAWAYS

• Price variability signals weak discipline—and buyers will exploit it.

• End-of-quarter deals and last-minute discounts destroy long-term trust.

• Structure your discounts with logic (volume, term, bundles), not desperation.

• Incentives drive behavior—design comp plans that reward early, clean deals.

• Enablement and negotiation training should be ongoing, not one-off.

• Review discount patterns with data to uncover value leaks.

• Optionality builds trust; flexibility breeds chaos.

• The “trust dividend” is real—credibility shortens cycles and raises prices.

• Transparency is coming whether sellers like it or not—embrace it as a strength.