{"site":{"name":"Koji","description":"AI-native customer research platform that helps teams conduct, analyze, and synthesize customer interviews at scale.","url":"https://www.koji.so","contentTypes":["blog","documentation"],"lastUpdated":"2026-05-18T14:02:05.637Z"},"content":[{"type":"documentation","id":"b46815ca-9a43-4046-8f6c-03cb3270393b","slug":"pricing-research-survey-guide","title":"How to Run Pricing Research Surveys: Van Westendorp, Gabor-Granger, and Conjoint Analysis","url":"https://www.koji.so/docs/pricing-research-survey-guide","summary":"Comprehensive guide to pricing research methodologies. Covers Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter, Gabor-Granger method, simplified conjoint analysis, and how to build complete pricing studies with Koji that combine quantitative price points with qualitative value perception.","content":"# How to Run Pricing Research Surveys: Van Westendorp, Gabor-Granger, and Conjoint Analysis\n\nPricing is the most impactful lever in business. A 1% improvement in price realization has more impact on profit than a 1% improvement in volume, variable costs, or fixed costs. Yet most companies set prices based on cost-plus, competitor matching, or gut feel rather than systematic customer research.\n\nPricing research combines quantitative methods (what customers will pay) with qualitative understanding (why they perceive value at that level). Koji is uniquely suited for this because pricing conversations require nuance, probing, and context that static survey forms cannot capture.\n\n## The Three Core Pricing Methodologies\n\n### Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter (PSM)\n\nThe Van Westendorp method identifies the range of acceptable prices using four questions about price thresholds:\n\n1. \"At what price would you consider [product] to be so expensive that you would not consider buying it?\" (Too Expensive)\n2. \"At what price would you consider [product] to be priced so low that you would question its quality?\" (Too Cheap)\n3. \"At what price would you consider [product] to be starting to get expensive, so that while it's not out of the question, you'd have to think about it?\" (Expensive/High)\n4. \"At what price would you consider [product] to be a bargain, a great buy for the money?\" (Cheap/Good Value)\n\n**How to implement in Koji:**\nConfigure each as a Scale question with a custom range (e.g., $0-$500 or your relevant range). The AI can present them conversationally:\n\n\"Let's talk about pricing. If you saw [product] priced really high, at what point would you think 'that's too much, I wouldn't even consider it'?\"\n\nAfter each price anchor, Koji's AI probes: \"What makes you set the bar there? What are you comparing it to?\"\n\n**Analysis:**\nPlot cumulative distributions of the four price points. The intersections reveal:\n- **Point of Marginal Cheapness:** Below this, quality concerns arise\n- **Point of Marginal Expensiveness:** Above this, resistance grows\n- **Optimal Price Point:** Where \"too expensive\" and \"too cheap\" cross\n- **Indifference Price Point:** Where \"expensive\" and \"cheap\" cross\n- **Acceptable Price Range:** Between marginal cheapness and marginal expensiveness\n\n### Gabor-Granger Method\n\nSimpler than Van Westendorp. Tests willingness to pay at specific price points:\n\n1. \"Would you buy [product] at [price A]?\" (Yes/No)\n2. If yes, test a higher price. If no, test a lower price.\n3. Continue until you find the maximum willingness to pay.\n\n**How to implement in Koji:**\nUse Yes/No question types with branching logic. Start at your target price:\n\n\"If [product] was priced at $49/month, would you consider purchasing it?\"\n- Yes → \"What about $79/month?\"\n- No → \"What about $29/month?\"\n\nAfter finding the price threshold, the AI probes: \"You said $49 felt right but $79 was too much. What makes the difference? What value would you need to see to justify $79?\"\n\n### Conjoint Analysis (Simplified)\n\nFull conjoint analysis requires specialized tools, but Koji can run a simplified version:\n\n**Feature-Price Tradeoffs (Ranking):**\n\"Rank these packages from most to least appealing:\"\n- Package A: [Features X, Y] at $29/month\n- Package B: [Features X, Y, Z] at $49/month\n- Package C: [All features] at $79/month\n\n**Follow-up (Open-ended):**\n\"What drove your ranking? Which features justify the higher price?\"\n\nThis reveals not just willingness to pay but the specific value drivers that justify premium pricing.\n\n## Building a Complete Pricing Study with Koji\n\n### Study Structure\n\n**Phase 1: Value Perception (Before discussing price)**\n\n**Q1: Current Solution (Open-ended)**\n\"How are you currently solving [problem your product addresses]?\"\n- Probing depth: 2\n- Captures what they compare your price against\n\n**Q2: Current Spend (Scale or Open-ended)**\n\"Roughly how much do you spend on this per month/year?\"\n- Establishes reference price\n\n**Q3: Pain Level (Scale, 1-10)**\n\"How painful is this problem for your work?\"\n- Correlates pain level with willingness to pay\n\n### Phase 2: Van Westendorp Questions\n\n**Q4-Q7: Four PSM price points (Scale)**\nAsked conversationally with probing on each\n\n### Phase 3: Feature-Value Mapping\n\n**Q8: Must-Have Features (Multiple Choice)**\n\"Which features are must-haves for you?\"\n- Options: [List your key features]\n- Reveals which features justify price\n\n**Q9: Premium Features (Ranking)**\n\"Rank these advanced features by how much additional value they'd add:\"\n- Maps feature value to pricing tiers\n\n### Phase 4: Competitive Context\n\n**Q10: Competitive Pricing (Open-ended)**\n\"How does our pricing compare to alternatives you've evaluated?\"\n- Probing depth: 2\n- AI instruction: \"Get specific competitor names and prices. Understand the value comparison, not just the price comparison.\"\n\n**Q11: Purchase Decision (Open-ended)**\n\"What would make this an easy purchase decision for your team?\"\n- Probing depth: 2\n- Reveals buying criteria, approval processes, and budget constraints\n\n## Pricing Research Best Practices\n\n### Sample composition matters enormously\n- Include current customers AND prospective buyers\n- Include different company sizes and budgets\n- Include decision-makers AND end-users (they value differently)\n- Include competitive users (they have calibrated price expectations)\n\n### Always measure value before price\nNever start with pricing questions. First understand what problem you're solving, how painful it is, and what they currently spend. This anchors the price discussion in value, not just numbers.\n\n### Test packaging, not just price\nOften the right answer isn't a different price point but a different package structure. Koji can explore: \"Would you prefer paying less for a smaller package, or do you need the full feature set?\"\n\n### Account for the say-do gap\nPeople's stated willingness to pay is typically 20-30% higher than their actual purchase behavior. Apply a discount factor to stated prices, especially for higher price points.\n\n### Segment the results\nPrice sensitivity varies dramatically by:\n- Company size (enterprise vs. SMB)\n- Role (executive sponsor vs. end user)\n- Use case (critical workflow vs. nice-to-have)\n- Current spend (anchored to existing budget)\n\n## Why Koji Is the Best Tool for Pricing Research\n\nTraditional pricing surveys (Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey) collect price points without context. Koji transforms pricing research:\n\n- **Value-first conversations** that establish why customers need the product before discussing price\n- **Probing behind the number** to understand what drives price sensitivity\n- **Competitive context** captured naturally through conversation\n- **Feature-value mapping** that connects pricing to specific capabilities\n- **Emotional insights** about budget anxiety, approval pressure, and perceived risk\n- **Voice interviews** that capture tone and hesitation (powerful signals in pricing discussions)\n- **Segment analysis** automatically correlating price sensitivity with user characteristics\n\nPricing is too important to leave to a form with four number fields. The conversation around pricing reveals more than the numbers themselves.\n\n---\n\n## Related Survey Guides\n\n- [Product-Market Fit Guide](/docs/product-market-fit-survey-guide) — Validate market fit alongside pricing\n- [Concept Testing Guide](/docs/concept-testing-survey-guide) — Test concepts at different price points\n- [Feature Prioritization Guide](/docs/feature-prioritization-survey-guide) — Value-based prioritization\n- [Competitive Intelligence Guide](/docs/competitive-intelligence-survey-guide) — Benchmark against competitor pricing\n- [Market Segmentation Guide](/docs/market-segmentation-survey-guide) — Segment-based pricing analysis\n\n*Use [structured questions](/docs/structured-questions-guide) to combine Van Westendorp scales with AI-powered price sensitivity probing.*\n\n## Further reading on the blog\n\n- [Pricing Research Without the Pricing Consultant: How AI Interviews Reveal What Customers Will Actually Pay](/blog/pricing-research-without-consultant) — Van Westendorp tells you a price range. Conjoint costs $50K. AI pricing interviews capture the value perception narrative that explains will\n- [Value Proposition Testing: How to Validate Messaging With Real Customer Interviews (2026)](/blog/value-proposition-testing-guide-2026) — Most product launches fail because the value proposition does not actually land with the target customer — and the team never tested it befo\n\n<!-- further-reading:blog -->\n","category":"Survey & Study Templates","lastModified":"2026-05-13T00:25:38.788654+00:00","metaTitle":"Pricing Research Survey Guide: Van Westendorp, Gabor-Granger Methods | Koji","metaDescription":"Complete guide to pricing research surveys. Learn Van Westendorp PSM, Gabor-Granger, and simplified conjoint analysis methods, and how Koji adds conversational depth to pricing studies.","keywords":["pricing research","pricing survey","Van Westendorp","price sensitivity","Gabor-Granger","willingness to pay","pricing strategy survey","conjoint analysis","optimal price point"],"aiSummary":"Comprehensive guide to pricing research methodologies. Covers Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter, Gabor-Granger method, simplified conjoint analysis, and how to build complete pricing studies with Koji that combine quantitative price points with qualitative value perception."}],"pagination":{"total":1,"returned":1,"offset":0}}