Pricing Strategy and Commercial Operations Case Study

Hitit, one of the world's largest airline and travel technology providers, faced a critical inflection point. During an intensive client acquisition period, the company needed to restructure commercial operations and maintain leadership presence across complex enterprise negotiations.

The business development function required immediate leadership to restructure and streamline business processes during active pursuit of multiple airline contracts. Pricing models needed restructuring, commercial negotiations demanded senior executive involvement, and the company sought to elevate brand positioning alongside tier-one competitors in the aviation technology market.

Hitit's growth trajectory had accelerated beyond its commercial infrastructure. The company participated in numerous airline technology tenders and required more systematic pricing intelligence. Historical data existed across won and lost opportunities, but without analysis to inform strategic decisions about deal profitability, competitive positioning, or when to decline unprofitable work.

Fractional commericial leadership was engaged to optimise commercial operations, restructure pricing strategy, and provide hands-on executive involvement in contract negotiations and client acquisitions.

Commercial intelligence and pricing optimisation

Data from years of tender participation was gathered, organised, and analysed to create systematic pricing intelligence. The analysis examined pricing across won and lost opportunities, current customer contracts, airline size and region, and competitive landscape where known.

This foundation enabled development of a dynamic pricing framework for every Hitit solution, incorporating market positioning, competitive intelligence, and profitability thresholds. Recommended pricing and walk-away pricing parameters were established based on historical performance and strategic value assessment.

For select solutions, pricing architecture shifted from one-time implementation fees to recurring subscription models. This structural change aligned revenue recognition with ongoing customer value delivery and created predictable revenue streams.

A client and prospect tracking system was built using existing tools, providing sales operations visibility without enterprise software deployment timelines.

Executive presence and deal execution

Fractional leadership maintained direct involvement in client negotiations and contract discussions, ensuring senior expertise remained present throughout complex solutions sales cycles. This approach combined strategic guidance with tactical execution, eliminating the gap between advisory recommendations and deal closure.

Market positioning enhancement

An above-the-line marketing campaign was developed with Air Transport World, the industry's leading publication, to position Hitit alongside major competitors. Budget constraints required strategic negotiation to maximise campaign reach, including an advertorial featuring Hitit's technology capabilities and market positioning.

A monthly newsletter, Crane Talk, was launched featuring interviews with industry leaders and showcasing company expertise. The publication strengthened Hitit's thought leadership presence and maintained regular engagement with airline decision-makers.

"Mustafa was instrumental in transforming our company to an international enterprise. Hardworking, bold and innovative."
- Hakan Ünlü, Vice President Commercial, Hitit

Pakistan International Airlines signed with Hitit during the engagement period, representing the company's largest client acquisition at that time. The deal demonstrated the effectiveness of disciplined pricing strategy combined with executive-level negotiation presence.

Revenue architecture improvements delivered immediate results. Solutions transitioning to subscription models generated dramatic revenue increases in the first year of implementation. The recurring revenue structure provided financial predictability while better reflecting ongoing customer value.

Pricing discipline enabled more strategic opportunity selection. Several prospects who historically would have received significant discounts agreed to recommended pricing. Some opportunities were declined based on profitability analysis—decisions that protected margins and focused resources on higher-value pursuits.

Commercial process standardisation reduced proposal preparation time by approximately 70%, enabling the sales function to handle increased opportunity volume without proportional resource expansion.

The Air Transport World marketing campaign achieved second place recognition in the technology category based on reader research measuring ad recall and message comprehension. The achievement held particular significance given budget constraints relative to competitors with multi-million dollar advertising expenditures and dedicated agency partnerships.

The combination of pricing intelligence, commercial process optimisation, and maintained executive presence created sustainable commercial infrastructure. Deal evaluation became systematic rather than opportunistic, pricing reflected strategic positioning rather than reactive discounting, and sales operations scaled without proportional expansion.

A note on execution

The Air Transport World awards ceremony in Singapore proved memorable for reasons beyond the recognition. Competing technology providers filled their dinner tables with full marketing teams and agency partners. Hitit's table seated two: the CEO and the fractional sales leader who'd created the campaign. Second place in the technology category, delivered differently.