Olympia Nederland is a leading staffing and workforce solutions provider in the Netherlands, offering meaningful employment to over 15,000 people daily. With a focus on practically trained individuals in executive roles, Olympia goes beyond transactional staffing — it champions a higher mission: enabling people to express their unique value through work. The organization is purpose-driven, placing human potential at the center of its culture while striving for exceptional performance for its clients.

Operating in a market that is perceived as price-sensitive by most of the suppliers, Olympia faces consistent pressure from commoditization risk. In such an environment, value-added players must not only deliver superior service but also excel in value-based pricing and value-based selling — ensuring their distinct value is clearly articulated, accurately priced, and confidently defended during negotiations.

Recognizing the strategic importance of pricing as a core commercial capability, Olympia’s leadership prioritized the development of a value-based pricing approach. To accelerate this transformation, Olympia engaged Newalpha to support the design and implementation of this capability across the organization.

In close collaborationwith Olympia’s management team, Newalpha led a structured, three-step engagement to develop and embed a value-based pricing strategy and process:

Step 1: Practical assessment
A practical review of Olympia’s existing pricing practices, commercial processes, and organizational capabilities was conducted to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities.

Step 2: Pricing structure design
A new pricing structure was developed based on willingness-to-pay segmentation. This ensured that pricing decisions reflected the differentiated value Olympia delivers to various customer segments, laying the foundation for strategic, margin-enhancing pricing.

Step 3: Process development
To operationalize the new pricing structure, differentiated pricing processes were designed for:

- National key accounts: A comprehensive deal pricing and negotiation excellence framework was created, including a clearly defined process map and stakeholder roles.

- Local deals: A price guidance system was developed to support local branches in making consistent, value-based pricing decisions.

Throughout the project, emphasis was placed on embedding a value mindset in Olympia’s
commercial teams — equipping them to articulate and defend their value propositions effectively in every client interaction.

To validate the new approach and deliver early impact, a pilot was conducted with one of Olympia’s largest and most strategic national accounts. Applying the newly developed framework, Olympia’s team entered the pricing and negotiation process better prepared, with a sharp understanding of client needs and a compelling articulation of Olympia’s unique value.

This enabled Olympia to confidently position itself as a long-term partner focused on quality and value, rather than engaging in price-driven competition. The negotiation resulted in a mutually beneficial agreement that both the client and Olympia strongly believed in — a clear demonstration of the power of value-based pricing in action.

Key outcomes:

• Olympia strengthened its position as premium partner, differentiated from low-cost competitors.
• The client’s perception of Olympia improved, viewing them as a strategic, value-adding partner that focusses on creating win-win situations.
• The pilot proved once again that strong negotiation — anchored in value — enhances rather than jeopardizes client relationships.

Next steps:

Following the success of the national pilot, more pilots are scheduled, as well as a pilot for the local deal pricing process with a selection of branches. Newalpha will continue to support Olympia in these pilots and in rolling out and embedding the new pricing capability throughout the organization.