Me too, me better, me only

It pays to stand out from the crowd

There are over 30,000 recruitment agencies in the UK. That’s a big crowd to get lost in.

The alternative is to make a conscious effort to stand out. To me it’s an effort worth making, because it literally pays off.

No more having to match ‘all the other’ recruiters on rates. Instead, you name your price and your clients agree to it… because they value working in partnership with you.

The three stages of differentiating your business are:

1. Me too

You copy what everyone else in the market is doing. Or at least it appears that way to your clients. They can’t tell the difference between you and another recruitment agency.

Unsurprisingly, clients aren’t going to pay one ‘me too’ recruiter more than another. There’s no reason to. Consultants also have a hard time justifying what clients should work exclusively with them.

2. Me better

You pitch yourself as a level above the competition. Faster, smarter, wiser. Some kind of better. 

There’s an argument that a client should pay you more than your inferior peers, but you’re still considered alongside them (and the client might just decide that the cost outweighs your version of ‘better’).

In my experience, I’d say around 3 in 10 recruitment agency websites tell clients: ‘We’re not like other agencies’. It’s a start… but we can do more.  

3. Me only

You stand alone in the minds of your clients. There may be other people who can recruit, but clients want to work with you.

There are various ways to get to this point - personal branding, owning your niche, unique tools - but from a pricing perspective the outcome is your ability ability to name your terms.

There are more ‘me only’ recruiters than many people realise. However, I often see them pricing at a ‘me better’ level. That’s your choice, but it means a lower return on the significant investment it takes to get to this level.

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Moving your business up a level (or two) is one of the most effective ways to improve your profitability. Along with higher fees, you develop better relationships with clients and become more attractive to successful recruiters looking to join an agency with a real point of dfifference.

If you want advice on how to differentiate your business, simply reply to this email and I will talk you through my initial consultation - your first step on the path to better pricing.

Jon

P.S. I’m the only recruitment-focused pricing specialist in the world, so I can tell you what it’s like to run a ‘me only’ business. In a nutshell: it’s lovely.

The people I work with come to me because they want to work with me. I work consultatively alongside them, and they see the value I bring to the relationship.

There’s no reason your business can’t be the same.

If you want advice on how to differentiate your business, simply reply to this email and I will talk you through my initial consultation - your first step on the path to better pricing.