You are not Ryanair

If you can’t beat ‘em on price, don’t match ‘em

Ryanair made a huge impact on the airline industry when they launched £1 fares. That doesn’t mean every other airline followed.

In fact, British Airways will happily charge you £175 for a trip to Dublin this autumn, even though the same trip is only £32 with Ryanair.

But hang on. Is it the same trip?

Of course the destination is the same (assuming Ryanair isn’t going to drop you a couple hours away from where you actually want to go).  

But we all know that the experience is different. Very different. 

The rise - and threat - of Ryanair was very real when they first appeared on the scene. Decades later, we can see that having a clear low-cost option actually forced other airlines to justify their value.

Rather than living off their legacy brand, airlines like British Airways had to give customers a reason to choose them… and why to choose to pay more to fly with them.

The same is true in our industry. There will always be low-cost recruitment agencies and desperate consultants slashing their fees in the hope of winning business.

The answer is never to follow them. The answer is to define why your clients should pay the fees you want for the services you provide.

If you want help defining your value, simply reply to this email and we can talk.

Jon

P.S. I’m sure that one day we’ll see an airline offering free flights, undercutting even Ryanair.

The lesson is that nobody wins in a price war. Someone can always do things cheaper. Which means even if you do offer the cheapest fees, someone will beat you one day.

When you focus on value, you’re entering a race that you can win - and the prize is higher revenue and profits, not to mention clients who value what you do. 

If you want help defining your value, simply reply to this email and we can talk.