Flying by the seat of your pants

Thinking differently is not only key to innovation but to long-term success, says Phil Jones

What would Ryanair's chief executive officer Michael O'Leary do with your business if he got hold of it? Trash the company car policy? Double the prices at the drinks machine? Charge you to use the toilet?

Similarly, if Richard Branson decided to buy your company, how would your marketing change? Would it be simpler? Cooler? What eye-catching PR stunt would you pull?

Seeing your business through another's eyes is a great way of being creative and stimulating you to think in different ways. Human beings tend to conform and be creatures of habit, doing the things we've always done.

When new business models are created, they will often disrupt industry convention. If you're in charge of your destiny, free up your thinking. It's a brilliant way to think of something new, stay one step ahead, and create differentiation.

This applies to resellers and the IT industry as well, because many of us compete on the same terms. There isn't a lot of differentiation between the types of customer service offered.

I think the IT industry will look very different in 2020. And a lot of disruptive thinking needs to be done to get to that point, in order for independents to stand out and differentiate.

If you're a reseller, compare yourself with the industry. What are you giving your customers that is over and above what your competitors offer or might offer? How does your customer service differ or stand out from the rest?

If it doesn't, you need to think about your business model and what you want your company to represent to customers. Which aspects of the service are you most proud of and which aspects do you think your customers value most? When did you last check?

If the Ryanair business model were sledgehammered into your business, you'd be the lowest-cost reseller. You'd be stripping out the extras, you'd be passionate about saving costs, and you'd be ruthless about operational efficiency.

I'm not saying that's the right approach for any IT business. It certainly wouldn't be if you were a seller of sophisticated solutions.

However, if you were in a more transactional market, focusing on volume and market pricing, the Ryanair model might be perfect.

Resellers should also look at the sales chain and identify where they are adding value and where they could save costs. By making more informed choices about how much their customer service is worth, resellers can identify areas where they can refine, remove, or introduce charges for services.

Reviewing things like free express delivery charges and bespoke customer activity, such as sophisticated labelling and packing requirements, may allow resellers to recover some of their hidden costs or use that as a lever for remaining incumbent.

By doing this, they will not only be cutting costs but providing an improved service to their customers, delivering value where it counts.

The most important thing for resellers is to listen to customers, keep an eye on the market, and never accept the status quo as the thing that will take your business through the next 10 years.

It's hard not to admire Michael O'Leary's single-minded passion to create absolute transparency in his business model.

You can't argue that you don't understand the excess luggage charge, the check-in charge or the cost for extra bags – whether you agree or disagree with the charging policy.

People put up with the endless extra charges because they are so transparent and because it's still convenient and competitive, despite service being significantly reduced in other areas. It's all about giving customers the freedom to choose which bits of the service they want.

I dare you. Grab a piece of paper and write down how Ryanair would change your business. Pause, prioritise, and then see what's possible. It might open your eyes.

Phil Jones is sales and marketing director at Brother UK