In this GYDA Talks, Rob talks to Alastair Dryburgh. Alastair helps consulting firms and creative agencies price their services for what they're actually worth. He started out as a maths graduate from Cambridge, trained as an accountant, and spent fourteen years across six finance director roles before becoming a solo consultant specialising in value-based pricing. Since then he's published three books (one translated into seven languages), written a column for Management Today for eight years, contributed to Forbes for three years, and taught or spoken at institutions including the Clore Business School, Aston University and City University London, as well as running workshops for CFOs in New York, Singapore and Dubai. His pricing process has helped clients make dramatic fee increases, including one digital agency that raised a service fee from £3-5k to £46k.
Alastair shares his views on AI pricing challenges and how you can use established value-based strategies to get the clients you want to win.
AI Pricing Pressure
Alastair argues that fee reductions based on AI use are flawed because they ignore true project value. Professional services must prioritise outcomes over billable hours.
Establishing Value-Based Pricing
Professionals should define unique service systems to justify premium fees and ensure clients compare providers against elite firms. This framework effectively shifts focus from commoditised tools to high-level expertise.
Leveraging AI for Enhancement
Agencies must reject price discounts and instead utilise AI as a tool to improve service quality. Sophisticated clients increasingly recognise the necessity of human judgment over AI.
