Would you agree that being customer-focused, or placing customers’ needs first in your marketing strategy, is essential to building a sustainable business?
          Would you also agree that the airline industry probably has one of the least customer-friendly reputations in all of North America?
          If you agree somewhat to these two statements, would it seem reasonable that a customer-focused organization would adopt the airline industry’s supply and demand pricing model?
          These two models are incongruent with each other.  The airline industry uses a supply and demand pricing model, gouging customers when they are busy, and selling at a loss when they are not.
          Customers know that fuel and crew costs do not go up with passenger demand and they resent being gouged when they need the airline most, like during Spring Break.
          Ironically, this same pricing model is also responsible for one of the most financially troubled industries in North America today…four out of six major airlines are in bankruptcy protection!!  
           I have yet to hear a convincing argument that supply and demand pricing and customer-friendly marketing are compatible models.
          Advertisers do not receive more value, more audience, better service, more brand awareness or more sales because we are nearing sold-out positions, just as they do not receive less value, audience, margins or service when you can shoot a cannon through your log.
          Marketers who default to supply and demand gouging or discounting do so for one of two reasons:

          1.) They do not care about, or have confidence in, the value they deliver,

                                      OR

          2.) They have not trained their sales people to sell their product for what   it’s  worth in slower demand seasons resulting in the need to make up for that weakness in high demand seasons.

          Oh, I almost forgot one other reason for hypocritical pricing….follower syndrome… “We have to sell cheap in slow times because our competitors do”, is not an excuse that leaders use.
          Selling is simply an exchange of value. The seller delivers value and receives value (money) in exchange for that value. It is not ‘selling’ if the seller does not realize value too.
          If you have made a conscious decision to engage in customer-focused selling, then you must build your rate grids around value…..value to your customers, and value to your stations, 12 months of the year.