Business Base Camp

Who are your competitors?

Note: This is an electronically generated translation. It may not be 100% perfect.Read more.

Most sellers have any idea of who their competitors are. They can off the cuff about four, five mention names. The following question is already harder. Why buy some of your customers with them?

There are three standard responses that you will hear over and over again.
They have a better price, they offer a unique service/product that we do not have, We don’t want/that are entirely dependent on a single vendor.

To the question on what area the competitors are stronger than the own organization, you get convenience, approximately the same answer. Which is a pity. Sellers are pre-eminently the employees who need to have a good view on the competitors.

In addition to the specific advantages and disadvantages, it is equally important for sellers to also have a good understanding of the commercial strategy and approach of the competitors to have. How can you make a decisive difference to your customers differently?

Discover competitors

Too often we restrict competitors to who names that we hear regularly. We linger in a series of a few names that have a more or less similar offer as our own. But to really know your competitors, you should look into all the organisations which can take your site to the relevant customer needs to fill in.

For example, you can restrict your competitors as a producer of Coca Cola to producers of other Colas (Pepsi, Royal Crown, Dr Pepper …). But a fair investigation indicates that all producers who produce dorstlessers sugary potential competitors. By extension, all producers of non alcoholic beverages your place. Even coffee can be a competitor (sugar, caffeine).

You would your competitor analysis as a producer of corrugated cardboard boxes can restrict to other producers of the same boxes. But what if a producer of wooden boxes, PVC cartons or boxes in other material to convince your customers know?

Ontdekken van concurrentie-strategieën

In order to get a clear picture what strategy to use your competitors, there are three important actions that you can (and should) take. Where most organization here pass quickly as a seller in a simple way, you can contribute to the competitive knowledge of your organization. Below three possible ways.

Websites and publication. Almost every organization with which she tackles like that points out, thinking himself greatly. This is called positioning. Your strong points are pointless if the customers they do not know. Any self-respecting organization will forward them so clearly on the website and in various brochures and other publications. (Read the annual report of your competitors, you will learn a lot through!)

Your customers. They are an important source of information. Ask them again why they choose for you, another vendor in addition to or in place of one of the standard you. If you told above answers, ask further, until you know the real reason.

Your colleagues at other departments. They often know a lot about your competitors, from another perspective. This can help you to get an overall picture of the strategy.

Use of the information

What do you now with that information? Information is meaningless if you don’t take advantage of it. I give you three successful strategies in order to use this information in your own advantage.

Tip

Never think that you have no competitors. Everyone has competitors. And be convinced that they all are ready to take your place at the first opportunity to your customers. Knowledge is your main weapon in this fight. Make regular some time free to really get to know your competitors!

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