Do you want to destroy your competitors?

If you feel the need to destroy your competitors then you may be missing an opportunity. This is because so-called competitors often pass work to others in the same sector, if they can't fulfill it for some reason.

A website developer may use the help of another to code in a specialist area. A cleaning company may call in another if they are short of staff.

Quantas are currently chartering planes from other airline companies because their A380's are grounded.

Sometimes competitors can be useful.

Competition is part of being in business, surely ?

Destroy? No

Better, gain more business than, outdo, be more popular than, take over, buy out etc Yes

Respect? No, many of them talk BS and its hard to not put them down when I know they are talking BS and I see others lapping it up as they dont realise how much BS it is

Work together? mmm utilise their marketing so saving me costs/work yes but keep everything totally separate

Exterminate!

I agree to a point. But, I'm sure the other airlines providing planes for Quantas are charging a nice fee and are benefiting again from the exposure they are getting. All designed to get one-up on the competition!

We don't collaborate with competitors, none of the options are really relevant to our stance. I constantly monitor our competitor's financial performance, products and service, customer support etc, and make sure we're providing a better service than them. I'd love nothing more than to take customers away from Vistaprint, and that's to an extent how our business works, pick up customers who want to order online but are unsatisfied with the inferior product provided by Vistaprint. We compete with all our competitors for keyword advertising, and google natural listings, the more competition the more expensive marketing gets. So basically, I monitor our competitors and make sure we're providing a better service.

If I correctly interpret several comments so far on this thread, I get the impression that that many would like to destroy or remove their competitors.

So on that basis, I guess networking would seem a bit of a waste of time them ?

And what if the competitors provide a better product - don't customers then lose out ?

George,

It has nothing to do with a better product. Customers win when they choose what they want. Otherwise no cars would be sold except Rolls Royce, as there is no better product out there.

Many would argue that there are plenty of better products out there than Ryanair, for example, but the customers win because they get good service and lowest prices, punctuality and scratchcards too!

It has nothing to do with Networking - there is no rule book that says you have to be nice to your competitors. You can Network with everyone else and stick a finger up at your competitors, no problem.

You are completely confusing all of these issues.

If you were using my post as an example then that would be an incorrect assumption.

It all comes down to the size of the pond you fish in. I'm in business to win business and survive. If I were only to fish within the 4N pond then the fewer competitors I have the better it is for me. Is that a bad business attitude?

I don't network to meet more copywriters. I network to meet potential clients, referrers to potential clients, and suppliers. Every business in 4N is probably thinking the same way.

And if a competitor has a better product then I'll raise my game to out perform him. In that way I'll get more business, and by definition he'll get less. I have no obligation to support his business so if the lack of business proves terminal for him what am I to do?

The attitude that all rivals are great mates will only last while there's plenty of business about. Harder times require harder attitudes. Those who face serious competition (within 4N at least) and who fail to address the issue of why they're not No.1, are the 4Nr's who ultimately turn to another business model unrelated to their core business. They do this to survive but really it's a massive compromise. Not only that but it shows people two things: 1). They're struggling in their core business, and 2). They're not taking it seriously enough.

I'll stop before this becomes too much of an essay. If anyone would like to know more about my heartless, mercenary, aggressive attitude to business then PM me.

There was no button for 'completely ignore them'.

I used to spend most of my time worrying what my competitors were doing, what bizz they were winning, how much they were charging, and I spent many thousands of quids going to stupid crappy trade shows trying to find out. I don't know what changed that, but since I stopped caring I seem to do a lot better.

I would say this suggestion is on the money.

By focussing on your CUSTOMERS - their expectations, needs and wants, I believe you'll have more success.

Particularly for smaller businesses, who quite frankly, don't have the muscle to control the market.

George, you are wrong again.

In the new business environment (Interweb and social media), a small business can have a massively disproportionate effect.

Witness 3 months ago when everyone on the GOYA forum saw me deal with Honda UK, who tried to use muscle on me to prevent me trading new Hondas and yet using the power of social media, I (publicly) took them on and won. They apologised to me. I've done the same with Toyota, Lexus and the VW group, and Mercedes.

Honda UK are massive. I am tiny. But they rolled.

This trend is increasing and to a large extent it does not matter what size you are, because you can leverage your effect online.

Controlling a market is really the wrong phrase, as who controls a market? By definition a market is self-controlling. But, by having a wide audience in modern communication, you have more effect than the big players and punch way above your weight.

By the way, if I was in any kind of mass market business I'd be trying to emulate Ling. She's bang on in everything she's said.

I provide services to bluechips, where a more aggressive media-centric route would be detrimental to my business.

Ling

The last time I checked you had not destroyed Honda or Toyota - though who knows what could happen in the future.

Not sure how your action reduces competition - if you now sell Hondas and Toyota then isn't that more competition in the market, and better for customer choice ?

George,

Ling doesn't make cars like honda or toyota ~ they are not her competition in fact destroying them would limit her as she would have less choice of cars no?

I think I better let Ling answer that one.