What it means to have an amicable spirit with your competitors

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To take the high road means to act like a leader. Do not bash the competition. Stay humble and avoid being cocky. You still get your message across, but customers, press people, and even the competition will respect you more if you “take the high road.”

An example of taking the high road is the ad run for a company’s product in 1990. “9 out of 10 users are very satisfied. What are we doing wrong?” The ad included a form to fill and send to the company with product suggestions. The product got their point across that users were extremely happy with the product, but it did it in a way that focused on customers and making even more improvements, rather than bragging.

When the product in question got shipped in 1995, Apple ran expensive ads in the Wall Street Journal and on the sides of city buses that read, “C:/ongratutns.win95.” Folks well versed in the soft-ware industry knew Apple was trying to make fun of the fact that the product still used complicated commands and file names. However, most of America did not understand the subtle slam by rival Apple. They just saw one more group congratulating Microsoft on a new product, and Microsoft saw some free advertising.

Taking the high road also includes your personal actions. If you are at an industry conference or on a panel of speakers, be gracious when asked about the competition. It’s also important to “go meet your competitors,” Group Vice President Jeff Raikes advices. “Stop by their booth at the trade show. Get to know them and let them see you are a regular person.” They will be less likely to make deprecating comments—if they have gotten a friendly face associated with your company. And you may even discover areas where you can cooperate with your competitors. This is so important. While you do not want to just give someone else your position or business deal to be nice, you can still be friendly and professional. How do I mean?

Whether it is an email, on social media or even in casual conversation, it can be too easy to type up a less-than-stellar comment about a competitor or say something off-hand in conversation. It may not seem like such a big deal, but once you have published or voiced a negative comment, it has an effect on you. Clients do their homework, and will be less likely to choose someone to run their accounts if they find negative comments about other businesses on your social media pages or if you bash a competitor consistently. They may wonder what you will say about them if you take on their business. Instead, always be positive online and in conversation.

Instead of saying what another business is doing wrong, highlight what you and your team are doing right. If clients bring up a competitor, steer the conversation towards how you are different from them, focusing on what you do well rather than what they do wrong. Remember, you are always representing your business, so you want to be professional at all times. If an awkward situation arises regarding your competitors, for example, on the condition that they are bashing you, take the high road. Don’t reciprocate. Be cordial and professional.

Also, give referrals. Why would you ever want to recommend a potential client to the competition? In some cases, it makes sense to do this. Even if you are in the same market, you and your competition may cater to different clientele. This is true in the case of career coaches. Some cater to coaching executives, others to career direction, others offer to be mentors. So if you refer to someone to be a competitor who would be better suited to the task, you can be sure they will do the same. Do not take on clients you are uncertain you can serve and serve well.

Be willing to give referrals when someone else is a better fit. The client will thank you for it and be more likely to recommend you to their friends because you have been honest and direct with them. Let your competitor know that you referred them with a short email or phone call. Checking in with them also opens the door to more networking and information-sharing possibilities. It allows you to strengthen relationships where you can refer clients to each other.

Also, collaborate with your competitors. Consider that working alongside your competitors shows prospective customers that you are confident in what you offer. It can help you establish your brand further and help you differentiate yourself from them by co-marketing your product or service, yet clearly articulating your niche and target audience. Also, do not copy everything they do. While it is inevitable that competitors may have similar ideas and techniques for doing things, be wary of blindly implementing new ideas your competitors developed. This could seem like the easy way to keep up, but it puts a damper on creative thinking.

Everyone in the field of business needs to understand that without competition, it is almost and roughly impossible for companies to establish their place—within the markets. Understanding competitors and which services they provide is the first step towards identifying gaps in the market and opportunities for future growth and development.

Also, having competitors enables customers to put side by side the different products and services available. This is an essential stage of the buying process and a way for customers to ascertain exactly what they want. This is very deep and profound.

Lastly, on the condition that you would put into practice what is contained in this piece, I shall definitely meet with you where successful business leaders are found.

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