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Suggest You - Analyzing Your Competition
I was reading another chapter in one of my favorite books, The Art Of Possibility. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read on transforming your personal and professional life. On page 55, the authors introduce the practice of, “being in contribution.”One of my clients says contribution is essential to being who she is. She says, “Helping
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Knowing your competition allows you to identify a niche and develop your own unique selling proposition (USP). Clearly defining and understanding the core value you offer your clients can depend on your having a firm grasp of your competitors' strengths and weaknesses.
Where do you start?
1) Make a list of your competitors. Think big in this step. Don't just think about your direct competition; think about indirect competition in other industries as well. For example, as a copywriter I could list my competitors as fellow copywriters that do freelance work. But I don't want to stop there. Other potential competitors may include large ad agencies, small ad agencies (each may play a different role with clients), technical writers, a company's in-house writers, journalists, and even fill-in-the-blank templates you can purchase on the Internet.
2) From this broad-based competitive list, list specific companies you compete with. For example, in the "other copywriters" category, I may list Sally Field, Shelby Foot, and Joe Blow. Under the large agency category, I may have only one or two large agencies I run up against when bidding on projects. Follow this procedure until you've gone through all the competing industries. Some may have no direct competitor and that's OK; acknowledging the potential is there--and getting the "big picture" of where competi
Everyone loves to be appreciated, and when that thanks is expressed with a gift, you’ll make extra points with the gift recipient. Corporate gifts are often thought of as expensive, one-of-a-kind executive style gifts that your company sends out at holidays, but there’s another level of corporate gift-giving that can mark you and your firm as a though
Where do you start?
1) Make a list of your competitors. Think big in this step. Don't just think about your direct competition; think about indirect competition in other industries as well. For example, as a copywriter I could list my competitors as fellow copywriters that do freelance work. But I don't want to stop there. Other potential competitors may include large ad agencies, small ad agencies (each may play a different role with clients), technical writers, a company's in-house writers, journalists, and even fill-in-the-blank templates you can purchase on the Internet.
2) From this broad-based competitive list, list specific companies you compete with. For example, in the "other copywriters" category, I may list Sally Field, Shelby Foot, and Joe Blow. Under the large agency category, I may have only one or two large agencies I run up against when bidding on projects. Follow this procedure until you've gone through all the competing industries. Some may have no direct competitor and that's OK; acknowledging the potential is there--and getting the "big picture" of where compet
These days, the Internet is saturated with information about how to make money from home online. Much of it is nothing but empty promises from insubstantial businesses. I am here today to speak to you about an online company that is promoting real, solid products that asks nothing of you up front to start earning money from home online! The company is
2) From this broad-based competitive list, list specific companies you compete with. For example, in the "other copywriters" category, I may list Sally Field, Shelby Foot, and Joe Blow. Under the large agency category, I may have only one or two large agencies I run up against when bidding on projects. Follow this procedure until you've gone through all the competing industries. Some may have no direct competitor and that's OK; acknowledging the potential is there--and getting the "big picture" of where compet
If you are just starting out in construction, the process of bidding may be a little confusing. When you are drawing up an estimate, you are basically calculating the total expense of the project you want to bid on. It is important that you remember to include all expenses and allow for unforeseen expenses that may crop up. When you estimate a job, yo
2) From this broad-based competitive list, list specific companies you compete with. For example, in the "other copywriters" category, I may list Sally Field, Shelby Foot, and Joe Blow. Under the large agency category, I may have only one or two large agencies I run up against when bidding on projects. Follow this procedure until you've gone through all the competing industries. Some may have no direct competitor and that's OK; acknowledging the potential is there--and getting the "big picture" of where compet
The question of whether to work for a company or run your own business is a difficult one to answer. It's a dilemma that many people face in the course of their lives. Sometimes it happens right at the start, as soon as they leave school. Sometimes the question crops up after years of working for a company. For so many people the time will come when s
3) From this long list of competitors, pick your top three and do a detailed competitive analysis. These are the three you should also use for your marketing plan.
Gathering information
The next step in a competitive analysis is gathering information through competitive intelligence (CI). CI is the practice of gathering, analyzing, and disseminating information on what the marketplace requires (the demand), about how and you and your competitors meet these requirements (the supply), and how each strives to meet market needs better than others (the competition).
Gather marketing materials, visit stores, call and ask questions. These are common ways to collect competitive data. I go straight to Web sites and find almost everything I need there.
Here are a few things to look for while gathering competitive information:
What products/services competitors produce Who their target audience is Guarantees, pricing, hours of operation, and delivery options Overall, how do they position themselves (cheapest, best value, fastest, unique, patented, etc.)? What is
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