Staying Ahead of the Competition…

As a business consultant and entrepreneur, the big ‘C’ word (Competition) is always looming over my head and the heads of my clients. I notice that my clients, colleagues and competitors are always ‘focused on the competition’. It is difficult not to be, I understand, but at the same time if you are focusing more on the competition than yourself/your business/your offerings – you are not being really efficient or effective.

I actually spend several hours a week just brainstorming with my notepad. Everywhere I go I carry one with me, this year it is this nifty little Red Alligator Skinned Journal that my Public Relationist Cindy Rakowitz gave me for Christmas. When I am out, at lunch, in bed, on the computer, phone or working and something hits me I note it in my notepad and doodle thoughts, concerns and goals. When I was at lunch today, I got a telephone call from a colleague, Christy, and she said “Name of one of my competitors, just launched a feature in their application. What are you going to do, that was one of your big selling points?” I just laughed and said “What do you want me to do? They are free to launch anything they want, and I applaud them for doing so, it will make their application more valuable.” I received a bunch of hemming and hawing from Christy – we talked about a few more things and we got off the phone. I went back to eating my lunch, but whipped out my little red book and started jotting some things down.

I believe that the original intent of the ‘doodling’ was to compare my service with their service, but by the end of the lunch I realized that I did not do much comparing. Rather than making a list or diagram of what we have and what they have and seeing who has what I ended up noting down 2 aspects and a sub-aspect of the competition and 4 aspects and 5 sub aspects of us. I was not really focusing on the competition, even though I think when I pulled out the notebook that was the goal. Rather I was focusing on us and what makes us unique and/or the things I want to provide. You will see notes such as: #1 Service = Community, Response, Love, Respect and Disclosure; Providing a means to an end; Listening to users; Don’t reinvent the wheel. By the competition you see Features, Product and Service. Hah! It may be that I just don’t pay too much attention to my competition, or it may be that I am just really self absorbed. Certainly I have to remain alert and attentive to my market and any prospective competition, but if I spend all day focusing on others – will that really help what I am doing? Honestly?

I can’t control what the competition does and neither can my clients, so should we really worry or be absorbed in their actions – or should we focus on what makes us unique. Let’s be honest, so this ‘company’ released a feature that I have and they did not… that is just benchmarking, it is definitely not innovative thinking. I have a couple other tricks up my sleeve that are coming up in the next 2 months, I am sure shortly thereafter one or more of my competitors may do the same exact thing. Oh well. As long as I am the innovator, and they are the benchmarker’s, don’t you think the clients, consumers and people that need our services will see that? I say “Kudos to them – I am glad we taught them a thing or two!”

In summary, to stay ahead of the competition, you need not be focusing on the competition – focus on your market, your customers, your audience and everything that they have to say – you will be the innovator – you will prevail – and your competition will be following in your footsteps. Don’t be upset or worried, be happy! It means you rock and did something great!

-Heather Villa

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