Is Your Competition Driving You Bananas?
"Remember - if people talk behind your back, it only means
you are two steps ahead." - Fannie Flagg
This Sales Diva absolutely loves the above quote from Fannie
Flagg! It happens every day doesn't it?
In fact - it may even have happened to you at one point or
another. You are working hard on your business, attracting
customers, making sales...and then IT HAPPENS.
You see something in the paper that your competitor is
doing....you hear an ad on the radio about them...or you lose a
customer or prospect to the EVIL COMPETITOR and your stomach
turns into knots.
You panic. You begin hyperventilating....all because of what
some other business is doing. You frantically start thinking of
how you can drop your prices, have a promotion, give away free
cheese - anything to keep your competitor away!
Stay Away From Monkey Mind!
There is a phrase in Buddhism that refers to what happens when
you allow distraction to take you over...
"A related metaphor is the allegory of a monkey stretching as
far as he can to grab the reflection of the moon in water. He
cannot understand that he is looking in the wrong place."
I see many businesses jump into "monkey mind thinking" when they
start worrying about their competitors.
Here's some Sales Diva advice:
- Remember - unless your company is built upon having the
cheapest prices - don't worry about competitors charging less.
There will always be SOMEONE playing that angle - do you really
want to play in that arena?
- Be aware of what is happening with a competitor but don't be a
copy-cat.
- Be pro-active. Focus more on what your customer needs from you
- if they don't see the value in you - the first place they will
go is PRICE.
- Complacency is YOUR BIGGEST COMPETITOR. Your customer can
always choose to do....nothing and stay with the status quo.
Have you ever done that?
- Chart your own course. Stay focused on your own goals, revenue
objectives, marketing strategies. Survey your customers, treat
them like gold - and they will remain loyal to you.
So the next time you feel a bad case of Monkey Mind coming on -
take a deep breath and remember The Sales Diva words of wisdom.
Because worrying about the competition will only drive you
bananas!
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