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Wednesday
November 18, 2009 Tip of the Day - Approach A Competitor’s Top ClientFiled under: Tip of the Day The clients with the budgets are the ones you want these days – even if it means going after a competitor’s loyal customer. For Geiger (asi/202900) independent sales rep John Festa, it was a local hospital. He got an appointment with the marketing director, who said that she always deals with the same people. But catching her off guard, he presented her with a flurry of samples and creative ideas and quickly got an order. While it’s necessary to take your competitors head-on, Festa says, “Don’t talk against them. They will bury themselves.” Another key is to do your research. To be able to prove your value over theirs you need to know your competition’s brand positioning and go-to-market strategies. Do they stress customer service or low prices? Do they offer services (like Web site design or marketing copywriting)? Once you can find these things out, then you’re more equipped to go to a competitor’s client and prove the value in a different strategy or approach. Lastly, network hard. Good client contacts can first be made through the people you meet in networking situations. Customers are always going to complain about their vendors when they trust somebody they’re talking to. Be ready to pounce when you hear a first complaint. From the 2009 Counselor State of the Industry |
