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Are you sure you know who you're competing with?

Guest post by: Mike LeMaster

Article Overview: In past times competitors clashed often enough to develop a sixth sense on each other's strengths, weaknesses and strategies to win business. In today's environment your competitor could be an adversary that you have no knowledge of whatsoever. The competition could be an international company, a new start-up, an internal customer team willing to do the work, or have the mandate to do nothing because of business pressures. The competition landscape has changed and will continue to offer challenges to all companies.

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Are you sure you know who you're competing with?

A recent trend is for companies in differing product/service suites to be competing for scarce monies. This is the case where a business has to decide...Do we use our monies to buy new technology or train our sales organization. Do we conduct a marketing campaign or purchase a new machine. Do we conduct a telemarketing campaign or hire a consultant to uncover our systemic needs. Thus, limited funds and their prudent allocation becomes a competitor of a different kind.

Qualifying the competition has taken on a new meaning. This responsibility for qualifying the real competition often resides with your salespeople. Their ability to qualify the real competitive pressures has a tremendous impact on your company's ability to respond with maximum effectiveness and results.

Here are five competitive situations your salespeople need to be pristinely aware of:

• Direct Competition • New Competition • Do Nothing Decision • Internal Resources • Limited Monies

Today's sales professional will not unearth the real competition unless they open up their aperture of vision and question the choices that customers are now making as it relates to purchasing decisions.

Do not assume that the decision is between you and your traditional competitors. The competitive landscape has changed. Have you?

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Home > Sales > Mike LeMaster > Are you sure you know who youre competing with >
Article Tags: aperture, br, choices, competitor, decisions, internal resources, landscape, limited funds, marketing campaign, maximum effectiveness, monies, new technology, s sales, sales organization, salespeople, service suites, telemarketing campaign, traditional competitors

About the Author: Mike LeMaster
RSS for Mike's articles - Visit Mike's website

Mike LeMaster is the President and Founder of Revenue Advisors, LLC and Sales Coaches International, LLC. His companies provide outsourced revenue acquisition expertise that enables their client companies to achieve higher levels of revenue success. Mike's background in economics and 29 years in revenue generation, positions him well to strategize, advise and coach on the ways in which a company can achieve or exceed its true revenue potential. For more info, contact ml@revenue-advisors.com or visit www.revenue-advisors.com. Also, you can read Mike’s Linkedin profile at www.linkedin.com/in/revenueadvisor

Click here to visit Mike's website
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More from Mike LeMaster
Flush the Ambiguity out of your Sales Pipeline
Success is a Choice
Revenue Progression in the Midst of Recession
What language are YOU speaking
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Re: Convenience Sotre / Fuel Station Owners... ? Re: Convenience Sotre / Fuel Station Owners... ? - What about contacting several companies who offers lighting maintenance in areas far from your area? This is very easy to do online and you can call or email them for more information. That would give you some ideas and you're not competing with them. Or, check websites for these companies and see if any of them list prices. Many sites do. Chris
Re: The Celebrity Apprentice - Episode 4 Re: The Celebrity Apprentice - Episode 4 - I think the best thing about the men's team is that they can yell at one another and call each other names (i.e. Piers vs Stephen), but then put their differences aside when it's time to work. On the other hand, I get the distinct feeling that the women are almost deliberately trying to set one another up to take the fall. For example, even before the task is complete, someone like Omarosa will tell the camera how so and so (e.g. Jennie) isn't contributing as much and is a weak link, etc. It's as if the women are competing against one another rather than against the men!
Bidding on EBay Bidding on EBay - Hey Buzz, My husband pretty much does what you mentioned in your post, except he actually takes it a bit further...My nutty husband sits there with a timer and his finger ready to click the mouse...when it gets down to the last few seconds (like 5 seconds) he places his bid... ...unless someone competing for the same item is sitting there doing the same thing (timer & all) chances are they will not have time to place their bid after him! LOL
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