I was stood at Exhibition Floor Layout today trying to find a particular company I had arranged to meet, I began to notice and listen to the conversation of 3 Sales People next to me, they seemed to be from the same company or team (I’m assuming here, which I should never do, but they were acting together), they were pointing at individual companies and talking negatively about each one, and organising amongst themselves how they were going to approach and try and rattle each one of them, not a care on who was in the vicinity listening to their negative connotations.

Now, I’m not for this, in fact I think its BS tactics, lowest of the low and it surprised the hell out of me. My view is if you’d put half as much energy into working with your potential Customers, finding new customers, listening to customers, you wouldn’t need to do this, as you’re a level above, operating on a higher plain. You could also have the potential of working collaboratively on accounts you may not dream of getting.

For me, if you’re operating with these sorts of tactics you’ve lost as an individual and a business. If you want to compete and win, do it through Adding Value to your Customer or potential Customer.

Thoughts?????

Comments:

Lesley Russon:

Competitors are only annoying if they are winning your percentage of your targeted business. I always believe if you watch your competitors you can learn about their weaknesses and strengths and you can only learn how to focus and target your own SWOT’s to learn and improve how you manage your business. I am assuming (as I don’t have all the facts) but it they had a good leader they would teach them marketing intelligence and how to act on it ??

Steven Taylor:

Never talk down your competition, ensure your company performance is the best it can be. These so-called salesmen will only sell by undercutting prices and over promising. Short term gain only with very low profit margins and no future

Rebecca Morgan:

When we collaborate, we all improve and push standards higher for ours and our customers’ benefits.

Simon Lane:

Probably learned their tactics from the protagonists in the debacle otherwise known as the Conservative Leadership Elections

Wayne Wilding:

Trash talking competitors has no value to your prospects/customers. Negative language will put people off you, and bore them. They do not want to hear why the other lot are bad, they want to know why you are good. Trash talking makes it seem like you have nothing else to offer.

And, if nothing else, mentioning your competitors might just remind your prospect/customer about them. You might find your customers giving them a call as soon as you leave.

#ukmanufacturing #ukmfg #customerfocus #sales #customervalue #addvalue