Your Competition is Targeting Your Accounts. What Will You Do?
So everyone’s feeling a little fearful these days. A little 2009 Recession Afterburn.
Nonetheless, your best clients are on your competition’s target list. They’ve always been there, but you will begin to see some action now, if you haven’t already.
What To Do About It
I was on a training call yesterday when it came up. Here was my suggestion. Be More Than You Have Been. (US ARMY, go ahead and use this if you like).
What this means is don’t just see yourself as selling the service product you sell. See yourself as an expert and resource in a larger context.
I have a client that sells copiers, supplies and service. Everything they do points toward better productivity and low cost. So, my suggestion was to go out and find other experts who speak or write on those topics and create an ongoing seminar program for their clients.
Right now, you are in a sub category of a larger category. All I’m asking you to do is back up one level and think “How can I be a value or a resource to my client base in the larger category?”
Selling The Larger Solution
Another example is us. We do sales training and develop people. But it all fits in a higher category of “growing your business.” So, I will go out and find others who are experts on this and bring them to my clients–through blogs, podcasts, videos, teleseminars etc.,
The winners in this next three years, will be people who think differently about their market. Same old stuff leads to same old stuff. You’re better than that.
Stay tuned. Soon, I’ll be releasing a video on what you can do today to get out of the recession mindset.
Yes, in tough times there are lot of people walking around crying, “me too!”
Those that have looked after their clients well in the past and positioned themselves to be a resource will fare much better when the competition comes knocking.
Totally concur Greg,
Looking after their clients is one….REALLY serving them by bringing them new ideas is another. Make sure we’re REALLY serving them….not just maintaining them.
Outstanding information.