Gaining Competitive Insights

Guest articles > Gaining Competitive Insights

by: Daniel Milstein

Mystery shopping is probably the most valuable competitive information technique, but there are several others. In addition to contacting the industry partners with whom you work to gain their insights, you can:

Talk to customers: Ask a few of your long-time customers what they think about your major competitors. Perhaps they have received interesting marketing information or phone calls from one or more of them. They will often have an objective viewpoint.

Conduct basic Internet research: Most salespeople don't do enough Internet sleuthing. A quick check can provide critical details: pricing, product offering, marketing and other useful facts.

Call the BBB: The Better Business Bureau can advise whether or not any complaints have been filed against specific companies.

Query the Chamber of Commerce: Ask the chamber or similar organization to refer five companies in your product/service category and see if you are on the list. Or ask for their views of your two primary competitors.

While mystery shopping is a great way to gain insight on your competitors, there are also other techniques you can use. You can talk to your customers, research your competitors via the Internet, ask the Chamber of Commerce of The Better Business Bureau. Whatever technique you employ, be sure to gain as much knowledge you can on your competitors.

Daniel Milstein is the bestselling author of ABC of Sales. For more information, visit: http://amzn.to/ABCARTICLES.

Contributor: Daniel Milstein

Published here on: 27-Jun-12

Classification: Sales

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