{"id":30764,"date":"2012-02-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-02-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/six-strategies-to-compete-in-business\/"},"modified":"2024-01-18T19:11:28","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T19:11:28","slug":"six-strategies-compete-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/marketing\/six-strategies-compete-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Strategies to Compete In Business"},"content":{"rendered":"

Strategies to Compete In Business<\/h3>\r\nThis article started out to be about how the little guy company can compete with a big company.\u00a0 Specifically, in a recent interview, I was asked how a small local business can use customer service to compete when a large national competitor, known for aggressive low pricing, comes to town.\u00a0 As I wrote out the answer, I realized that the business strategies used by a small company competing against a big one are actually sound strategies for a company of any size.\u00a0 By the way, customer service is important, but in this situation, there is much more to consider.\r\n\r\nHowever, when a “Big Box” store, such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco, Sam’s Club, etc., comes to town, local businesses get nervous. They wonder how they can compete with the “everyday low prices?”\u00a0 Additionally, they ask themselves how will they hold on to their customers and how will they attract new customers.\u00a0 After all, they don’t have the advertising budget, the inventory, the buying power, etc. While there is some reality to all of the concerns that a local or small business might have, they are really just excuses.\u00a0 Plenty of local and small businesses flourish long after one of these larger stores move into their territory.\r\n\r\nNow here is the reality of the situation.\u00a0 It doesn’t matter if it is a major chain store, a big-box store, a discount store, etc.\u00a0 And it doesn’t matter if it is a small or local business.\u00a0 It doesn’t matter what type of business or industry.\u00a0 Any type of business that moves into your area, large or small, will pose many of the same competitive threats.\r\n

What can you do?<\/h3>\r\n1. Decomoditize your business.\u00a0 A business gets caught in the commodity trap when they sell the same goods and services as its competitor. Other than price, the customer doesn’t see a compelling reason to do business with one company over the other.\u00a0 This is where customer service becomes the strategy of choice.\u00a0 A company can distance itself from the competition with customer service that provides an obviously better overall customer experience.\r\n\r\n2. Sell something that the competition doesn’t.\u00a0 There is a small hardware store just down the street from a Home Depot.\u00a0 They are always busy.\u00a0 The reason is that they figured out what they can sell that Home Depot doesn’t. \u00a0And, the Home Depot store will actually refer business to them when they don’t stock the item a customer needs.\r\n\r\n3. Find out what you do best and let the customer know. Why should someone do business with you instead of the competition? Outside of the customer service, you hope you are known for and the different goods and services that you might sell, is there one thing that really separates you from your competition?\r\n\r\n4. Be active in your community. Be visible. For example, some of my Ace Hardware clients allow kids raising money for charity, sports teams, etc., to sell their candy bars, cookies, etc., outside of their store on Saturdays, endearing themselves to their community. By the way, this doesn’t have to be a local community. The company’s market defines the scope of the community, which can be local, national – even international.\r\n\r\n5. Build an army of evangelists. Use your happy customers to help promote your business. Be actively engaged with them through social media, mail and any other form of communication that is appropriate.\r\n\r\n6. Have a loyalty program.\u00a0 Consider a formal loyalty program that gives incentives to do more business with you. (Like the airlines, hotels and restaurants do.)\u00a0 Or, just deliver amazing customer service that makes the customer feel so special that he\/she wouldn’t consider doing business with anyone else.\r\n\r\nThere are dozens – even hundreds – of strategies that could have been mentioned. These six came to mind as no-cost or low-cost competitive marketing strategies. Are there any others you can think of that you would want to add to the list? \u00a0I may include you and your ideas in a future article.\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\n