Business Networking Tips in "competition"

Don't be a Nasty Networker!

posted on January 10, 2009

Recently I asked my network through LinkedIn: "What are the visible attributes of a 'Nasty Networker?'" Over 30 people responded through LinkedIn (others replied via e-mail, but I've not included their responses in this post). I encourage you to read the complete question and all of the answers here. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Keep Yourself Out of Social Networking Trouble

posted on August 2, 2008

As I get closer to writing my series of blog posts about social networking for the business professional based on my own recent experiments I thought you might like to read a great post by my friend Liz Handlin. She wrote a post called Social Networking for Professionals where she gives 6 tips to keep you out of trouble. The most important thing you need to realize about social networking is that it's public. Anyone, and I mean anyone can see what you've written now and in the future.  You have to consider what you're posting ALWAYS. For example I would love to Twitter about who I'm meeting with; prospects, clients, etc. This would be a huge help to those in my network who follow me who could benefit from an introduction to some of these folks for reasons I might not have even thought about. But two things stop me from sharing this much detail. #1 the privacy of those I'm meeting with. Without their permission I'm not sure that this is appropriate. #2 If my competition were smart they would follow me, and this information would incredibly useful. That's just one example of a present tense situation. Where it gets really tricky is considering how something you post now might create a problem 5 years from now. You just never know. I don't say this to scare you away from the great online social networking opportunities for professionals right now: LinkedIN, Facebook, Twitter, Plaxo, etc. Just tread very carefully and make sure you consider each and every action. Now go read LIz's post, you'll thank me. Happy Networking! Scott Ingram NetworkInAustin.com

Author: Scott Ingram

little things make a BIG DIFFERENCE

posted on March 20, 2007

We're all so busy these days that most of us don't notice the difference between similar companies. In my last post I commented on an experience with my dry cleaner. With them I found a small difference. Think about the dozens of companies that you do business with on a regular basis. What's the difference between them and their competition? What about you and your competition? What makes you different? Do your customers and prospects know the difference? Most of the time you'll find that the things that make a big difference between one company and another are the little things. By little things I mean rediculously little things. Things like people who follow-up when they say they're going to. Simply being thanked for my business or receiving a quick note in the mail. Heck, just remembering my name apparently does it for me. What little things can you do to separate yourself from your competition in a BIG way? Of course this applies to your networking relationships as well. Happy Networking! Scott Ingram NetworkInAustin.com

Author: Scott Ingram

Leverage your Lunch

posted on July 5, 2006

For many networkers lunch is probably their most productive time of the day. While everyone else is taking a break to eat they’re going to work. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.   Many entrepreneurs, business owners and sales professionals know this and take full advantage of their lunch. Lunch may provide an even greater opportunity for someone looking to advance their career, or trying to find their next job opportunity. Sadly most people will have lunch with the same people, day after day after day. This is truly a missed opportunity.   If you’re looking to advance your career have lunch with people in other areas of your organization. Get together with folks in other departments and learn about what’s happening in other facets of your company. Go to lunch with your superiors and learn to see the enterprise from their perspective. Learn more about those who report to you, or others in the organization and see if there’s a way that you can help them advance their career. You’ll quickly become a more valuable employee with a better understanding of the bigger picture. This will improve your chances of advancement, or at the very least insulate you from the next downsizing event.   Next look outside your organization. Ask your counterpart at a competitor to lunch. Learn about their successes and challenges. See if you can’t build a relationship where you can help each other out. These can be invaluable should you ever find yourself without a job or if a better opportunity presents itself within your industry you’ll be one of the first to know.   This certainly isn’t rocket science, it’s just lunch. Don’t be afraid to ask ANYONE to join you for lunch. You’ll find that you’ll rarely if ever be turned down.   Who are you going to ask to lunch today?   Happy networking!   Scott Ingram NetworkInAustin.com

Author: Scott Ingram

Love Your Competitors

posted on April 6, 2006

Having a relationship with your competitors is much more likely to help you than it is to hurt you. I’ve written about competition a few times on this blog (see the competition category), and I often speak about it as well. There is so much good that can come out of being on good terms with your competitor. Something recently happened here in town that showed me yet another benefit of this type of relationship that I hadn’t thought of before. I’m going to tell this story and leave the names of the individuals and companies out to protect the innocent (and the guilty). Company A had 2 local sales reps who were both excellent networkers. They both spent nearly 2 years building a very strong client base. During that time they both had a good relationship with one of the sales reps from Company B. Recently Company A had some major problems and couldn’t fulfill their promises to their customers. The 2 reps from Company A quickly saw what was happening. They both have a lot of integrity and quickly left the company to pursue other opportunities.  Both of these reps had spent a substantial amount of time building relationships through networking, and valued the relationships they’d developed with their customers. Because they wanted their customers to be taken care of they spoke with the sales rep they knew from Company B. They both knew that this former competitor could take care of their customers so they referred ALL of their former clients to the sales rep that worked for Company B. Can you imagine having one of your competitors giving you ALL of the business they had spent the last 2 years developing? It gets better. Company B has over a dozen local sales reps. Only this one individual knew BOTH of the sales reps from Company A since they invested time networking and the other sales reps at Company B did not. Because they went out and networked and built relationships with their competitors they received ALL of the business from the former Company A sales reps. Pick up the phone. Call one of your competitors today and find a time that you can get together for lunch. You’ll find that they’re people too, and you never know where that relationship might lead.  Happy networking! Scott IngramNetworkInAustin.com

Author: Scott Ingram

What Your Mother Always Told You & Your Competitors

posted on October 2, 2005

When I was growing up my mom frequently told me: "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all." An experience just this last week showed me just how important that advice is.I was speaking with someone (who will remain nameless) on the phone this last week. We were catching up on several things and as we were talking he was browsing the business directory on NetworkInAustin.com to see who else was a member. He stumbled across one of his competitors and basically said that she had no clue what she was doing and the advice that she gives publicly is all misinformation.Unbeknownst to this nameless individual the competitor he was referring to has been a very valuable asset to me. She has helped me tremendously and has provided some very useful advice. This causes me to have a lot of trust and respect for her.As I result of our conversation I now have no respect for this person who recklessly trashes his competitors.Since I was watching some college football this weekend I'm reminded of the commercial where the referee tells the fans: "You have to give respect, to get respect." That guy is almost as smart as my mom!You never know what kind of relationships folks have with your competitors. Saying anything negative about them is NOT going to help you. If anything it'll make you appear weaker. Respect your competitors, and work to demonstrate that you are the better person and have the superior product or service.Happy networking!Scott IngramNetworkInAustin.com

Author: Scott Ingram

Your Competitor... Your Greatest Ally?

posted on August 5, 2005

I attended an interesting presentation late last year in which I first heard the term: "Coopetition." A combination of the words Cooperation and Competition.After spending some time thinking about the concept I decided at the beginning of this year that I no longer believed in competition. Having adopted that mindset for the last 6 months has really shown me that doors that you couldn't even see before get flung wide open when you embrace this way of thinking. I've even started referring a lot of competitors to each other.Here's the way I see it. As long as you go in without preconceived notions and an open mind, you can have a great meeting with your competitor. 90 percent of the time you'll find that there are a variety of things that your company does better than they do, and there are several things that they do better than you. Therein lies the opportunity. If you can find these areas, and find a way to work together to take advantage of these expertise you'll both win!I know, I know. You think I'm nuts! Humor me. Pick up the phone right now and call one of your competitors. Tell them that you'd like to get together for lunch, a cup of coffee, or better yet a couple of beers. Be up front! Either tell them on the phone when you're setting the appointment what your agenda is so that they can prepare themselves, or make sure you explain the purpose of you're meeting at the beginning of your time together. Better yet, have them read this blog post (you can use the ‘e-mail this page' link at the top of the page).There are other reasons to network with your competition as well. Read my friend: Thom Singer's August 2nd post entitled "Competitors As Friends" on his Business Development/Networking Blog. In this post Thom suggests some other compelling reasons why you might want to build a good relationship with your competition.Look for other opportunities as well. Do they service a market that you're not interested in? Refer that business to them. Maybe they'll be willing to call up their old prospects and refer them to you. Imagine the power and goodwill that would be created in your own mind if someone that you decided not to do business with called you and said the following: "Ms. Prospect. I know you've decided not to do business with us, and that's ok. In case you still have a need for wacky widgets I thought I'd offer to connect you with our competitor. I want to make sure you get what you need, and they might be a better fit for you. Should I have them give you a call?" I don't know about you, but I'd probably fall out of my chair. I'd also have a really great feeling about both companies.The possibilities are endless. Try it! What's the worst that could happen?Have a competitor experience you'd like to share? I'd love to hear about it. Send me an e-mail: scott |at| networkinaustin.com. Happy networking!Scott IngramNetworkInAustin.com

Author: Scott Ingram