Influencing the competition

I met up with one of Influencer50’s competitors yesterday. It’s always an interesting experience discussing the market and client needs with a rival. Give and take is the broad rule.

Competitors are a primary source of influence for your market. Remember, the important thing about influence is who you’re trying to influence. I’m trying to influence my customers and prospects, and so are my competitors.

Traditional marketing dictates that competitors should be regard as hostile enemy, to be dissed at every opportunity. But that approach doesn’t work anymore – your customers are way too smart for that nonsense.

We show our clients how to engage with influencers, to enlist them in marketing activities. But if competitors are influencers how can you influence them in your favour. Isn’t this an oxymoron?

There are many types of influencer that you can’t expect to be overt advocates. Analysts (the good ones, anyway) for instance. So it is for competitors – they are unlikely to be your advocates. But you can make sure that you are on their radar screen. You can make sure that, when a prospect mentions your firm, your competitor knows who you are and has something other than hearsay to respond with. In fact, competitors appear well-connected with the market place if they understand the strengths and weaknesses of their competition (that is, you).

So meet your competitors. Discuss broad market issues. Discuss other non-present competitors (mine enemy’s enemy, and all that). Show them that you’re human, not an ogre. It also turns out that competitors are just as keen on meeting you as you are on them. There is quid pro quo at play, and it should benefit you both.