One way to guarantee I use your competitor instead of your business

[Blessed]

I live in a suburb on the far side of a large metropolitan area. Last week I needed to go to another suburb 30-45 minutes away to drop off my sewing machine at the fix-it place and to pick up a new hose for my vacuum cleaner.

I had 2 choices for the vacuum cleaner hose - so I called the first one, got a price, found out they had it in stock and then called the 2nd place. The 2nd place was $5 cheaper but they didn't have it in stock at the location I wanted, if I would drive another 20-30 minutes I could get it, but then I'd be an hour or more away from home and with gas prices like they are around here I didn't think $5 was worth my time and gas so I said no thank you, the other place has it in stock I'll just pick it up there.

After that the guy at the 2nd place offered me another $5 off if I'd wait until Monday to pick up the part - so now I could save $10 off of the price at the initial supplier, but I'd have to make a 2nd trip, and I wouldn't be able to use my vacuum over the weekend. Once again I said, thank you but that won't work for me. Then the guy says "well you must do business with us because we are a much better company than XYZ."

I don't appreciate competitor bashing - that statement guaranteed that I probably won't call that company again. If he had not said that - the next time I needed something for my vacuum I would have called both places the day before I was going to go out and probably would have used the second place if they were cheaper - now that I know that the location closest to me is just a branch and not the main store/warehouse.

Maybe it's an over-reaction of some sort on my part, but that's how I see it. I don't see any good in being negative about your competition. I think you do better overall if you simply focus on your strengths and your customer service and developing some sort of connection with any potential customer you talk to.

What do you think?

[greenoak]

its a good rule...imho...ive heard it a lot...
.we can bash away in general on here but not to our customers...

[KristineS]

I'm very against bashing the competition. I think it just makes you look scared and small. If you can't say anything nice, at least say something non-committal.

We actually had a competitor lose a sale to us at a trade show because the customer had asked the competitor if they knew about us and the competitor said he'd never heard of us, so we must be very small. First, we and the customer, knew the competitor knew about us because we've seen them at other shows, and second, the customer said if the competitor would lie about something small like that, what else would they lie about? So, we got the sale.

It's always better to say something neutral than to say something negative.

[Spider]

I don't think it's a good idea to disparage one's competitors anywhere and to anybody. The trouble with making negative comments is they are still negative , and the more negative comments you make the more negative comments you make - that is to say, such things are accumulative.

You can complain here and among friends but, before long, some customers become friends so how do you draw the line now? You don't draw the line, because that is not something one thinks about so consciously. No matter which way you look at it, speaking badly of one's competitors is never a good idea, at any time, in any place, or to any person.

[huggytree]

I bash my competition all the time...but not by name....my sales doubled when i quit selling myself only and started to show them what my competition does wrong

if you dont get negative about your competition to some degree your losing business...think of politics....going neg. works

never single out a company, but definitely tell the customer what to look out for. I did it just this morning....i showed them the different grades of pipe, showed him my cast iron sump pump....then i told him most companies today are using a lower grade of pipe and a plastic sump pump.....i basically said im high quality and everyone else sells junk to be the lowest price....this sales technique of educating and going neg. on the competition works!

[Blessed]

True Huggy - that does work, because it makes you look knowledgeable and because you are going above and beyond what the other guys who made quotes have done - by educating the customer as to why they need high quality. You are also using the quality as a defining factor that sets you apart from "most other" plumbers. To me that isn't bashing the competition - it's stating a fact. "I charge more because I'm using better quality parts on your job." I say something similar when I'm selling my services to potential clients who are really looking at spending a lot of money getting stuff printed - I worked in the print industry for over 15 years, I've maintained my contacts, my pre-press skills and I know how to make your marketing piece look good and be right when it gets to the printer.

However - I NEVER "bash" anyone by name - I don't say "I'm a better designer" or anything along those lines. In fact I'm happy to compliment those who do similar work and do it well. No gushing compliments that might cost me a job mind you - but definitely a simple, acknowledgment of the fact that I'm not the only designer who can do good work.

What this guy did - saying "you need to do business with us because we are a better company" when all I was doing was price shopping for a simple vacuum cleaner part - was completely out of line and cost his company my business and any recommendations I might ever make to anyone.

[KristineS]

I would have to agree that there's a difference between pointing out the quality of your product vs. others, or your workmanship vs. others in a general sense, and bashing a competitor's company by name. One is education, the other is just negative crap that helps no one. I don't think there's anything out of line about helping customers understand why your product or service is a better value. To me that's not negative, that's fact.

[huggytree]

what if youve heard negative things about a competitor and they have a bad BBB rating...can you tell the customer to look at their BBB rating?

so you can bash all you want the competition as long as you dont 'name' them?