Businesses And Salesmen Need Competition To be Great

I just read about a business owner that was so remarkable and so successful that his competitors all folded…one by one. That left him in a position that we all dream of…but we need to be careful what we wish for. We’re all envious of those with no competition, because they can stink and still make money. But would you really want to stink ? Would you really want to be able to tell your customers to kiss off ?

I wouldn’t. Competition is what’s caused me to sharpen my skills, broaden my horizons and work like a borrowed mule to make myself and my company better.

Think of your local electric company. Are they mindful of your needs ? Of course not. They have you over a barrel and treat you poorly, if they’re like any of the one’s I’ve had in my life.

Does your local phone company bend over backwards to make you happy ? Hell no ! They tell you when to jump and how high !

Does your local cable provider rush out to hook up your new service ? Not a freakin’ chance ! 2 weeks minimum for hookups. No service ? We’ll have a guy there within 48 hours…maybe.

Nope, competition is a good thing and it’s the reason we have so many features on all the products we use. Were it not for competition, you wouldn’t have Pay-Per-View movies on demand.

You wouldn’t have 125 channels on your cable or satellite reception.

You wouldn’t have 5 for $5 nights at your local burger joint.

The man I read about actually started another company to compete with his original company so his sales force would have to stay sharp and his customer service people would have to be kind, helpful and courteous.

Can you even imagine ? Me neither.

Without competition, a sales force would deteriorate rapidly. Why ? Because a man/woman grows proportionately with the obstacles he/she has to overcome.

It’s only the weak and the poorly prepared that fear competition.

The same goes for blog/websites. Don’t fear your competition. Give thanks that they’re there to make you think harder, work smarter and try new angles. Quit trashing them and spend that time sharpening your tools. You’ll be better off in the long run and might just have a few more friends.