by Dominick Giambona
12/04/12
Sometimes it seems like you can’t compete. The big guys want to take over, squash the little guys. The thing is, they haven’t and they won’t. Like any Goliath, there is a weakness. Find the weakness and exploit it.
A small or medium sized business can have certain advantages that a lot of your big competitors don’t have. You have to play to your strengths and conversely play to your competitions weaknesses.
So what are these strengths that the corporate behemoths are lacking?
A small or medium business is usually closer to its customers than some east coast nationwide corporation. You can react quicker to customer’s needs. You are more flexible than they are in most instances. You have a closer personal relationship with your clients and that translates into trust.
What happens is, as these corporations get larger they risk losing that personal relationship with their clients for those very same reasons mentioned above.
Face to face trumps phone calls every time. It is the facial expressions, the hand gestures, the posturing that make up to 55% of this dance we call, “communication.” That’s 55% lost over the phone! There is your advantage.
But don’t underestimate the big guys. Their advantage is their resources.
They can afford travel budgets and implement new programs and costly systems to help close the gap.
Keep that relationship fresh, meet with your clients regularly. Call them often. There is one other thing you can do.
Look into CRMs (customer relationship management software) CRM Software is essential for companies who want to keep in touch with their clientele. There are several out there to choose from. They range from the Free to very expensive. They are great at keeping customers information and service records, as well as a way to keep your name in front of them. You can send out promotions or company updates, and much more.
Check out the link below to investigate which best suits your needs.
Next: Have you ever tried to get something done in a corporate atmosphere? It is near impossible. That is where your flexibility and speed come into play. Your client should know that:
a) You are available to them.
b) It should not take an act of congress to get something done if something out of the norm comes up.
These are your strengths that are going to keep you in the game. They are the foundation that your clients can build trust and a good business relationship upon.
You can go toe to toe with the Goliaths of your industry. It is not impossible. You just have to work smarter, understand your strengths and your competitions weaknesses. Have a game plan and execute.
Resources:
CRM Buyer.com:
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/75946.html
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_relationship_management
PC World:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/193463/put_cloud_crm_to_work.html
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