The Other Guys

Some practical advice that I follow from Jill Konrath:

Should I mention my competitor?

Posted: 25 Mar 2010 05:59 PM PDT

Recently I got an email from Chris, who is trying to get her foot in the door of companies who are using one of her primary competitors. She wanted to know:

If we offer the same service at a cheaper rate with additional services, should I mention their current provider and then state their missed opportunities related to my value proposition? Or should I leave the name of the provider out all together?

Here's my response:

It's okay to be knowledgeable and state the other vendor's name. Do it in a matter-of- fact manner. State that that's why you're calling.

If you don't, they'll try to blow you off with "We're already working with XYZ Company". Now they can't use that excuse because that's the primary reason you're initiating contact. That's why you want to be upfront about it.

Then state that you offer additional capabilities that can enable them to shrink/minimize/eliminate/increase (key business driver) at the same or less cost - and would like to set up a time to discuss this.

What would you suggest?

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