|
|
Australian Signatures
An Australian Gift to Stir the Senses! Featuring recipes from throughout Australia and top travel destinations.
Publication Information & Forms
|
|
Get Ahead Kids Magazine
An exciting new bi-monthly magazine that promotes quality educational information and innovations.
Magazine Information & Forms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Click the links below
for helpful Marketing Tips. |
|
|
| |
| RESEARCHING
YOUR COMPETITION & WEAKNESSES |
| |
One thing I have learned in business is to respect my competition
and to keep track of them, not out of curiosity but to monitor my
competitive strengths and weaknesses and to set my competitive position.
Researching your competition need not be a “cloak and dagger”
affair. There is plenty of public information within ready access.
Some of this information may be right under your nose!
1 KEEP TRACK
OF TENDER SUCCESSES & FAILURES
This is the most powerful information and most companies do not
monitor it. By far the easiest way of tracking your competition
is through your tender/proposal record. You may get so elated at
winning a major tender that you forget to ask some critical questions:
When You Win a Tender, Please
Ask and Record the Following Questions:
- What companies made the shortlist?
- Why were they rejected?
- Why did I succeed?
The Process
is Similar for Tender Losses Only the Questions Change:
- Who won the tender?
- On what basis was the tender awarded?
- Were there any other criteria taken into consideration?
- What weight was given to these criteria?
2 FEEDBACK
ON TENDERS
Completing tenders is a lengthy project and I include as a condition
of tender that I am given feedback if I do not win it. Companies that
ask for free tenders have a moral obligation to provide feedback.
Some companies try to fob you off by telling you that you lost the
tender on the basis of price. It's important to ask more questions
when you are told that you lost the tender on this basis. By how much
was I out? What other factors were considered?
3
ROLE OF CHEMISTRY
The role of chemistry is a critical factor in winning competitive
tenders. I do not submit for tenders if:
- I do not like the contact or the company
- The company is socially irresponsible
- The company representative indicates either verbally or non
verbally that they dislike me
- I hear through the grapevine that the tender is a sham
- The tender is intending to keep the current provider
A few years ago I heard through the grapevine that a tender I was
involved in was already awarded. I was also told to whom it was awarded.
I fronted the executives who looked me in the eyes and assured me
it was a level playing field. My company took one month to complete
the tender and surprise, surprise the tender was awarded to the exact
company named in my diary.
This episode went one stage further as the marketing manager informed
me how inappropriate my company was to undertake the project. This
begs the question, if I was so inappropriate why was I on the select
tender list?
4
COMPETITIVE INFORMATION
There is plenty of public material on competitors within easy access.
This may include advertising business location, listed officers, catalogues,
brochures, annual reports, returns to corporate affairs, and directories.
As with everything in life it isn’t what you have but how you
use it.
Let’s take competitors’ advertising. What does it tell
you:
- Services they provide
- Consistency of image
- Whether they have advertising objectives
- Their budget
- Commitment to product lines
- How innovative they are
5 MYSTERY
SHOPPER
A professional company is more appropriate to complete this type
of research as it does involve some “cloak and dagger”
activities. This research needs to be undertaken in a systematic
manner and may include questions on the following aspects: personnel,
services, trading hours, parking, prices, stock, special features,
payment details, contractual details, type of customers, references,
customer service, appointment schedules, dynamism image, marketing
material.
Maria Charlton B Com MBA AFAMI
CPM
Managing Director - MAP Marketing
+61 2 4929 7766
|
|
|
|
Marketing Diagnostic Tools. [More]
|
|
|
|
|
Maria Charlton's father Spyridon Karmogiannis was part
of the Greek Guerilla War after WWII. [More]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Thank you so much for our beautiful new logo. I
didn't think we could ever give up our previous logo.
What a difference when I compare both now."
Anne Nicola & Andrew Andreou - Bibina
[More]
|
|
|
