Belmont University

Turn Your Competitors into Your Sales Force

After giving a speech to a business group yesterday, I was reminded by one of the participants of an unexpected benefit of finding a safe little market niche. Many established businesses that you might normally think of as your competitors can become your sales force.

Find a niche that is a part of the market that established businesses don't really want to serve. The customers may be too small for their operation, or serving them may be just too inefficient for their size. I have seen this recently in new law practices, landscapers, healthcare, web design, food distributors, etc., etc. Look for needs to serve not just in customers, but also in the businesses already establsihed in the market.

What seems like crumbs to them can become your feast. Actively market to them. You will make them look good, as they will have an easy referral outlet for business that does not fit their model. That keeps them looking like a good guy to their referral sources.


Posted by Jeff Cornwall on June 11, 2008 06:42 AM |

Comments

Great post! As a general comment, I think this blog is great. I'm trying to get my own business program (Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship at the Wisconsin School of Business) to see the benefit of a good business blog. Keep up the good work!

-Thomas, the Yacrosoft blogger

Birdied by: Thomas Carmona | June 12, 2008 12:37 PM

I also appreciate this post, and I'd like to follow-up: Could you give me an example of a small niche within the industries you listed that would benefit from the "crumbs" of bigger businesses?

Birdied by: Ed | June 12, 2008 03:55 PM

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