by Catia Mondlane
As I was writing my business plan, I would easily answer most questions. But when I got to the market section, this was where I would find it very interesting because it was my chance to show how deep were my studies and research. I had to talk about the market in general where I identified the firm’s target market, a detailed segment and its tendencies for growth. But when I got to the competitors subsection I would always pause, think about it and question myself numerous times on how I should answer. Especially the questions that suggest a sneaky behavior where one actually has to find ways to gather other similar companies’ internal information, the type of information they wouldn’t just give to anyone.
This captured my attention because the way most businesses plans are designed bring about the perception that your competitors are the ones providing similar services or products. Although this is not wrong, as a result it would lead many to write information they can have access to by asking questions directly (with many omissions) or using available general information in the public domain. Others would choose underhand tactics to get the information but this doesn’t cover the whole picture even if you pay for the latest business research.
Whatever one decides to write wouldn’t really matter because everybody is your competitor. Customers are no longer comparing products or services with similar ones anymore, but they compare experiences with experiences regardless of the business field. Understand that most firms have very poor customer service – a golden point to recognize and be a step ahead in order to make you shine.
We have been experiencing one the greatest moment of all times where there are opportunities, abundance and prosperity around us, and it’s wise to be knowledgeably aware that competition comes in many forms and from anywhere. But the big question is how are you making the difference NOW?
Understand that your competitor is everybody that has a positive, polite and passionate approach, answers the phone faster, delivers quicker, listens and understands customers’ needs and is always willing to impress and exceed expectations. And guess what? You can win because as the day began this customer already made a thousand calls to a call center and when finally answered the agent couldn’t meet their expectations, went through a long queue just to hear that the system went down, made a long trip along with traffic congestion to find that must come back tomorrow after being so hard to find a place to park, paid an expensive meal with unpleasant taste and tried to buy but was mistreated and nearly compared to thieves. This is why when you give a customer the golden treatment, they will compare you with the worthless experiences they had in the past (because we all do this) and trust me you will for sure embody incandescent qualities in a finger snap.
Cátia Mondlane is the CEO & Founder of Isabella – Estética & Cosméticos, an innovative Mozambican cosmetic company that brings natural skin solutions based on locally sourced organic and fresh ingredients. Her brand is especially for people with sensitive skin and who want to be kind to their skin at affordable prices. She is currently based in Maputo, Mozambique.
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