I remember the time a local company called to speak with Bellingham PR & Communications about competition. The business owner was concerned about the “what if” scenarios that were taking up too much brain space:
- “What if a new competitor moves to town?”
- “What if a Skagit County competitor starts marketing in Bellingham?”
The truth is, your business likely will be more successful with having local competition than without. If you are already succeeding, if business is doing well, then focus on that instead of worrying about what potential problems could arise from a bit of competition coming to town.
Competition is a natural part of being in business. It’s good to be generally aware of what competitors are doing, but more time and energy should be spent focusing on growing your own business.
How to lessen the impact of competition:
- Educate your customers and/or prospects and make yourself the expert. Be the best representative for your company. Know your business inside and out.
- Strengthen your brand online. Are your products/services up to date with relevant information? Is your website working? Are you on any social media platforms? And if so, are you consistently working the sites?
- Deliver excellent customer service 24/7. How complaints are handled is a critical component to the longevity of a business because complaints, especially public ones, are forever tied to their brand and reputation.
Lastly, we recommend setting business and sales goals and strategically working to accomplish them. Once you’ve done that, set more.
