Every now and then I run into something on Linked In that I have to read multiple times in disbelief, “did someone really just type and post that?!”
I’ve removed this person’s identifying information, but still want to share his (or her) post:
It amazes me how competition in business is frowned up nowadays and nobody is really willing to put it all on the line against their competitors to get a gig anymore.
Is it fear, ego, lack of confidence, a why bother we're comfortable attitude? Anyone else notice this?
I used to have vendors throwing themselves at me for the chance to earn my business. I used to hold open contract competitions for web design, logo design, branding, SEO and social.
I'd interview firms and freelancers and say, whomever gets to the finish line first with my minimum desired results and who goes above and beyond will get the contract as well as all of my future work.
Some balked and told me that this was stupid, they don't work for free, they don't need my business...and then there were those who loved the idea and wanted to compete!
Does anyone else like hold competitions and utilize gamification when hiring or picking vendors?
They use the phrase “gamification…” but really, what this person misses is “the game.” “The game” is all about you, the customer, feeling like you’re king. It’s ego-driven, not value-driven. You want free meals, swag and often times…free work (“some balked….they don’t work for free”). This type of customer will always dangle the "carrot" of a big contract...just to see how much juice they can get out of you without paying a dime.
There is nothing wrong in marketing and sales with making the customer the “hero” of the story. In fact, it’s an incredibly effective method. But this person’s vision of partnering is skewed more towards a child’s view of business where if you have the cash, you get to make puppets dance.
Competition isn’t frowned upon these days, it is however, vastly different than this person's view. Competition is centered around who can establish trust, who can showcase value and who can create relationships. Not swag, meals and free work. The reason so many of us quit "competing" like this is because we'd invest thousands (if not more) of dollars, hours and resources only to have "customers" like this...go dark on us. No feedback, no response to calls. Because they got free work and we're left holding the bag.
I’m competitive by nature and I love “beating” competitors out…but I don’t do it by offering Wal-Mart style pricing. I don’t do it by working for free and I don’t do it by playing a game. We win because we become trusted partners. We win because we compete the right way; showcasing skills and detailing out how our services make you, the customer, better. And when we win this way, everyone is better off.
I will give this person credit on one point…I don’t want their business. And it’s not complacency, ego, fear or whatever bullshit they claimed in their misguided rant, it’s because you’d be a bad customer. You value the game over transparency and partnering. You want a zero-sum game where you win and your vendor loses…but at least YOU got a “good deal.”
And that’s the real lesson in all of this…there is bad money out there. Bad customers. And you can’t ever let yourself become so desperate that you’d take on someone like this. They’ll damage your business, kill morale and make you even more desperate.
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