How to Handle Your Competition

Last week, diving and swooping, hummingbirds sped past my kitchen window. I love to watch them feed. Their antics are laughable. If you have had the opportunity to watch them, you understand. They constantly fight over the feeder. Although the feeder has four “blossoms” which potentially allow four birds to feed at one time, in reality only one does. Occasionally, two will. Once or twice I have seen three. Never have I seen four.

More likely, I am entertained by one bird chasing another away from the feeder. Each bird will go to great lengths to force another bird from the feeder so that it alone may feed. I have seen one dive-bomb another who had settled at the feeder. I have seen one approaching the feeder get chased away by another suddenly flying past. I actually have seen one peck at the back of another which was feeding. They focus so much on getting the other birds away from the feeder that I often wonder how they get the chance to feed. Judging from my daily changing of the feeder, however, I know that they do.

One of my neighbors took down her feeder because she dubbed these birds “mean.” I disagree. These birds are merely being themselves. They remind me of some business people I have met.

These business people are always concerned about what their competition is doing. What is the competition’s latest promotion? What is the competition’s newest line? How are the competition’s sales? Rather than focusing on their customers, these business people spend their time focusing on their competition. Like the hummingbirds, they want to chase the competition away from their customers.

These business people want their customers all to themselves.

While that is understandable, it is not realistic. Customers may also check out and/or do business with your competition. Accept that fact. Know your competition so that you understand why your customer might do business there. After that, focus on your customer. Focusing on your competition too much takes your focus off your customer.

Be like the hummingbirds who fed the most. They sat at the feeder, focused on imbibing the rich liquid, and ignored the competition which attempted to chase them away. The best way to "beat" your competition is to focus on your customer, give that customer what he or she wants, and keep the customer coming back to do business with you time after time.

After all, your revenue comes from your customer, not your competition, doesn't it?