Written by: Vickie Sullivan | December 13, 2018
How to Neutralize a Copycat
Dealing with copycats is like playing “Whack-a-Mole.” For every wannabe out there pretending to be your peer, there are several that pop up at the worst time: during sales conversations with prospective buyers.
The good news: Usually, these folks are new to the scene and don’t have your insight or experience. The problem, though, is the buyer doesn’t know that. They don’t understand the impact of the differences.
What can we do to neutralize the copycat’s impact? Three words: Steal. Their. Thunder.
To do this, you need two things:
• First, their outcome and their approach, which is easy to find on their website.
• Second, the impact of their inexperience—what they get wrong, why, and what train wreck happens next.
Listen: What to Say When the Buyer Is Looking at Other Options
I’ll use myself as an example. Everyone and their housecat say they are market strategists. But many are tacticians who do strategy because their clients don’t have one. I explain that situation to the buyer, and I point out how strategy looks different when developed with a set of tactics in mind. I also include stories about how folks like them got derailed when they put this approach in action.
The result: The wannabe looks like a disaster hiding in plain sight. And I don’t appear to bash the competition because I’m talking at 30,000 feet and not mentioning names. The buyer either agrees with the idea (and I have a great client), or they don’t (and I’ve dodged a bullet).
We can’t stop all copycats, but we can neutralize their impact. Make these folks look like a cheap imitation, and your best buyers will ignore them.
Now Read This:
- How to Become the Best and Only Option
- Strategic Sounding Boards Give Real-World Advice for When the Rubber Meets the Road
Author : Tamara
Published: 2018-12-13 05:13:10
Great insights Vickie! Thank you for sharing this valuable information.