The Benefits Of Competition?
06.17.2007 | Chris BaileyBernie DeKoven at DeepFun.com asks, Must we compete? Perhaps a better question is, When should we compete? I don’t see competition as an all-out negative compared to cooperation. That would ignore the benefits of competition. One way to compete is with ourselves as a way to improve our skills and experience.
Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Just because folks can take competition to the extreme doesn’t mean it’s a negative. Competition can teach just as well as cooperation. We need to be well-rounded and that means knowing when to compete with ourself and others and then when to cooperate.
2 Responses to “The Benefits Of Competition?”
Leave a Reply
Hi Chris
I came across this posting in a startup forum yesterday. I thought you might like it… one guy’s perspective on competition: -
————————————-
My girlfriend works at a little coffee shop called “It’s a Grind”. Recently a Starbucks moved in right across the street. The owner, John, tacked a letter up on the wall. I thought it was so great and inspiring that I took a picture and decided to share it. Here it is:
To: TEAM GRIND
From: John
Guys,
We have had a lot of questions from customers and friends about Starbucks going in across the street. Here are some things you might share with customers, assuming that you agree with them:
1) Starbucks WILL be competition. Will Starbucks get some of our business? -yes. Will we get some of their business? -YES. Our drinks taste better than theirs, our store is nicer and more comfortable and our staff is more friendly. I get a lot of positive comments about our staff-it’s doubtful that Starbucks does. These things will keep us competitive in spite of Starbucks brand recognition. An important thing to remember is that many people relate to locally owned businesses. Large international companies like Starbucks have the bottom line (stock price) first in mind and a lot of people don’t relate to that.
2) We are doing well with speed of service at the drive-thru. This is important because Starbucks is good at that. We need to make sure we keep it up and maybe get a little better.
3) Our regulars will stay with us-we have a great core of regular customers that know us and this is important. Our core of customers will grow as the area grows.
4) Food-this will be key in differentiating us from Starbucks. We are in the process of getting our menu set up. This will be in place before the end of the month.
5) Every business that I’ve ever been involved with is competitive-that’s the way life is. People who put their tails between their legs and pout never succeed. People with positive attitudes that stay focused almost always succeed.
6) We will not only succeed but we will be thriving 2 years from now. That’s because we have a great crew, a superior product and competitive prices. If somebody comes in whining-”You can’t compete with Starbucks”-that’s baloney and they have a loser attitude. Keep your chin up and don’t be afraid of competition!
John
One reason this is so great is because John is in his mid-50’s. Even at that age, he still has a startup mentality.
————————————
BTW, this a great blog Chris. There’s a lot of Love and good stuff gone into this.. and it shows.
Hi Nick, that’s fantastic stuff. Thanks so much for sharing it here. It encapsulates the benefits of competition as a way of further improving ourselves and our organizations. And what I really like is that he not only differentiated his store based on product, but that he focused strongly on relationships…relationships with customers, relationships with each other, and relationships to attitude. Here’s hoping that John gets to successfully compete with his fellow businesses – both large and small – for some time to come. And that he helps cultivate a similar entrepreneurial spirit in his staff so they’ll recreate it elsewhere. Thanks again, Nick, for sharing.