Wanna know if you’re successful? Watch how your competitors respond to you. That’s the FIRST sign. If they are attacking you and trying to steal your clients, you’re on the right track. Here are a few ways to deal with them when they become TOO shiesty and there are times that they will. When budgets are tight, all hell can break loose especially when you have a brand that is working and generationg revenue. If you have any kind of success in business, there is a good change that you will come across an unscrupoulus competitor(s). They will come after your clients, bad mouth you and worse of all try to copy exactly what you do. Then have the nerve to smile in your face and shake your hand. Truth be told when competitors act this way, they are envious, jealous and frustrated because they can’t do what you do. They may be under the impression that they are owed something because of their tenure but the bottom line is they are not doing what you do and they can’t so what better way to get even but to attack you and your brand. In my industry there is a quite rule or a “gentleman’s agreement” that if you are a entrepreneur, you NEVER step on the toes of another business owners. For the most part MOST people who would be considered my competitors abide by the rules as I do.. but there are two who are constantly working to destroy my brand and good standing in the indsutry and I’m completely aware of it, perhaps unbeknowst to them. Ironically BOTH of these men were once my bosses who treated me like crap when I worked under them so for me to rise above the ashes and turn lemons into lemonade has ruffled their feathers in the worst way. Truth be told, I should have been THEIR boss. (lol) Here are a few tips on dealing with unsrupulous people like this:
You are only as Good As Your Brand
If you are established in what you do and it works, it will be next to impossible not to see what your competitor is doing wrong. It’s not your job to tell them or bad mouth them. Why would you want to do that? You’re not at a loss. There are times that their frustration is completley derived from the fact that they don’t have the talent, skill or creativity that you do. Perhaps they are in the wrong business or they have a horrific attitude. Whatever the case may be, it’s not your fault that they are where they are, so NEVER feel obligated to help a competitor unless you choose to. I help competitors if they respect my brand. It’s important that we support each other as entrepreneurs but when someone is attacking what you do or who you are… good luck to them.
When Lies Come Back to Haunt You
One of my competitors has a reputation as a liar. This has been for the past 2o or more years and that’s not an easy reputation to clean up. He’s been busted several times and he cleans up his lies with more lies. He is basically relegated as a joke behind his back and people don’t respect him.