8/17/2009
Knocking the Competition Destroys Credibility – Yours
Market Your Strengths, Not the Competitor’s Weakness
The current health care debate raging in the U.S. will make a spectacular case study of ad hominem argument. This persuasive technique involves attacking the character of the arguer rather than the quality of the argument.
At this writing, proponents of health care reform are lambasting opponents for being shrill and impolite. True or not, the style in which a message is delivered has little to do with the rightness or wrongness of the message. When that fact sinks in with the citizenry, an ad hominem argument engenders serious backlash. Knocking the competition is a high risk strategy, and an ignoble one at that.
As usual, politicians can learn much from the business community, where it is very well established that knocking the competition backfires in the long run, and usually in the short run as well. Here’s why.
- When you knock the competition, you are perceived as petty
- When you knock the competition, you imply you have no significant value to offer
- When you knock the competition, you convey desperation
- When you knock the competition, you invite the prospect to look into what’s wrong with you
- When you knock the competition, if it is the current supplier, you immediately put the prospective customer on the defensive
A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a sometimes business partner who was concerned because someone had cast aspersions on her website in a blog post. My reaction was: good. That will probably drive more business toward you and away from them.
Don’t Forget the No-Knock Rule in Social Media
Now, all this probably goes without saying, in the business community, anyway. No firm in its right mind would insult competitors in a brochure or on its website.
But how often do we see the no-knock rule being violated on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites? Negativity, even when not directed against a competitor, can turn off potential customers. It’s not good business messaging strategy. If your social media conversation is directed negatively toward a competitor, you may be in grave danger.
When I say this, it’s sort of the pot calling the kettle black. I admit, on Twitter especially, I have an impulse to vent and complain. But then I think, who wants to do business with a hothead? Who wants to kick off a relationship with a curmudgeon? Despite the fact neither of those apply to me (generally speaking), it’s an impression I risk creating.
True, the maverick, the iconoclast, and the rebel have a certain cache in some business circles. But be careful. While it’s tempting to appeal to a few, you may alienate many. And once lost, a reputation is hard to regain.
18 Responses to Knocking the Competition Destroys Credibility – Yours
Wow, this is what’s troubling me, Brad. Negative, adversarial and malicious blogging directed at me and my group of friends. We refused to join the link baiting and the resolve not to join the fray is being severely tested.
This is very sensible advice, Brad. I’m glad I’ve stumbled into this at a time like this. I’m very thankful and I felt vindicated that my initial instinct not to strike back with as much venom is justified after all.
Thanks a lot. A toast to common sense then.
Hi Jan, It does my heart good to know that my post crossed your path at just the time you needed it. You and your Jedi friends have a lot going for you. I hope you don’t get distracted and derailed by negativity.
Funnily enough, I have a blog post planned on a very similar topic!
Incidentally, I don’t think you come across as a hotheaded, venting, complaining curmudgeon at all. Wry and questioning, perhaps – which is no bad thing (in fact, I think it engenders trust). When it comes to your fellow social media users, your online persona is the complete opposite of the blogger who chooses to knock the competition. Rather, you’re a generous retweeter and promoter of other people’s blogs. You obviously recognise that there’s no such thing as competitors, only potential collaborators and referral partners.
@Brad: Thanks a lot.
@Clare: Is your comment addressed to me? It feels you’re talking with me though. If so, thanks a lot. Your comment cheered me up. “,)
Hi Clare, Thank you for spreading good cheer! Speaking of good cheer, I look forward to your weekly cartoons.
As always, Very Good Advice Brad. Keeping in the mindset of ‘solving’ can be very difficult when you continually hit away at competition’s failings. Even if you are correct you haven’t positioned yourself as someone who can solve the problems better, you’re just the bearer of bad news. And as you said, when you are attempting to dislodge a current vendor it raises serious defensiveness within your potential customer. (And you never know when the ‘failings’ of a competitor exist because that’s what the customer wanted.)
Howdy Brad! Powerful words that provoke some thought today…
Closely related to this is the tendency to use hyperbole to enhance an argument, too. That turns folks off even faster, I think. Better to stick to the provable facts. Besides, the other side may just hurt itself far better than I could!
Fred, You said that very well: delivering bad news is always a downer and seldom inspires customers to become enthused about doing business with you.
Robert, Another great point. This is a real issue in advertising and marketing copy writing – you’re always touting the best this or the best that. And, in social media, there’s been a strong reaction against people claiming to be experts. All this leads to what you might call “adjective inflation” – the search for ever more grandiose descriptions of products and services. Kind of a turnoff, isn’t it?
An excellent and timely post, Brad.
I have to say I agree, I think that in any marketing strategy it is much more beneficial to concentrate on your strengths rather than berating the opposition.
If you do spend all your time concentrating on their negative points then it is likely to convey to the consumers that you have nothing good to say about yourself.
Never ever knock the competition….embrace them instead and see how you can create synergy. Especially in the online world, the Internet is big enough for anyone who is unique and confident to stand on their own two feet.
I much prefer ‘colleagues’ to competitors.
Danielle, Pity is, every company has something positive to say about itself. What do you say about yourself to a client by failing to say it?
Barbara, That’s a great vision, and at certain levels in two organizations, it can very much be the case. On the street, though, I can’t imagine a competitor free playing field, particularly in my familiar turf, b2b, where buyers foster competition among salespeople perhaps more than the salespeople themselves.
The act of knocking the competition paints a picture of what we are more clearly than the words we use to knock them.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “What you are shouts so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what you say.”
Terry, You said that much better than I did. And I hope you won’t be offended if I say Emerson said it even better. Thank you for offering this succinct wisdom that every sales and marketing professional should remember.
I hope everyone follows this, even the tv commercials. I am really annoyed how one destroys the competitors just to prove to the public that they were better.
madz, If we could stop negative advertising AND political campaigns, what a world it would be!
Do you categorize a comparison of features and benefits, respectfully presented, as knocking?
Hi Bill, No – that’s not what I had in mind. I was really thinking of “below the belt” shots at the competition.