Sizing Up The Competition

Does anybody remember “Used Cars”?

For those of us of a certain age – or non-film buffs of any age – “Used Cars” is a 1980 comedy starring Kurt Russell as Rudy Russo a ruthless salesman at a struggling used car lot. Most of his time is spent trying to sell the clunkers that make up his inventory and scheming against the lot and its equally slimy manager across the street.

Anyone looking for social commentary or a clever message in between the laughs is better directed elsewhere: “Used Cars” is a boneheaded, vulgar and fun comedy worth a watch, albeit not with the young ones around.

At its core, though, “Used Cars” is about one-upping the competition, which is something any business owner or sales person strives toward regularly. And, unlike the movie, this is serious business.

In any industry, consumers can always purchase products or services at more than one place. Consumers know this, as do the companies vying for their business.

For a company to have a working knowledge about their competition’s operations is critical. Oftentimes, the competing businesses share many of the same supply vendors, compete head-to-head for new clients or accounts, and are keenly aware of any big sales or events the other guys have lined up on the horizon.

It’s also commonplace for the dueling businesses to poach each other’s employees, which can be as big a win as landing a desired contract or client. For many industries, this isn’t shifty or unethical: it’s simply the nature of the beast.

When it comes to providing a prospect a thorough assessment of their current online setup and creating a winning, long-term and profitable marketing program, we also hone in on professional opponents. Basically, when we come on board, we do a thorough competitive analysis and their competition becomes our competition.

The same detail and energy we put into evaluating a prospective client’s pre-Leverage Internet marketing operations is also put into those of their rivals. We look for any strengths they may have working in their favor and make ourselves aware of any elements sorely missing or neglected in their online operations.

As each business that requests our services or takes us on as a client is unique, our approach to providing them a winning online presence is unique as well.

We pride ourselves on tailoring a plan for our prospects that’s exclusive solely to their operations: we never have and never will offer a one-size-fits-all or boilerplate plan for any companies who seek our expertise. And this philosophy along with our competitive analysis is most important when it comes to aiding companies who look to the Internet as a means to sway clients or customers from their professional adversaries.

Also, we expect our clients to experience changes – for the better or for worse – in their business. Be it an unexpected bump in profits or the arrival of a new company with deeper pockets opening up down the road that poses a threat to their existence, we at Leverage find ways for our clients to capitalize on their surprise windfall with their website or counter any adversity when it comes to their online endeavors. While a company may experience bumps in the road, we’re continuously evolving, and all for the continued benefit of our clientele.

And unlike Russell’s Russo and his “Used Cars” cohorts, there’s not a lemon to be found in our lot.