For Business people, Artisans, Entrepreneurs e.t.c
There is that story of a tiger that was domesticated for a while but one day, it tasted blood. Since that day, the tiger has continued to crave for blood.
The tiger will do anything to get blood and that is the danger of keeping such wild animals as pets.
Once they taste blood, they are never satisfied until they taste another one. Hence the Spanish proverb: “the tiger that has once tasted blood is never sated with the taste of it”
In my marketing classes, it is one of my statements that you must never allow your competitors taste blood.
Competitors in this case are referred to as the domesticated tiger that must not be allowed to taste blood.
On the other hand, blood to the competitors is your market share that must be guarded jealously.
Many times, sales and marketing directors get carried away with other plans that they don’t know when their market share gets taken away.
The reality of competitors taking market shares from the “original owner” is that it hardly ever gets taken back from them.
Once you allow competitors to take a territory in your industry, the territory may remain ceded to your competitor.
It is your responsibility to do everything to protect your market shares in each of the segments you operate and in each geographical area where you are present.
Marketing is war and it is a situation of conquer or you will be conquered. The only difference here is that it is a battle of wits and strategies.
Study your competitors and know their areas of strength and weaknesses. Fight them in the areas of their weakness and avoid them gaining upper hand in the areas where you are weak.
Work on your weak areas and improve rapidly on them.
Continue to develop capacity in areas of your strength and ensure you are always winning.
By Charles Thomas