Friends with the Enemy
Competition can be fierce these days. At one point, it was almost taboo to point fingers directly at your competition. Measures were taken to blur the lines, disguise things, so while for the most part, your audience knew who you were talking about when describing how much ‘better’ you were then ‘someone else’, but it was done in a way that was more… tactful.
Nowadays, its almost a no holds battle between competitors. Each throwing the other under the bus. Not only this, every individual seems to be in it for themselves. Its a race to the top and it doesn’t matter who or what is stepped on to get there.
Imagine if you would, a world where instead of looking out for yourself, or looking out for ‘the company’s’ best interest, this was put aside to work towards a common goal.
What if your favourite fast food chains aligned. One with the superior burger, the other with the superior side. You’re getting the best of both worlds. Two companies, competitors, working together for the common goal of filling your late night cravings. Now you, as the consumer, are ecstatic. You’re going to one place, and getting everything you need. At the end of the day, rather then looking at these two entities as competition, you’re looking at them as – well almost a hero. They worked together to provide for the consumers. While they still have other competition, you look at them on a different level as they were able to set differences aside to work for a common goal. And in this case, the common goal was your stomach.
Now lets apply this same logic to Security.
While some Security companies try to be all encompassing, covering all of your basic security needs. Some take it a step further and specialize in some or all of their services. Why be ok at everything, when you can be the best at the services you provide? While at the end of the day, this company that chooses to specialize will most likely still cover the common need, they’ve chosen to carve out a niche in a market where the average company tries to do it all while not excelling at the services they provide.
Now what if these companies that specialize, they embark in partnerships or agreements with other companies. Both companies have the same common goal – Security and Safety. One may be better in some areas then others. In a lot of cases, there is clientele that have a variety of needs. Would it be so wrong, that instead of saying ‘Yes I can’ and failing, we say, ‘You know what, We can, but let me introduce you to our Partner who is better suited to fit these specific needs’.
Now you have a customer that has an increased level of trust. They trust your company, and your services. They have up until this point, and now, that trust has deepened. You took a moment to recognize where instead of your bottom line being the most important thing, their needs were what mattered most.
Partnering with a competitor that compliments your services as opposed to directly competes on all levels, can really hit a sweet spot with your market. Both competitors are still getting something out of the deal, and the customer now knows they have options depending on their needs. And they know they’re working with a company – or rather – companies – that CARE. Like really and truly. Its not often that a customer at the end of the day, feels like they’re working with companies that are looking to provide to their bottom line, their needs, their wants, as opposed to themselves.
It should be common sense that the customer comes first. After all, they’re the bread and butter of everyone’s business – regardless of what your business is. What the customer needs, the business provides. Its the basic fact of business. And its basically true on a lot of levels. In the end, everyone is in business to make money, because without making money, you’d have no business. Working with your competition will most likely not hurt your bottom line, but shockingly, may even increase it. You’re increasing your services, specializing, carving out a niche, and building trust. Important building blocks for a truly successful company.
So the next time, instead of look at your competition negatively, think about what they can do to help you. And rather then throw them under the bus, throw them under your wing.
Guest Blogger Rayna Davies
Rayna Davies is a graduate and practitioner of Business Management. She has developed an expertise in blogging, covering subjects like travel, world events and security. Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and 
experienced many security details. These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities. She presently assists Sentinel Security in Executive Protection workshops and guest blogging and also assists Gloprosec Preventative Services in Intelligence gathering and Business Administration. Her passions include World travel, having visited every continent. She currently is on maternity leave and providing daily close protection for a baby and a toddler and spending time with her husband who is a Police Officer.
