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Question for sellers:what do you do in this situation.

by masterjani
29 replies
I have a question,that I need to ask to warriors for long time.I am facing this situation continuosly from many of my competitors.
What do you do when your competitor buys your product.And talk to you like an anonymous buyer.But you know he is your competitor.
#question #sellerswhat #situation
  • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
    You have got a golden opportunity to play with his/her mind.

    Bend over backwards to give him the best support in the world.

    Give him freebies.

    If you know his address, send him something expensive to thank him for being a customer and that you've had a fabulous year so far.

    Scare the living daylights out of him because he'll never be able to figure out how he can effectively compete with you if you're giving all that to your customers.
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    • Profile picture of the author masterjani
      Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

      You have got a golden opportunity to play with his/her mind.

      Bend over backwards to give him the best support in the world.

      Give him freebies.

      If you know his address, send him something expensive to thank him for being a customer and that you've had a fabulous year so far.

      Scare the living daylights out of him because he'll never be able to figure out how he can effectively compete with you if you're giving all that to your customers.
      Thank you for your great idea,I always proud myself in this situation because my competitors are following me closely.
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      • Profile picture of the author Black Hat Cat
        Banned
        Originally Posted by masterjani View Post

        Thank you for your great idea,I always proud myself in this situation because my competitors are following me closely.
        On the contrary, I wouldn't do that at all. I would give him terrible service, and make him think I'm nobody to worry about. If you give him the impression you're going the extra mile, guess what? He's likely to step up his game as well, making things more competitive for you.
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        • Profile picture of the author ExRat
          Hi masterjani,

          Bend over backwards to give him the best support in the world.

          Give him freebies.

          If you know his address, send him something expensive to thank him for being a customer and that you've had a fabulous year so far.

          Scare the living daylights out of him because he'll never be able to figure out how he can effectively compete with you if you're giving all that to your customers.
          And....

          On the contrary, I wouldn't do that at all. I would give him terrible service, and make him think I'm nobody to worry about. If you give him the impression you're going the extra mile, guess what? He's likely to step up his game as well, making things more competitive for you.
          Do a combination of both of these, that way you'll really confuse them.

          It might be worth keeping an eye on new content from them, particularly if you position your product around something unique.

          On that note, if you think they might steal your content/ideas and you want to be really evil, prepare some specially made products for the competitor which give misleading/false information. I think they call it counter intelligence.

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    • Profile picture of the author williamrs
      Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

      You have got a golden opportunity to play with his/her mind.

      Bend over backwards to give him the best support in the world.

      Give him freebies.

      If you know his address, send him something expensive to thank him for being a customer and that you've had a fabulous year so far.

      Scare the living daylights out of him because he'll never be able to figure out how he can effectively compete with you if you're giving all that to your customers.
      Yes, it would be funny!

      But I simply don't worry too much about competition. There will always be competitors and it's just part of the game. I try to focus a lot more on my customers and partners and try to identify what are their needs and concerns. IMO, as long as your customers are happy with your products and services the competition is not something for you to worry about.


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    • Profile picture of the author debra
      Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

      You have got a golden opportunity to play with his/her mind.

      Bend over backwards to give him the best support in the world.

      Give him freebies.

      If you know his address, send him something expensive to thank him for being a customer and that you've had a fabulous year so far.

      Scare the living daylights out of him because he'll never be able to figure out how he can effectively compete with you if you're giving all that to your customers.
      Your just TOO scary sometimes.
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  • Profile picture of the author Keith Everett
    Originally Posted by masterjani View Post

    I have a question,that I need to ask to warriors for long time.I am facing this situation continuosly from many of my competitors.
    What do you do when your competitor buys your product.And talk to you like an anonymous buyer.But you know he is your competitor.

    Don't worry about competitors, if they are checking you out, good luck to them, you see it all the time, competitors using your ideas. As long as they don't flat out steal your stuff and pass it off as their own, why worry.

    Their is plenty of room for everyone,

    Keith
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    I don't mess with folks like that. I rid myself of the angst by forgiving them (even if they haven't asked) and then get on with service-giving and money-making activities.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by SusanUSA View Post

      I rid myself of the angst by forgiving them (even if they haven't asked)
      Forgive them for what? Did they do something wrong? :confused:
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  • Profile picture of the author kittmulcahy
    I absolutely agree with Dan, kill them with kindness!! Competition is fierce in this IM world & this will happen often. You should actually be flattered that they are checking out your product. Just always have good customer service for all your customers & you'll never have to worry about competition!
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  • Profile picture of the author GetMoreTraffic
    Just bank their money, and say "thank you very much."

    I think you will find that your bank will take the money, whether it came from a competitor or not.
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      LOL! I have no problem taking my competitors' money.
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      • Profile picture of the author masterjani
        Originally Posted by SusanUSA View Post

        I don't mess with folks like that. I rid myself of the angst by forgiving them (even if they haven't asked) and then get on with service-giving and money-making activities.
        This is what i currently doing.

        Originally Posted by kittmulcahy View Post

        I absolutely agree with Dan, kill them with kindness!! Competition is fierce in this IM world & this will happen often. You should actually be flattered that they are checking out your product. Just always have good customer service for all your customers & you'll never have to worry about competition!
        Sure i will.

        Originally Posted by williamrs View Post

        Yes, it would be funny!

        But I simply don't worry too much about competition. There will always be competitors and it's just part of the game. I try to focus a lot more on my customers and partners and try to identify what are their needs and concerns. IMO, as long as your customers are happy with your products and services the competition is not something for you to worry about.


        W
        Originally Posted by Rob@TheCopyWriter.com View Post

        Just bank their money, and say "thank you very much."

        I think you will find that your bank will take the money, whether it came from a competitor or not.
        Originally Posted by myob View Post

        LOL! I have no problem taking my competitors' money.
        haha,yaa true. it is a nice feeling to have your competitors money.
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  • Profile picture of the author omk
    I'd treat them like any other customer. Don't waste your time trying to get back at them. Instead spend more time on how to make your product better and make more money!
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  • Profile picture of the author Scott Lambency
    These are great ideas.. I suggest that you get on their list and spy on them too (if you haven't done that already)

    Check out their offers. Check out what they're offering their list and find out how you can really overdeliver on value.

    If your competitor is checking you out, it could be a sign that they view you as a potential threat. I wouldn't worry too much about it, just take their money and don't be too transparent.

    You could scare the sh*t out of them for fun, and it would be.. but you could also just bank their money and conduct business as usual... Let them drop their guard and think you're no one to worry about, and then outcompete them with ease.

    Here's another thought: What if they're checking your stuff out not as a competitor, but as a potential jv partner?
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    • Profile picture of the author masterjani
      @Black Hat Cat

      This is another brilliant idea.

      @ExRat

      Already Experienced it.Some one try to steal and I stopped him by PM message.I always follow them when they try to stay anonymous.But still sometimes one or two competitor are having great exposure and experience than me.I can't stop them without proper proof.Once happened one of the guy bought product from me from another forum and sold here in WSO.I can't stop him as i am new at that moment.

      @Scott Lambency

      JV might not work well as competitor stays anonymous to me.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Hampton
    Partner with them.
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  • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
    Originally Posted by masterjani View Post

    What do you do when your competitor buys your product.
    That is not my competitor. That is my customer. I have his money, he has my product. He gets treated like everyone else.

    When someone pretends to be something they're not, I've always found it most productive to just let them, and pretend you believe it. Just like when your four year old comes up wearing a bathtowel around his neck and says "I'm Batman." Same basic idea, and it can actually be fun.
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  • Profile picture of the author JuicyDesignStudio
    What's wrong with market research???
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
      Originally Posted by JuicyDesignStudio View Post

      What's wrong with market research???
      Nothing...unless it's being done under false pretenses. In the physical world I think this would be a form of corporate espioange.

      All the best,
      Michael
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      • Profile picture of the author bretski
        Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

        Nothing...unless it's being done under false pretenses. In the physical world I think this would be a form of corporate espioange.

        All the best,
        Michael
        Freakin' Secret Shoppers are goin' DOWN! Double Naught Spies, you say! I hate Double Naught Spies!
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        • Profile picture of the author Cataclysm1987
          Tell them you make most of your money by doing the following:

          1. Placing up lots of unnecessary adsense ads and floating banners everywhere

          2. Spamming unsolicited messages to e-mails randomly scraped across the web

          3. Direct linking affiliate offers

          4. Buying guaranteed traffic and CPV traffic direct to your sales page

          5. Using twitter for anything

          Hopefully they will believe you and start wasting their time on those things while you take their customers. XD
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        • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
          Originally Posted by bretski View Post

          Freakin' Secret Shoppers are goin' DOWN! Double Naught Spies, you say! I hate Double Naught Spies!
          Laugh all you want, but corporate espioange IS a real problem.

          Furthermore, secret shoppers wouldn't count because they are hired by a secret shopping firm which is hired by THE BUSINESS. Hello! That's not the definition of false pretenses.

          If a competitor simply purchases a product so they can look at it, analyze it, etc., then that's fine. However, the part of the OP I was referring to was when they "talk to you like an anonymous buyer". THAT'S false pretenses, and that IS a problem.

          But I shake my fists vigorously at Double Naught Spies!!!



          All the best,
          Michael
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          • Profile picture of the author masterjani
            Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

            That is not my competitor. That is my customer. I have his money, he has my product. He gets treated like everyone else.

            When someone pretends to be something they're not, I've always found it most productive to just let them, and pretend you believe it. Just like when your four year old comes up wearing a bathtowel around his neck and says "I'm Batman." Same basic idea, and it can actually be fun.
            So far i treated them like everyone else.But in some circumstances they are trying to resell that's why i am always hesitant and follow them afterwards even i enjoy there money.

            Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

            Laugh all you want, but corporate espioange IS a real problem.

            Furthermore, secret shoppers wouldn't count because they are hired by a secret shopping firm which is hired by THE BUSINESS. Hello! That's not the definition of false pretenses.

            If a competitor simply purchases a product so they can look at it, analyze it, etc., then that's fine. However, the part of the OP I was referring to was when they "talk to you like an anonymous buyer". THAT'S false pretenses, and that IS a problem.

            But I shake my fists vigorously at Double Naught Spies!!!



            All the best,
            Michael
            You are absolutely right.If competitor shows his identity and bought my product then it wont be a problem.One of my competitor here in WF bought my product and assured me that he wont sell those in this forum that is professional business.

            Otherwise in anonymous way means,we always need to spend some more time to follow him.
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  • Profile picture of the author funkynassau
    When we were first setting up our online biz we bought our American competitor's same type of product to see what they were actually selling to people. Nothing wrong with that, and I am positive it's been done to us too. All part of doing business.
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  • Profile picture of the author Scott Lambency
    Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill View Post

    I hard sell 'em until they buy or run away if I have the time.

    WHADDAYA MEAN YOU DON"T WANT THE PLATINUM PACK?

    ARE YOU STUPID?
    Hahaha, I like that! You really know how to hit those emotional hot buttons :p
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