Do you talk to your competitors?

Discussions
#1

I’m wondering how many people are in touch with their direct competitors (assuming they are a small company and not Amazon or something).

Is there any benefit or risk to doing so? I know what I probably couldn’t ask but I’d be curious to compare notes on things like customer acquisition and other metrics that might be sharable. Or just general shoot the shit and/or cry over drinks together.

I’d just be interested to hear anyone with experience with whether that went well or not. Or do you just lob grenades over the walls at each other. :smiley:

#2

That’s an interesting question although I don’t have an answer - I don’t contact my competitors.

I occasionally read their blogs but I’m not so much interested in their dealings. I saw their products, evaluated them, created my own story based on my impressions and moved on.

I rather focus on talking with customers, trying to gather as much useful feedback I can. Don’t have time for anything else.

Also I don’t lob grenades, it’s not a war - each of us have their own compelling story for different customers.

#3

No.

;0)

1 Like
#4

Some of LiberWriter’s competitors hang out on the same forums I occasionally participate in. It’s not a winner-take-all market though, so… everyone seems pretty cool about it.

Adam Smith has something sensible to say though:

People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices…. But though the law cannot hinder people of the same trade from sometimes assembling together, it ought to do nothing to facilitate such assemblies, much less to render them necessary.

#5

We’ve had some nice conversations with competition. Once when they caught us trying to demo their software another time we were both at a conference as a vendor.

Wasn’t incredibly useful but gave us some insights on how better to differentiate ourselves.