Outsmart the competition

It's time to get your thinking cap out again. I'm here to stretch you out of your comfort zone so you can see things in new ways. Today we're going to look at your very best customer — the one you love working with and who contributes a fair share to your income.

Know who I mean? Good, because now I want you to put yourself in your competitor's shoes. You want this account really badly, and you know exactly who's currently got the business.

Here are four critical questions to stop your sales competition from stealing your best customers (or to steal theirs!):

1. Do you see any weaknesses you could potentially exploit?
2. Are there any industry or market trends that could create an opening?
3. Is your rival addressing all the client's needs — or just some? Could that be a way in?
4. How has the client changed? Does he need help in new areas?

Those are just four questions to ponder; you can come up with your own. But do you see where I'm going with this? By looking at your best account from your competitors' perspective you can do two things:

1. Find out where you're vulnerable so you can prevent poaching.
2. Identify areas where you can create new sales opportunities.

So take some time today and think about it from the other guy's perspective. What you discover could help you guard against losing your best client.