| If yours is a small business and you have
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| | having more software titles or a wider
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| big or even huge competitors, you may be
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| | variety of peripherals than any super
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| laying awake at night wondering how can
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| | store in the area.Now, let's consider the
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| you possibly beat them. You can't
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| | second point. Wal-mart has large stores
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| out-advertise them, or out-promote them,
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| | almost everywhere. How does marketing
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| and you probably won't be able beat to
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| | judo turn this into a weak point?
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| its prices. For example, think about a
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| | Wal-mart's sheer size translates into
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| small business whose biggest competitor
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| | some real advantages, especially in the
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| is Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or some other huge
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| | area of volume buying - which is why it
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| retailer. Is there any way to compete
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| | can sell so cheap. But Wal-mart's huge
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| successfully against these Goliaths?My
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| | size makes it difficult for the company
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| answer is to use marketing judo.As you
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| | to implement change quickly. I once read
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| may know judo was developed many hundreds
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| | that when the captain of a nuclear
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| of years ago as a means of self-defense.
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| | aircraft carrier issues the command to
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| But did you know that much of judo is
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| | turn 60 degrees starboard, it takes about
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| based on the concept of using the
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| | five miles before the ship actually
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| opponent's strengths against him? One
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| | begins to turn. I suspect the same thing
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| example of this is when the attacker
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| | is true of Wal-mart.In comparison, a
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| pushes against an opponent. The opponent
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| | small business should be able to just
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| simply steps aside and (usually with the
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| | about turn on a dime or in just a few
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| aid of a foot), uses the opponent's own
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| | weeks. Let's take technology as an
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| momentum to throw him forward.The lesson
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| | example. Right now, one of the hottest
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| for the smart marketer is to first
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| | merchandise categories in America is
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| analyze the competitions' strengths and
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| | accessories for Apple's iPod. If you have
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| then develop strategies that will turn
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| | a small electronics business - either
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| these strengths into points of attack.But
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| | online or brick-and-mortar - you should
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| first, let's talk about strategies. Many
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| | be able to track down the distributors of
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| small businesses think that strategic
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| | these products and have them in you store
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| planning consists of developing an
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| | in a few weeks or less. On the other
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| overall strategy (or set of strategies)
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| | hand, Wal-mart, with its size and
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| and sticking to these strategies for the
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| | labyrinth of buyers and buying
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| entire length of the marketing plan - be
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| | regulations, it might take months to get
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| it six months, a year or even longer. In
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| | the same products on its shelves.Finally,
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| truth, your strategies should be designed
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| | Wal-mart might have hundreds of more
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| to meet existing conditions and then
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| | employees, but its employees are usually
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| changed whenever conditions change or you
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| | not well trained in specific product
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| discover new competitive weaknesses.How
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| | features and benefits. Again, take golf
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| does all this work in practice? Let's get
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| | as an example. Walk into a Wal-mart
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| back to the Wal-mart example. You will
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| | store, go to sporting goods and say to
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| never beat Wal-mart in head-on
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| | the nearest employee, "Hi, I'm a 18
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| competition. Let's look at some of
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| | handicap golfer with a tendency to slice
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| Wal-mart's strengths:· It offers a huge
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| | my drives. What would you suggest?"Well,
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| variety of merchandise - everything from
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| | my guess is that what you'll get in
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| women's apparel to household electrics,
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| | return is a blank stare.This represents
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| and flat panel TVs to fine jewelry.· It
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| | another opportunity for marketing judo.
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| has large stores (in some cases, super
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| | Keep your number of employees small but
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| stores) almost everywhere.· It has a
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| | make sure they are super-trained to
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| very sophisticated system for purchasing
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| | understand your customers and your
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| products and controlling inventory.So how
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| | products' features and benefits.As Sun
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| can we use marketing judo to turn these
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| | Tzu points out in his classic treatise
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| strengths against the giant
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| | The Art of War, "You may advance and be
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| retailer?First, because Wal-mart offers a
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| | absolutely irresistible, if you make for
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| huge variety of merchandise, its
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| | the enemy's weak points; you may retire
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| inventory may be wide but it generally
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| | and be safe from pursuit if your
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| isn't very deep. Back in Nebraska we used
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| | movements are more rapid than those of
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| to describe the Platte River as a mile
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| | your enemy."Looking for a great vacation
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| wide and an inch deep. You could almost
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| | this year? Check out Denver. A Denver
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| describe Wal-marts inventory the same
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| | vacation offers the best of both worlds.
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| way. Go into a Wal-mart store and check,
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| | It has all the the fun things to see and
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| for example, the depth of its inventory
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| | do you find only in a big, bustling city
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| of computer products or golf equipment. .
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| | and it's only minutes away from the
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| Chances are, you'll find only a few dozen
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| | spectacular scenary and vistas offered by
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| computer products, and even fewer
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| | our nearby Rocky Mountains. For more
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| golf-related items.So the smart marketer
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| | information on a great Denver vacation,
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| uses marketing judo to turn Wal-mart's
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| | ust go to Hanna has lived in the Denver
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| breadth of inventory into a weakness by
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| | metro area for more than 30 years and is
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| picking a niche and then beating Wal-mart
| |
| | an expert on both Denver and Colorado. He
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| with depth of inventory. For example, a
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| | is also the author of more than 100 ezine
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| computer store could promote itself as
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| | articles on a variety of subjects.
|
