Years ago, I competed with a company that would later become my employer. We bumped into each other all over town. Our respective companies were perfect for the audience we wanted.
I’m proud to say that I held the advantage over this guy. He was better equipped and had been at it much longer. But anywhere he and I were head-to-head I held serve. I sold more than him to every target we shared. It’s important to note that he was the company owner.
One day he took my best client to lunch. He grilled our mutual customer on his choice. He just couldn’t accept that I wrote more business than he did.
Our client said, “they take work off of their presses to put mine on. They put me first every time.” My competitor responded, “they have to. They don’t have as many presses as I do. I’m set up better than they are.” The client was unmoved.
I love this exchange. It demonstrates something I say often. My competitor failed to understand what our client was saying. He missed hearing “why clients choose who they choose.”
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