Communication | Ellen Naylor

Are We in a Rut in Competitive Intelligence Innovation? #SCIP09 Post-conference

November 28, 2017April 27, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

More of the innovation that people shared was around process which involved social networking and more sophisticated monitoring and analysis tools. The cost of information acquisition is really inexpensive today even compared to 10 years ago, so companies can afford to text mine and use tools that provide visualization at a reasonable cost. We concluded that industry norms can be a deterrent to sharing innovation. However, as we build our human networks and develop trust, we often share our innovation with others, either one on one or among a smaller group.

Think Before Win Loss Analysis: Stay Connected with Your Customers Before the Sales Event!

March 15, 2021April 17, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

While win loss analysis will give you ideas for product development and competitive intelligence, it’s often too late to regain your customer’s lost business. Consider interviewing wins, and also interview your customers at various intervals in the account planning and post-sales process to boost customer retention!

Capture Competitor & Market Intelligence through Elicitation: Webinar Follow-up

March 15, 2021April 14, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

Teach Sales elicitation skills: they don’t get it anywhere else and it will help them close more deals and collect information to help your company develop better products. Some of the best elicitors are more introverted since they are likely to be more thorough in their preparation for elicitation interviews. Introverted people are often better listeners than extroverts, so are often more skilled at getting the other guy to talk!

How to Detect and Prevent Lying Behaviors

March 15, 2021April 10, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

Do you ever get that feeling that someone is lying to you, but you’re not quite sure, and you don’t want to ask them. We are surrounded by lies in our society, and it’s good to identify when you’re being lied to. As a competitive intelligence professional, it is imperative to be attuned as to whether the person you’re talking to is telling you the truth or not. Important decisions are being affected by the information and analysis we develop.

Capture Precious Competitor & Market Intelligence through Elicitation: Webinar April 8, 2009

March 15, 2021April 7, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

When interviewing people, they might wonder why you are asking certain questions, and over time they might even become a little suspicious of your motives. A skilled elicitor will entice the other person to talk and share information almost without the other person realizing that they’re sharing. A key to successful elicitation, aside from practice, is to prepare how you would like the conversation to flow, and be prepared to answer questions the customer might ask you.

Persuading through Competitive Intelligence Tools: the Cooperative Angle

November 28, 2017March 30, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

People like stories and can be very persuasive, and I notice stories also make it easy to avoid ego conflicts. In this case study, we used customer’s decision-making criteria rather than our opinions, to persuasively communicate our analysis. However, don’t be so persuasive that you forget about the dignity of the people you are addressing. Tell a good story that leads them to your conclusions, as though your audience had thought them up themselves. This works with everyone I have ever addressed regardless of profession or culture.

Visualize Your Competitors on a Radar Screen Competitor Map, a Great Competitive Intelligence Tool

March 15, 2021March 18, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

The Radar Screen is one of my favorite competitive intelligence tools. It is totally visual, and fits on one page for easy digestion. It can be used both strategically and tactically, and is a rich communication tool. Read about it in Adrian Slywotsky’s Value Migration. It’s a great way to visualize how competitors are positioned relative to you and each other. The uses for the Radar Screen competitor map are as rich as your imagination. The screen can be divided into 4 quadrants which might depict competitors by 4 separate business units, 4 different geographies, and on a tactical level 4 different reasons why customers buy.

Take a Cooperative Approach to Conflict Resolution

March 15, 2021March 11, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

I like the cooperative approach shared in Hot Buttons to solve conflicts with colleagues as it’s objective, focuses on constructive communication, and not “who dunnit? While cooperative intelligence skills of leadership, connection and communication don’t guarantee job security, they will help you stand out since many people have lower emotional intelligence: that is they have weak people skills.