Competitive Intelligence

Improve Your CI Skill: Read Competitive Intelligence Rescue

April 8, 2021November 2, 2017 by Ellen Naylor

Learn how to diagnose what needs to be fixed in your competitive intelligence program by reading Competitive Intelligence Rescue. Carolyn Vella and John McGonagle walk us through their experiences rescuing 7 companies in the case study format. Case Studies Vary by Industry and Complexity DIY (Do it yourself) competitive intelligence Adding primary research capabilities Defending …

Blogging about Competitive Intelligence from #SCIP09 in Chicago

April 8, 2021September 16, 2017 by Ellen Naylor

I will be blogging about competitive intelligence from SCIP’s annual conference in Chicago this week April 21 – 24. Read more about this on Twitter under #SCIP09. If you would like to connect at SCIP09, please connect with me at renaylor@wispertel.net or 720-480-9499. I will attend all networking receptions, and will be give two talks:

Build a Sustainable Early Warning Process through Cooperative Intelligence (1:40 p.m. Thu) AND Capture CI from Sales & Customers to Drive Lucrative Product Development (9:40 p.m. Fri)
I’ll be in the exhibit hall from 9:30 – 12:30 p.m. on Thu, and some time after my talk around 3 p.m. or so.

What Are the Strengths of Conducting Win/Loss Analysis?

January 17, 2018June 22, 2017 by Ellen Naylor

This blog will outline the strengths of Win Loss analysis. This is the first step of the widely used SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to assess the value of Win/Loss. We will share weaknesses, opportunities and threats in future blogs. Strengths are HERE and Weaknesses are HERE. Win Loss Analysis: Strengths The major …

Listening Provided the Pivotal Clue for Competitive Intelligence

April 8, 2021April 21, 2017 by Ellen Naylor

All too often we rely only on written digital data. In this case study, it was the competitor’s CEO’s tone of voice in the quarterly earnings conference call that provided the pivotal clue. If I had only read the earnings report—my original intention—I would have missed it. My lesson learned: in competitive intelligence projects, when you can listen to the human voice, especially the company’s CEO, do so.

Be Smart: Be Human: Be Flexible

August 14, 2017March 22, 2016 by Ellen Naylor

How flexible are you in competitive intelligence and Win/Loss analysis? We usually aren’t in situations where the daily news changes how we’ll be with people. However, it’s likely that no matter how much planning we do, there are surprises. So the bottom line is as with many things in life. Do your homework and be prepared. Be flexible and swallow your pride, and let your heart speak when it’s needed. That way when the unexpected happens, you will have an ability to change gears.

How You Can Become a Conversation Rockstar

April 8, 2021February 25, 2016 by Ellen Naylor

So much about life revolves around effective communication. As a primary research expert, I am always looking to for ways to motivate others to share. You need to understand what makes them comfortable to share. I recently read Traci Brown’s book, Persuasion Point: Body Language and Speech for Influence. While the book focuses on closing …

Outsourcing Win/Loss Analysis? How to Select the Right Consultant

April 8, 2021April 1, 2015 by Ellen Naylor

If you want to outsource Win/Loss analysis, here are 10 things to consider as you decide on a consulting firm:

1. Industry Experience
2. Connection to Sales
3. Professionalism
4. Project Management
5. Team Player
6. Written/Oral Skills
7. Project Delivery
8. Deliverables
9. Fees
10. Sharing Win/Loss Experience

3 New Competitive Intelligence Books

April 8, 2021February 13, 2015 by Ellen Naylor

Enjoy three 2015 competitive intelligence books: Business and Competitive Analysis: Effective Applications of New and Classic Methods, 2nd Edition by Craig Fleisher and Babette Bensoussan; The Guide to Online Due Diligence Investigations: The Professional Approach on How to Use Traditional and Social Media Resources by Cynthia Hetherington; and Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Market the Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.

Best Sales Intelligence Practices

November 28, 2017December 12, 2014 by Ellen Naylor

This article contains some best practices to engage sales to share competitive intelligence information. It is a timeless topic that I have been researching in my 30 years as a competitive intelligence professional.

How Culture Affects the Win Loss Process

November 28, 2017October 24, 2014 by Ellen Naylor

I have had the pleasure of interviewing two impressive Directors of Win Loss programs. Both work for large companies that have done win loss analysis for a long while. Both emphasized the importance of company culture in how they set up their win loss programs; how they conduct win loss interviews—both internally and with customers—and how they write up the win loss analysis.