post 2 of 12 — inspired by “the art of war,” the sun tzu masterpiece from the 6th century bc. instead of the treatise’s original purpose (military strategy), the subject matter here has been adapted to inform business strategy. a note here first: some of the sensibilities may seem counter-intuitive to a western mind. they derive in eastern thought and, because of this, can take a bit of adjustment. the art of war has inspired many of the world’s great generals, ceos and coaches to success — regardless of the battlefield. i’m hoping it does the same for your business.
the topic for this post is a twist on the art of war’s passages on double agents and spies. for our purposes, those who bring knowledge of our opponents are salespeople and other ambassadors. sun tzu believed that such external agents should be treated with the greatest respect — perhaps even converted to serve internal ends. how many times have you cringed when a salesperson calls to set an appointment for presentation? how many times have you gruffly turned away a solicitor? have you ever thought to entertain an impromptu pitch from time to time? or, how about asking an intern, assistant or receptionist to call on a competitor for a sense of how they operate — perhaps even to receive an estimate by phone or in person?
these practices provide excellent opportunities to sharpen your salesmanship (by hearing what others do well), to learn what unrelated businesses or direct competitors are actually pursuing (and not what you perceive they might be doing) and to experience how other operations support and deliver behind pitches. if the visiting salesperson is exceptional, then there is even the opportunity to hire them away from their current employer to serve your needs. perhaps the salesperson is undervalued and you could provide for better employment. sun tzu liked to call these individuals converted spies.
these situations may seem to be uncomfortable and tricky to navigate — and they are. you may feel that some or all of this is unethical. let’s rewind the tape for a second. you were asked to consider certain products and services. the public is being actively offered free estimates and consultations. are businesses and their employees exempt from the public? the reality is that you don’t need to do this with your competitors. you can learn a ton from unrelated businesses and their salespeople.
there are two questions i have for you. what is more valuable in business than a healthy salesfront? are you doing all that you can do to open and close new business? on this second item, most business leaders carry a fair to serious amount of concern per whether they are being diligent, opportunistic and efficient enough with growing business.
