Your "competitors" are also your best collaborators and joint-venture partners. Partnering multiplies your strength and everyone makes more money in a sales or business situation.

Your competitors are actually your professional community. Be the person who helps make the community stronger.

Your "competitors" are also your best collaborators and joint-venture partners. Partnering multiplies your strength and everyone makes more money in a sales or business situation.

Your competitors are actually your professional community. Be the person who helps make the community stronger.

God, what a great assignment. I haven't had time to read any of the other comments as I just finished the chore. I guess I overdid it. I linked about four or so psychic sites and also got a mutual link with the PsychicWebDirectory out of the UK. AND I got some stunning information that I had not expected corroborating the Nuking of NYC in the next three months as just reported by a well know Russian psychic. It is at the end of the blog because it just came in. Maybe the rest of the class will be interested: http://eductivefuturegroup.com/ or in the its own category: http://eductivefuturegroup.com/?cat=126
Whew!
By the way Tessa, I like the feel of your blog. The best part is your picture: Mirthfully IRREVERENT trouble maker. I love it!
On to tomorrow!
Respectfully yours,
the IRF

God, what a great assignment. I haven't had time to read any of the other comments as I just finished the chore. I guess I overdid it. I linked about four or so psychic sites and also got a mutual link with the PsychicWebDirectory out of the UK. AND I got some stunning information that I had not expected corroborating the Nuking of NYC in the next three months as just reported by a well know Russian psychic. It is at the end of the blog because it just came in. Maybe the rest of the class will be interested: http://eductivefuturegroup.com/ or in the its own category: http://eductivefuturegroup.com/?cat=126
Whew!
By the way Tessa, I like the feel of your blog. The best part is your picture: Mirthfully IRREVERENT trouble maker. I love it!
On to tomorrow!
Respectfully yours,
the IRF

LOL I love this concept! I have been espousing this philosophy in practice as well as on my blog (and my other internet sources, too), although linking other blogs is something I have to get more familiar with...I have tried several times, but most of the time, I can't get the link to work (links to websites, I can manage, but blogs not so much), so I only reference it in a general way (like saying "this was posted on so-and-so's bog, which I subscribe to", etc.). I have always believed that working WITH people is more effective than working against them. People still look at me funny when they ask me who my biggest competitors are and I reply-"I have no competitors, I have fellow trainers", or I say "we don't have to compete for clients-there are enough potential clients for all of us".
This philosophy benefits my business in several ways. 1. I am not making reactionary business decisions based on what my fellow trainers are doing. 2. I don't get sucked into the gossip grapevine 3. I keep learning. 4. Fellow trainers know I am not bashing them, so they are actually less likely to "bash" me. 5. Customers feel more comfortable with me and feel more open to discuss things that they see and hear about what is going on when they watch other trainers or their students. 6. Probably the most important thing is that, as a group, we can offer our students opportunities that we couldn't afford to on our own. There are many more less significant ways that this helps, too.
Thanks for the continued lessons!

LOL I love this concept! I have been espousing this philosophy in practice as well as on my blog (and my other internet sources, too), although linking other blogs is something I have to get more familiar with...I have tried several times, but most of the time, I can't get the link to work (links to websites, I can manage, but blogs not so much), so I only reference it in a general way (like saying "this was posted on so-and-so's bog, which I subscribe to", etc.). I have always believed that working WITH people is more effective than working against them. People still look at me funny when they ask me who my biggest competitors are and I reply-"I have no competitors, I have fellow trainers", or I say "we don't have to compete for clients-there are enough potential clients for all of us".
This philosophy benefits my business in several ways. 1. I am not making reactionary business decisions based on what my fellow trainers are doing. 2. I don't get sucked into the gossip grapevine 3. I keep learning. 4. Fellow trainers know I am not bashing them, so they are actually less likely to "bash" me. 5. Customers feel more comfortable with me and feel more open to discuss things that they see and hear about what is going on when they watch other trainers or their students. 6. Probably the most important thing is that, as a group, we can offer our students opportunities that we couldn't afford to on our own. There are many more less significant ways that this helps, too.
Thanks for the continued lessons!

In my blogging genre (environmental and green issues) I don't have 'competitors' as I'm not running a business. I link to other people spreading a similar message to ours as often as I can because I feel it is the right thing to do.
I'm on a mission to make a difference in the world, and the more people on board with the idea, the better as far as I'm concerned. It's not about ego or being 'the best' or whatever other crazy ideas humans have, it's about working together for positive change.

But sure, if I *were* selling products or services I would still link to 'competitors' because it keeps my own ego in check ;)

In my blogging genre (environmental and green issues) I don't have 'competitors' as I'm not running a business. I link to other people spreading a similar message to ours as often as I can because I feel it is the right thing to do.
I'm on a mission to make a difference in the world, and the more people on board with the idea, the better as far as I'm concerned. It's not about ego or being 'the best' or whatever other crazy ideas humans have, it's about working together for positive change.

But sure, if I *were* selling products or services I would still link to 'competitors' because it keeps my own ego in check ;)

I completely agree with you Grant. For a few reasons - I'm too small and I'm new, I don't know enough, I want to know more and I would surely learn something from their them.

I think of them as teachers. That said, I ensure that my keywords target a smaller audience in the same niche because I cannot compete, yet.

I completely agree with you Grant. For a few reasons - I'm too small and I'm new, I don't know enough, I want to know more and I would surely learn something from their them.

I think of them as teachers. That said, I ensure that my keywords target a smaller audience in the same niche because I cannot compete, yet.

Hi: I've never figured out how to trackback to the links I put in my posts. On the WP dashboard, there is a place to input a trackback when you are writing the post, and I assumed that was the trackback link to the post I was writing, not to an internal link. Is that true? And if so, how do I trackback to the link?

Hi: I've never figured out how to trackback to the links I put in my posts. On the WP dashboard, there is a place to input a trackback when you are writing the post, and I assumed that was the trackback link to the post I was writing, not to an internal link. Is that true? And if so, how do I trackback to the link?

Grant,

I love this tip :) This might be my favorite so far!

It really keeps us thinking about what we offer, and what we do better.

I use Twitter to keep in touch and network with "competitors" much more than my blog though. What I have found is that we are not really competitors... what I offer is DIFFERENT. Reaching out to competitors is probably what made me see the uniqueness of what I offered compared to the others out there.

The problem I often encounter is that others think I am their competitor when I'm not. I COULD probably do what some of these people do, but that's not what I do best, and not really what I like doing.

In the end, this social networking with "competitors" is very stimulating, inspiring... and fun.

Grant,

I love this tip :) This might be my favorite so far!

It really keeps us thinking about what we offer, and what we do better.

I use Twitter to keep in touch and network with "competitors" much more than my blog though. What I have found is that we are not really competitors... what I offer is DIFFERENT. Reaching out to competitors is probably what made me see the uniqueness of what I offered compared to the others out there.

The problem I often encounter is that others think I am their competitor when I'm not. I COULD probably do what some of these people do, but that's not what I do best, and not really what I like doing.

In the end, this social networking with "competitors" is very stimulating, inspiring... and fun.

Grant-

This is a great piece of advice.

I always view a company as more credible, and more interested in what's best for me, when it is willing to recommend or even reference a competitor's site, services, or products.

I need to start doing more of this, apart from my blogroll, as you pointed out.

Thanks,
Laura

Grant-

This is a great piece of advice.

I always view a company as more credible, and more interested in what's best for me, when it is willing to recommend or even reference a competitor's site, services, or products.

I need to start doing more of this, apart from my blogroll, as you pointed out.

Thanks,
Laura

If I didn't link to my "competitors" in the legal community, I'd run out of links awfully fast! This seemed pretty obvious to me, but is a great tip none the less.

Thanks Grant.

If I didn't link to my "competitors" in the legal community, I'd run out of links awfully fast! This seemed pretty obvious to me, but is a great tip none the less.

Thanks Grant.

I am a British blogger and I blog on residential landlord and tenant law in the Landlord Law Blog http://landlordlaw.blogspot.com. There are only a few of us who blog on this topic, we all know who we are, and we are all friendly to one another.

For example I did a post here http://landlordlaw.blogspot.com/2009/06/five-legal-housinglandlord-tenant-law.html (inspired, I have to say by Probloggers 31 days book) specifically about them. That post has created a lot of good feeling, and we do mention each other in posts occasionally, retweet twitter announcements, and sometimes post comments on each others blogs.

I am also on good terms with many of the British property web-sites and blogs, and sometimes provide comments and guest posts for them (and they often mention me back), as well as the twitter re-tweeting. It all helps with the SEO!

One of the things I like about the blogosphere is that people tend to co-operate rather than oppose and block each other, and long may it continue!

I am a British blogger and I blog on residential landlord and tenant law in the Landlord Law Blog http://landlordlaw.blogspot.com. There are only a few of us who blog on this topic, we all know who we are, and we are all friendly to one another.

For example I did a post here http://landlordlaw.blogspot.com/2009/06/five-legal-housinglandlord-tenant-law.html (inspired, I have to say by Probloggers 31 days book) specifically about them. That post has created a lot of good feeling, and we do mention each other in posts occasionally, retweet twitter announcements, and sometimes post comments on each others blogs.

I am also on good terms with many of the British property web-sites and blogs, and sometimes provide comments and guest posts for them (and they often mention me back), as well as the twitter re-tweeting. It all helps with the SEO!

One of the things I like about the blogosphere is that people tend to co-operate rather than oppose and block each other, and long may it continue!

Link to? No, go right out and interview them. And be honest and positive in the interview. Or give them a positive profile. The goal should be to turn them from competition to colaborator by driving business to them. I have turned our direct competition into trusted suppliers and resellers this way.

But even if they will never be true colaborators, still befriend them - best to keep friends close and competitors even closer.

Link to? No, go right out and interview them. And be honest and positive in the interview. Or give them a positive profile. The goal should be to turn them from competition to colaborator by driving business to them. I have turned our direct competition into trusted suppliers and resellers this way.

But even if they will never be true colaborators, still befriend them - best to keep friends close and competitors even closer.

This is refreshing. ^^ I like the idea. In fact I was just advising someone earlier to visit more and study on competitors blog regularly. Looks like I'm way behind but I'm glad I bumped into this post today. Looks like a cool thing to do.

Well put on the McD, I would have build right next to them if I own a similar business. =P Strategy & Strategic.

@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker

This is refreshing. ^^ I like the idea. In fact I was just advising someone earlier to visit more and study on competitors blog regularly. Looks like I'm way behind but I'm glad I bumped into this post today. Looks like a cool thing to do.

Well put on the McD, I would have build right next to them if I own a similar business. =P Strategy & Strategic.

@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker