Thursday, October 19, 2006

Apparently...

it is possible to make something TOO good. As most of you faithful readers are aware, I work for a computer training firm. We have just worked a deal with one of our clients to handle all their outside training. We have put together a website explaining what we offer and allowing quick registration of courses. Today, one of our main competitors called this company complaining that because of the high quality and professionalism of the website, it offers us an unfair advantage over said competitor (who has a contract for INHOUSE training with the same company) and they are worried people will probably sign up for classes with us over them.

The first words out of the Sales Manager's mouth was kudos to me for putting together a website that intimidates our competitors! But seriously, as a businessman would you really call a company complaining about your competitors being too good? I can see the commercial now...

"Hi. My name is Lee Iococoa. I am appealing to you, the American Public, to not buy the Porsche 911 Carrera. We think it's unfair that a company such as Porsche would have the audacity to make a vehicle of such high quality and feel a product such as this gives Porsche an unfair advantage in the sports car market..."

Addendum: After reading a couple of comments (I LOVE THEM) it is obvious to me that because I was asked to be "general" in the specifics of the post that a couple of things are being slightly misconstrued:

I am company A, doing business with company B, and company C is the competitor who also has a business contract with company B. Apparently, the boss of company C called company B whining that company A's website (mine) was too good and demand we take it down...

4 Comments:

Blogger Drew said...

/this post useless without a link.

October 19, 2006 1:59 PM  
Blogger Roger C. said...

Yeah... I was asked to keep the business side anonymous as it could cause problems. Honestly, it isn't the "end all, be all" of websites... But it doesn't suck.

October 19, 2006 9:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm...I'm...well, I guess I'm almost speechless.
I've been in Marketing for over 15 years and I've NEVER EVER...EVER!...heard of anyone calling the competition to whine. Oh, sure, everybody hates their competitiors (Sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer defines "competitors" as "those dirty bastards we wish were dead.") and we all have done our share of complaining about them...but to actually CALL a competitor to...what? Talk about it man-to-man in the hopes you'll knock your quality down a bit to re-level the playing field?
THIS IS AMERICA! (Dammit!) Homey don't play that! It's dog eat dog (and vice versa)!
Did your guy laugh? When he took that call? Laugh right out loud into the phone? (I'd have laughed, but that's just me.)
Wow. Stunning.
And I guess I'm not speechless after all. (15 yrs of Mktg'll do that to a person...)

October 20, 2006 5:54 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your addendum didn't add anything new to the story. You said it all just as clearly in the original post.
------
Doesn't it warm the cockles of your heart to know your competition is so...what's the word?...oh yes: LAME?

October 21, 2006 8:03 PM  

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