Scoping Out the Competition (Or Working Smarter, Not Harder)
Like most of you, I have responsibilities other than my online book selling gig, including a full-time job, wife, yard work, etc., that limit what I call my “book time.” But, also like most of you, I face ever increasing competition from other sellers scouting for a finite supply of books. So, how do we keep ahead of the pack, without sacrificing something else in our personal life?
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
– The Art of War
As Sun Tzu says so eloquently, its time to scope out the competition.
During my scouting, I sometimes run into other sellers. While this may seem unfortunate, it actually is a valuable source of intel. We are all creatures of habit, and I usually see the same sellers at the same time on the same day of the week. Given enough time, patterns emerge, and I’ve created a mental database of where, and, more importantly, when other sellers are scouting. With this knowledge, I can arrange my schedule to scout more effectively.
For example, if I know Book Seller A is at the thrift store on Friday mornings, and Book Seller B hits the store on Friday afternoon, I go the thrift store on Thursday nights. Or, since I am fortunate to have a flexible lunch schedule where I work, I take my lunch hour at 9 a.m. to get to the store first on Friday. Usually, I can be in and out before the next seller arrives.
This way, I spend the same amount of time, yet get a leg up on the competition. It’s all about working smarter, not harder.
Next time, it’s not personal, it’s proprietary.
Posted by Scott Davis
