Don’t Bad-Mouth the Competition! What Smart Barbers Do Instead

“We Fix Bad Haircuts!” It’s such a common advertising slogan that it’s even in a current TV ad for a sign-printing company! No matter what the cost of a haircut at your shop or theirs, why not try to improve your business by bad-mouthing the competition?
Consider these reasons for not pointing out the faults of the nearest barber shop:

• You’re giving the competition free publicity.
• You’re giving the competition a reason to retaliate.
• You’re daring prospective clients to prove you’re wrong.
• You’re creating a negative atmosphere in your shop.
• You’re missing the benefits of a cooperative business relationship.

The smartest businesses of any type never say anything bad about the competition. Instead they:
Learn from what the “other guys” are doing right—or wrong:
Who says you can’t use the good ideas you find in a competitor’s shop? Get out there and see for yourself what’s making your competitor successful—or not. Read books. Go to seminars. Check out the wealth of information on the Internet. Then DO something positive about what you’ve learned.
Develop a mutually-beneficial relationship:
Don’t be afraid to talk to your competitor. Make a friend rather than an enemy. Visit the shop. Complement the manager on the things you notice he is doing right. Tell him about something that’s working well for you. Sharing ideas creates an atmosphere where both of your businesses can grow, and where both of you will make more money than you could if you’d kept your ideas to yourself.
Use their resources to get the word out about their own strengths:
Why spend money or your clients’ time with negative talk or advertising about the competition! Focus on what you do well—without mentioning that you’re “better than the other guy.” Smart customers will come in and find out for themselves. Differentiate yourself from the competition by adding services they don’t have, or by creating a friendlier atmosphere in your shop. If you know that your competitor offers a product or service you don’t have, give them a referral. The chances are good that they will do the same for you, especially if you point out how their new customer found them, and they know your strengths.
The old maxim is still true: “You will catch more flies [customers] with honey than with vinegar!”