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Companies Collect Competitive Intelligence, but Don’t Use It

Harvard Business Review

In my work in competitive intelligence I have met many managers and executives who made major decisions involving billions of dollars of commitments with only scant attention to the likely reaction of competitors, the effect of potential disruptors, new approaches offered by startups and the impact of long-term industry trends.

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Use Your Sales Force’s Competitive Intelligence Wisely

Harvard Business Review

That competitive intelligence can not only help individual salespeople become more effective, it can also help your company make better strategic decisions. They might expect the salesperson who receives it to offer better terms, for example, or to provide greater levels of effort and commitment.

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Keeping Tabs on the Competition as a Start-Up

Harvard Business Review

Big companies have it easy when it comes to gathering and utilizing competitive intelligence. Start by creating a competitive intel repository and committing to its maintenance. To make this data useful, designate someone at the company to take control of competitive intelligence.