Cloak and Dagger Corporate Espionage: 5 Ways to Spy Your Business to Success

 

Cloak and Dagger "Corporate Espionage": 5 Ways to "Spy" Your Business to Success!

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Okay, before I get letters from the FBI and SHABAK, the Israeli General Security Service, (I was born in the US and live in Israel), please let me clarify: I am not speaking about secret listening devices. Nor wire-tapping. I’m not alluding to Watergate-type middle-of the-night-break-ins. And I’m not hinting at planting human moles in companies to gleen their best kept secrets!

Other than not wanting to be arrested, interrogated and jailed for the crime of corporate espionage, there is one other reason why I don’t advocate it. This is the 21st century. You don’t need to spy. In this age of the Internet and with a bit of research, all of the information you need is just a mouse-click away!

So "Mr/Mrs Not-So-Secret-Agent," get ready for some sleuthing! Booting your computer is necessary; a Sherlock Holmes hat, pipe and spyglass are optional:

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1) What Are Others Offering?  

Espionage Tidbit: Did you know that KFC’s Original Recipe (used to be Kentucky Fried Chicken before fried became such an ugly word), is one of the most closely guarded industry secrets. Security is tight as can be. Computers are encrypted. And the twelve spices are blended in several different factories so that nobody involved knows all of the ingredients or mixture ratios.

Your Business: So assuming you’re not in the fried chicken business, get started. Check out other providers of the goods and services that you offer or would like to offer. Now ask yourself: is your business on par? Are you competitive in terms of what you offer? Are there ideas that you can pick up from looking at your competitors? Is there "dead-wood" you can cut out of your business? Are there great new things you can add to your repertoire? Take a good look and see!

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2) What Are Others Thinking?  

Espionage Tidbit: In 1991, Air France was accused of helping the French Intelligence Agency, DSGE, acquire corporate secrets by planting secret microphones in airline seats.

Your Business: Want to know what your competitors are thinking? Forget about bugging their phones…check out their blogs. In these days almost every successful business has a blog. This is where your competitors will spell out their ideas, theories, concepts, plans and strategies for the whole world to see. Read and learn…it’s quite simple! It’s the best way to get into the minds of those who you are competing against. "But won’t they see my blog?" you might ask. Not if you write it in secret code! Another great tip, courtesy of my friend and Marketing Guru, Susan Oakes (www.m4bmarketing.com): subscribe to your competitors’ newsletters!

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3) How Are Others Pricing?  

Espionage Tidbit: The penalty for corporate espionage is: $500,000 per offense and up to 15 years imprisonment for individuals, and up to $10 Million for companies and organizations.

Your Business: Pricing is a biggie! Set yours too low and you are selling yourself short. Set them too high and you just might price yourself out of the marketplace. In order to remain competitive, your prices must be strategically competitive. Look and see what others are charging in order to come up with a range that is acceptable to both you and your customers.

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4) How Are Others Marketing and Advertising?  

Espionage Tidbit: "Steven Louis Davis was indicted in Tennessee on October 3, 1997 on five counts of fraud by wire and theft of trade secrets for stealing and disclosing trade secrets concerning the development of a new shaving system by The Gillette Company."  source: wright.edu

Your Business: Take a look at how your competitors advertise and market their products and/or services. Where do they advertise? How do they market? What venues, outlets and media do they appear to be using. Could it be a great Social Networking campaign? If they’re successful, see what methods and means you can emulate.

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5) Who Are Others Selling To?

Espionage Tidbit: Corporate espionage is generally considered to be a "white-collar" crime, so if convicted, pack your tennis racket and bathing suit. Your prison will most likely look more like a country-club than a jail.

Your Business: So who are your competitors’ customers? Take a look on their websites and see. Find their list of clients which is usually displayed quite prominently and with immense pride. If their customers seem of little importance or interest to you, you might wish to ignore them. If however, their list reads like a "Who’s Who" of your dream clients, perhaps you might look into their methods and practices to see what exactly seems to be working so well for them. 

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The Internet is a Treasure-Trove of great information. It’s all there at our fingertips in this day and age. With a bit of research we can size up the competition and use what we learn to propel our businesses to success and prosperity!

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Image Credits: Secret Agent: larpk at flickr.com; Sherlock Holmes: britfilms.tv;  ?: all-free-download.com

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Yonatan Maisel is a professional writer and published author. He is a history buff who enjoys long walks in the woods with his wife and Canaan dog "Halva." His business-blog, going strong for ten months now, appears here at http://www.jobshuk.com/, with updates occurring twice-a-week.

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