In Part one of this article three fundamental information-gathering techniques were briefly described. They are elicitation (the use of non-threatening conversation in order to encourage information sharing), direct observation and meeting techniques (both self-explanatory).
Having acquired some knowledge of (and practice in) these techniques you also need to be aware of the many sources that may be exploited to your advantage.
Sources of soft information Clubs, bars, hotels, and transport facilities serving your competitors' premises, are potentially valuable sources of information. Casual conversations may reveal such things as: orders lost or gained; imminent pay rises; retrenchments or lay-offs; recruitment of large numbers of new workers or of specialist staff; details of new products; and management changes.
Customers or clients (including those of your competitors) are an excellent source of ideas for improving existing products or services, and for developing new ones. With some judicious probing, your rivals' customers may be persuaded to tell you about such things as failure to perform, poor delivery, inadequate service, or hidden costs.
Agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere sends engineers into the field for a week or two to watch customers put prototypes through their paces. This allows for rapid modification or redesign to accommodate specific needs. In the 7000 series of tractors, for instance, changes were made to the transmission (to permit slow-speed cropping of garlic), to the size of the cab (to increase comfort), and to certain controls (adjusted to avoid extended arm movements).
At a less intrusive level, you may find it appropriate to train your salespeople to carry out basic maintenance and installation. In this way, they will often have a very good excuse to chat with customers and find out what is on their minds. For instance, do they like the product? If not, why not? Is it reliable? How does it compare with other, similar products? What could be done to improve it? Are all the features necessary - or even useful? Is your range of products appropriate? Is the after-sales service up to scratch? What are your competitors up to? What sort of image do they - and you - present? Do their products offer valuable additional features? Have they been undergoing any personnel changes recently? And so on.
Competitors are a particularly valuable source of information. Don't be afraid to talk to them. And note well that competitors B, C and D are unrivalled sources of information about Competitor A.
Seminars, conferences, and industry trade shows
Take advantage of site visits to competitors' premises without alerting your rival (when such visits are programmed as part of a conference or trade show, for instance). Make a mental note of entries in the visitors' register, collect such trade literature or newsletters as are freely available, record details of supplier and customer vehicles, and ask pertinent questions whenever possible.
Trade shows and exhibitionscan provide you with more information in a few days than you would collect in a whole year from other sources. You must, however, adopt a systematic and coordinated approach. My article on the topic (1) expands on this aspect in some detail.
Seminars and conferences provide the right venue (and an excellent excuse) for networking. Extract maximum value by making every effort to meet people and exchange business cards. These will form an excellent basis for your knowledge map.
Be aware that company secrets may be revealed by an individual who is over-eager to contribute to a discussion. At the same time, you can almost always ask questions of speakers. They either react instinctively to the ‘publish or perish' syndrome or are flattered by your interest.
Industry and professional associations often provide directories or lists of members; professional, technical, and legal advice; notification of exhibitions, conferences, and other public events; and access to affiliated bodies and overseas associations. They frequently arrange networking activities and overseas trade visits, and usually publish a newsletter.
Incidentally, what do you do with all those seminar and conference brochures that come across your desk? Do you just dump them in the waste bin? That may well be the right place for them but, before doing so, check to see whether the nominated speakers may be of value to you. Do they have relevant expertise - or access to contacts - that can be of use? If so, record their details in your knowledge map. You can incorporate other relevant information as and when you find it.
Mining the media
Media releases are usually classified as soft information because there is no obligation on editors to publish them. In fact, editors receive hundreds of such items every day, and they are forced to be highly selective. Hence, your copy - if you have one - may be your only source of that particular information. They often reveal that changes are either planned, imminent, or have actually taken place. It makes sense, therefore, to find a way to acquire media releases from organisations whose activities are of interest or concern.
Journalists, editors, and specialist writers are excellent sources of leads and contacts. Especially useful are those reporters employed by local newspapers in areas where your competitors have facilities, plant, or operations. Also worth talking with are those journalists who have expressed a particular interest in, or have written about, your company.
Because of editorial constraints, journalists are often prevented from including all the information they have collected for a specific article. A brief telephone call or email message may be all that is necessary to obtain the unpublished portion, or to solicit contact details of people who may possess relevant knowledge or expertise.
Mentors or advisers can be extremely helpful. Try to seek out creative people for this role. Look particularly for those who will always try to disprove assumptions and challenge established myths. They should be the sort of people who will stop you in your tracks, and make you think.
Other sources
Suppliers are often so motivated to sell that they may inadvertently provide detailed information (specifications, prices, quantities) concerning goods supplied to your competitors. They also know a great deal about pricing and mark-up; about what sells and what doesn't; and about trends in the industry.
Dealers, agents, and distributors may be persuaded to tell you about competitors' strategies, new products, price changes, promotions, or personnel matters.
Consultants may be willing to describe projects on which they have worked for your competitors. Or they may provide you with lists of clients, their scales of fees, technical details, specifications, or personality profiles.
Trainers will often identify companies for whom they have presented courses, and training providers are usually quite happy to give you a list of speakers in your industry. It should provoke some sort of response, for instance, to discover that a major competitor has undertaken a program of training in competitive intelligence.
Court proceedings are another valuable, and rarely used, source. Those involving existing or potential competitors may be excellent sources of intelligence; law courts have little regard for corporate secrets. In the United Kingdom court reports are now released at the end of each day during the course of the proceedings.
Government bodies or regulating agencies with which you have to deal, or about which you need to be aware, are generous providers of information. Simply find one or more individuals in those organisations and treat them kindly.
The nature and type of such sources is limited only by your imagination. Note well that as Ben Gilad says:
Only human sources can provide commentary, opinion, feelings, intuition, emotions, and commitment.(2)
References
Prior, Vernon; Trade shows and exhibitions: the intelligence gatherer's cornucopia; In: Competitive Intelligence Review, 7(4), Winter, 1996.
Gilad, Ben; My source is better than your source; In: Competitive Intelligence Review, Fall 1995
Over the past 20 years Vernon Prior (operating as Prior Knowledge) has presented training programmes in competitive intelligence (CI) and knowledge management (KM) in Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.
Vernon has a post-graduate Diploma in Librarianship and Information Science (DipLib), is a Fellow of the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (FSCIP), and Founder of the Society of Knowledge and Competitive Intelligence Professionals Australia (SCIPAust).
The FreePint Family is a family of resources to help information workers be more effective, raise the value of information in their organisations and contribute to success.
'FreePint... provides most of my professional development because it won't come through work and [other resources] just don't cut it.'
FUMSI Forum: Do you have a research question? Post it to the FUMSI Forum, where professionals share Q&A and useful tips on how to Find, Use, Manage and Share Information. It's free.
![[Reuse options]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.png){kind=small}
FreePint Shop:
VIP LiveWire:
