“The bigger the company, the more the law of averages wipes out any real advantage of a trying-harder approach. History teaches that the only thing that works in marketing is the single, bold stroke. Furthermore, in any given situation there is only one move that will produce substantial results.” - Al Ries and Jack Trout in their book The 22 Immutable Laws Of Marketing.

Getting Specified By Architects

Many product manufacturers see success as the sum total of all their efforts executed in a seamless manner. They pick and choose several strategies to optimize product specification, sometimes throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Manufacturers may utilize continuing education and documentation to increase their specification opportunities. However, this type of strategy can consume resources if not properly planned and implemented. It requires another ingredient to be successful. So, what is a bold strategy to beat competitors and increase building product specifications? Ries and Trout explain in their book that often there is only one place where a competitor is vulnerable. They state that what works in marketing is the same as what works in the military: the unexpected.

Samurai Surprise

In feudal Japan, there was the Oda Family, a relatively weak group led by Oda Nobunaga, a fearless and unpredictable 26-year-old warrior, thought by some to be insane. In 1560, Imagawa Yoshimoto, from the powerful Imagawa Family, made an attempt to attack Kyoto, crossing through land controlled by the Oda family. Oda Nobunaga met the massive enemy army of over 20,000 soldiers with a force of only 2,000 soldiers. Setting up camp at a Zen temple, Nobunaga ordered his men to construct a dummy army to deceive the enemy. However, when Yoshimoto set up camp for the night, he allowed his men to feast and get drunk from the loot they had already captured, under the belief that victory against such a small defending force would be easy.

The next morning Nobunaga and his army made their move. They left the Zen temple and crawled into the hills overlooking the enemy force, with a powerful thunderstorm silencing their noisy approach. Suddenly, Nobunaga’s army charged the drunk and unprepared enemy. Yoshimoto’s scared men fled in all directions to avoid the slaughter, leaving their leader unprotected. Yoshimoto was shocked and surprised by the unpredictable attack and was slain before he had any idea what was happening. Oda Nobunaga’s small army had beaten the odds and claimed victory.

Get In The Trenches

The only way to determine your competitor’s weaknesses is to know what is happening on the battlefield. Owners, sales and marketing reps, and company staff need to be informed on what is working and not working at a company. Management can’t afford to sit in an ivory tower and dictate commands and specification strategies unless they have witnessed firsthand what is transpiring in the marketplace. It is difficult to figure out what bold move is necessary to implement without being in the trenches. It is crucial that management employ the right product reps to provide accurate intel about marketplace conditions, specification challenges, competing products and strategies, etc. Only then can a company make a bold move. How does your company use the “unexpected” to increase product specifications and beat the competition?