A practical introduction to the necessity of competitive intelligence for smarter business decisions-from a leading CI expert and speaker
In Competitive Intelligence Advantage, Seena Sharp, founder of one of the first Competitive Intelligence firms in the US, provides her expert analysis on the issues and benefits of CI for today's businesses. CI is critical for making smarter business decisions and reducing risks when formulating strategies, leading to more profits and fewer mistakes.
This is a practical guide that explains what CI is, why data is not intelligence, why competitor intelligence is a weak sibling to competitive intelligence, when to use it, how to find the most useful information and turn it into actual intelligence, and how to present findings in the most convincing manner. Importantly, Sharp argues that businesses would benefit from shifting their perspective on CI from viewing it as a cost to viewing it as an investment that saves money and provides immediate value.
- Author Seena Sharp is a noted CI expert who established Sharp Market Intelligence in 1979
- Addresses all the most common myths and misconceptions about CI
- Includes more than sixty examples of when to use CI
- Completely explains the ins and outs of CI, and why your company will act faster and more aggressively with CI
Competitive intelligence is a management tool that is misunderstood and underestimated, yet results in numerous benefits. If you are a senior level executive or operate a business-and you aren't tapping the power of CI to improve your decision making-you are missing a potent advantage.
Table of Contents:
Introduction: Required Reading (Yes, Really) vii
1 The Emergence of the Hapless Executive 1
2 Defining and Refining Competitive Intelligence 13
3 Competitive Intelligence: What You Don’t Know Will Hurt You 35
4 Why Fixating on Competitors Is Misguided 57
5 Three Critical Distinctions 77
6 All Information is Not Equal 103
7 Knowing When and Why to Power Up the CI Engine 119
8 Next Steps for You and Your Company 145
9 Understanding and Evaluating Information Sources 165
10 Performing Like a CI Pro 199
11 Demystifying Competitive Intelligence, One Myth at a Time 223
12 What’s in It for Me? 245
13 Playing by the Rules, SCIP, Resources 263
Acknowledgments 277
About the Author 279
Index 281
About the Author :
SEENA SHARP founded one of the first competitive intelligence firms in the United States. She has long been actively involved in CI, working as a CI leader at major corporations, writing articles on CI for business publications, and frequently speaking throughout the U.S. and Europe, including international conferences for the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP). Her CI clients include American Express, Lucent, Saatchi & Saatchi, Hilton Hotels, and numerous industrial businesses and non-profit organizations, in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Africa. For more information, please visit www.sharpmarket.com or www.competitiveintelligenceadvantage.com.
Review :
"Savvy business owners and managers must read Sharp's insightful book before making another big decision. The top expert in this field has written a compelling and extremely readable book for staying ahead of your competition."
—Jane Applegate, columnist and author of 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business "After reading this book, you will see your business differently, because you will see the work differently...a set of new opportunities to exploit."
—Steve Moya, consultant and former senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Humana, Inc.
"Seena Sharp has done it again! This incisive book clears through the clutter that encumbers so many others on competitive intelligence. And Seena's no-holds-barred style rings true as she pierces several myths surrounding vaunted business decision-making, and the holy grail of crunching business data."
—Paul Kinsinger, Professor of Business Intelligence, Thunderbird School of Global Management
"Seena Sharp has always provided her fellow professionals and clients a fresh and insightful perspective on competitive intelligence. This book fulfills those expectations."
—Jan Herring, advisor to intelligence professionals, Meritorious Award Recipient, Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals
"Seena's book provides the insight on competitive intelligence that all companies should embrace. The CI that Seena provided to our small manufacturing company directed a successful new product launch that would have otherwise failed."
—Brian Grabowski, CWP, a Division of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
