Improve Your CI Skill: Read Competitive Intelligence Rescue
Learn how to diagnose what needs to be fixed in your competitive intelligence program by reading Competitive Intelligence Rescue. This is Carolyn Vella and John McGonagle’s last competitive intelligence book. They published about 12 CI books!
They walk us through their experiences rescuing seven (7) companies in the case study format.
Case Studies Vary by Industry and Complexity
DIY (Do it yourself) competitive intelligence.
Adding primary research capabilities.
Defending against your competitors’ intelligence activities.
Creating and staffing a new CI team.
The case studies include Carolyn and John’s conversations with the various stakeholders as they go through the CI rescue process. As a reader, you just crawl in.
Competitive Intelligence Rescue: Diagnostic Quiz
Carolyn and John have developed some first and second level diagnostic questions aka “Diagnostic Quiz” to pinpoint the issues that you need to fix. They are so methodical from their many years as CI professionals. If you follow this Diagnostic Quiz process, you won’t miss issues, such as CI training and ethics/legal that are often blind spots in CI program development and assessment.
They also account for a company’s culture and politics in the diagnostic. They check back with each client a year or so later to measure progress and analyze results.
Competitive Intelligence Rescue: My Favorite Diagnostic Quiz Questions
Do you really know the CI issues…or are you just assuming them…relying on past, old data, possibly not current data?
What were the real problems? Why are they different from what the company said they were?
Is senior management willing to hear things that they might not want to hear from the CI team or individual?
Are your competitors doing CI? How effectively?
Competitive Intelligence Rescue: Definitions, Processes and Tips Lists
Not only do you get some behind the scenes intelligence, but you also get precious processes and tip lists that any CI professional would value.
Key competitive intelligence definitions, especially how it’s not market research
Creating an early warning system
Creating a mission statement for the CI group
Strategic intelligence team skillsets
Tips for DIYers (p. 71)
Defining and protecting your Competitive Sensitive Data
Working a trade show or conference
Screening/checklist for non-US CI providers
20 rules for doing CI research off the Internet which includes social media
Elicitation definition and techniques to improve primary collection skill
Competitive Intelligence Rescue: My Favorite Closing Remark
“Never assume what you are told or what you want to believe, is correct…people do not fully understand their own problems…even that they have problems. Dig deeper: look, do not just listen—verify.”
A must read for any CI professional or manager who wants to learn a process to improve some aspects of their competitive intelligence program.
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Ellen Naylor
Conversation Elicitation Expert
(303) 388-1452
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