fbpx

Stop Fighting Like Goliath

Jan 29, 2015Business0 comments

It is interesting how much we cherish the battle between David and Goliath, yet we understand very little about it and it’s applications. So often we look at how the young boy defeated the giant, which is true, but there is so much more. As we relate this to business there is a lot that we can learn and study and incorporate into our business practices. As I am reading Malcolm Gladwell’s book, David and Goliath I am realizing a key principle that I have forgotten. When fighting Goliath we can not go mano y mano. Hand to hand combat will defeat us every time!

One of the keys to getting Altra to where we are today is thinking and acting differently. We didn’t go straight up to the Goliaths of the shoe industry and take a cheap sword and some chincy armor and say, “Large Shoe Company, let’s battle”. We couldn’t do it. We couldn’t afford to do it. We made great product and then stood back with no armor and a sling. Thankfully in this day and age we had a sling that helped us do it. 20 years ago we couldn’t have done it the same way.

Today we have blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and so much more that allows a more even playing field. We didn’t throw down the hundreds of thousands of dollars every month to match the ad campaigns of the big boys. We didn’t sponsor the major key events right away. We didn’t go out and get the flagship athlete. We slowly built a grass roots business with amazing fans that are extremely loyal, we put a lot of emphasis on social media and creating a powerful community and we worked smaller events and brand ambassadors to become relevant. We also went door to door to small retailers and built the specialty first.

We fought Goliath with a different tactic then just head on. We sought to keep our distance, remain swift without all the baggage of armor and attack on a different playing field. I think we may have gotten away from that tactic too much at times. It is key for us to be strategic and swift if we plan to overthrow the great obstacles in our way. We must use a different tactic if we are to compete. A small company can not fight the same way as a company 10x or even 100x their size. Stretch your mind to think outside the box and use the tools at your disposal to build your business amongst the Goliaths around you. Keep at it and you will succeed. You may never overtake them, but you will compete with them.

More Articles Like This

Is Being a Disciple of Jesus Hard?

Is Being a Disciple of Jesus Hard?

“I grieve for those who leave the Church because they feel membership requires too much of them. They have not yet discovered that making and keeping covenants actually makes life easier! Each person who makes covenants…and keeps them—has increased access to the power...

Refined by Affliction

Refined by Affliction

Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ is Hard Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not easy. There are many promises that we will be blessed if we keep the commandments. We...

A Covenant of Peace

A Covenant of Peace

”and after they had entered into a covenant with him of peace they were suffered to depart into the wilderness.” Alma 44:20 It always amazes me as I read through the Book of Mormon to see how stout the people were with their covenants between each other. When a...

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let's Start a Conversation