1. Competitive Intelligence – It’s Not Just For Spies! March 10, 2008 Linda Rink President

2. (c) March 10, 20082 What Is Competitive Intelligence? CI means gathering information about other companies. It’s legal if it’s public information. It’s not legal if it’s a trade secret or obtained under false pretences.

3. (c) March 10, 20083 What Is Competitive Intelligence? It’s Not Just for Spies! You can do a lot yourself. Does not have to be a major expense. Do it ethically.

4. (c) March 10, 20084 Why is CI Important? Strategic Planning Troubleshooting Tactical Maneuvers Employee Involvement Business Growth

5. Here Is a “CI Checklist” Ten Ways to Find Information About Your Competitors

6. (c) March 10, 20086 CI Checklist 1.Industry Association(s)

7. (c) March 10, 20087 CI Checklist 1.Industry Association(s) 2.Your Sales Associates

8. (c) March 10, 20088 CI Checklist 1.Industry Association(s) 2.Your Sales Associates 3.Your Vendors

9. (c) March 10, 20089 CI Checklist 1.Industry Association(s) 2.Your Sales Associates 3.Your Vendors 4.Your Customers

10. (c) March 10, 200810 CI Checklist 1.Industry Association(s) 2.Your Sales Associates 3.Your Vendors 4.Your Customers 5.Trade Publications

11. (c) March 10, 200811 CI Checklist 1.Industry Association(s) 2.Your Sales Associates 3.Your Vendors 4.Your Customers 5.Trade Publications 6.Competitor Websites

12. (c) March 10, 200812 CI Checklist 1.Industry Association(s) 2.Your Sales Associates 3.Your Vendors 4.Your Customers 5.Trade Publications 6.Competitor Websites 7.Customer Service

13. (c) March 10, 200813 CI Checklist 1.Industry Association(s) 2.Your Sales Associates 3.Your Vendors 4.Your Customers 5.Trade Publications 6.Competitor Websites 7.Customer Service 8.Trade Shows

14. (c) March 10, 200814 CI Checklist 1.Industry Association(s) 2.Your Sales Associates 3.Your Vendors 4.Your Customers 5.Trade Publications 6.Competitor Websites 7.Customer Service 8.Trade Shows 9.Mystery Shopping

15. (c) March 10, 200815 CI Checklist 1.Industry Association(s) 2.Your Sales Associates 3.Your Vendors 4.Your Customers 5.Trade Publications 6.Competitor Websites 7.Customer Service 8.Trade Shows 9.Mystery Shopping 10.Keep Up With Business News

16. (c) March 10, 200816 CI Checklist Digging Deeper Patents or Trademarks Special-Interest Blogs Job Postings (Monster.com, etc.) Public Records

17. (c) March 10, 200817 CI Checklist Digging Deeper Company Info –Yahoo! Finance –Hoover’s SEC Filings

18. (c) March 10, 200818 Competitive Intelligence: Project or Process? Project – need specific info Process – continuous

19. (c) March 10, 200819 CI Process All employees Information flow Reliability of sources Verification Action Dissemination of information

20. (c) March 10, 200820 What Is Competitive Intelligence? It’s Not for Spies! It’s for your ENTIRE COMPANY – Use It to Build Your Business! © RINK Consulting 1420 Locust St., Suite 31N, Philadelphia, PA 19102 215.546.5863 www.LindaRink.com lrink@LindaRink.com