Competitive Intelligence Advantage: How to Minimize Risk, Avoid Surprises, and Grow Your Business in a Changing World

by Seena Sharp

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. 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.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Expert in market due diligence and competitive intelligence, which is finding out what you need to know when making a strategic or growth decision.

Commissioned by John Wiley publishers to write this book, based on extensive experience with clients (US and global), speaking, and published articles."

Reviews

[Pedro Carrilho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was convinced of CI by chapter 1...

Amazing work and very balanced view. Still don’t have the toolkit to implement it though. Less focus on ‘evangelising’ CI and more on practical applications would have been great. For example more CI ‘puzzles’ with sample examples would have been welcomed.

[Ashwitha Shetty · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book successfully clarifies what CI is and isn't, and its value, yet it's purely theoretical.

I was hoping for a practical guide with actionable steps and exercises, found none. The repetition of content was also a drawback. The chapter on evaluating information sources was the only notable exception.

[Adrian C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lives up to the author's name - Sharp. It is an essential resource for executives, strategists and marketers who want to be on the forefront of market analysis today. I love how Seena Sharp goes beyond backward-looking static competitive analysis reporting to developing an on-going discipline of forward-looking market analysis using the latest tools. This is the kind of information that not only informs strategy but shapes strategy. Filled with helpful resources, her chapter on competitive intelligence myths is not to be missed. Buy this book for everyone on your team - this is a must read that should be available on your business bookshelf to reference often.

[Ellen Naylor]

This is one of my 'go to' recommended books for anyone in competitive intelligence. Seena Sharp writes well and her experience goes back a long way, which makes it a lot more interesting. She did not have to research to write this book since she had plenty of her own case studies sprinkled throughout.