New job! Help me get smart about getting smart.
October 22, 2010 8:14 AM
I want to get smart on competitive intelligence. Point me in the right direction.
Hi, I'm an analyst.
Next month I'll be moving from a role at a tiny strategic consulting firm (headcount: 4) to a global competitive intelligence agency (headcount: ~150) that's shifting its focus from pure CI work to more hybrid CI/consulting engagements. My new manager's convinced I'll pick up the new-to-me aspects of this job very quickly, and I believe him. That said, and I always feel more comfortable once I've done some research (see also: analyst).
FWIW, I have zero formal training in competitive intelligence, but I've done probably 30 voice of customer interviews and lots of competitive profiling in the past 2 years. New aspects of the job to me will be longer engagements focused specifically on monitoring the competition for a specific company/product, and gathering CI data at conferences.
- What can I do to get smart about CI processes and best practices?
- Any good books I should read? (I'm considering the Art of War already.)
- Any professional journals or blogs I should keep up with on a regular basis? (I've looked briefly at SCIP, and have access to most major journals and databases through my grad program.)
- If you're someone who interacts with CI or market research analysts on a semi-regular basis, what do you find refreshing with talking with someone like me via phone or at a conference? And on the flip side, what annoys the crap out of you?
All your thoughts are welcome, including - but hopefully not exclusively! - jaded opinions about the field.
Hi, I'm an analyst.
Next month I'll be moving from a role at a tiny strategic consulting firm (headcount: 4) to a global competitive intelligence agency (headcount: ~150) that's shifting its focus from pure CI work to more hybrid CI/consulting engagements. My new manager's convinced I'll pick up the new-to-me aspects of this job very quickly, and I believe him. That said, and I always feel more comfortable once I've done some research (see also: analyst).
FWIW, I have zero formal training in competitive intelligence, but I've done probably 30 voice of customer interviews and lots of competitive profiling in the past 2 years. New aspects of the job to me will be longer engagements focused specifically on monitoring the competition for a specific company/product, and gathering CI data at conferences.
- What can I do to get smart about CI processes and best practices?
- Any good books I should read? (I'm considering the Art of War already.)
- Any professional journals or blogs I should keep up with on a regular basis? (I've looked briefly at SCIP, and have access to most major journals and databases through my grad program.)
- If you're someone who interacts with CI or market research analysts on a semi-regular basis, what do you find refreshing with talking with someone like me via phone or at a conference? And on the flip side, what annoys the crap out of you?
All your thoughts are welcome, including - but hopefully not exclusively! - jaded opinions about the field.
what annoys the crap out of you?
imho, only looking at half the world or less, especially in technology. there's more going on around the world and it behooves one to take a global perspective
posted by The Lady is a designer at 8:57 AM on October 22, 2010
imho, only looking at half the world or less, especially in technology. there's more going on around the world and it behooves one to take a global perspective
posted by The Lady is a designer at 8:57 AM on October 22, 2010
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posted by The Lady is a designer at 8:56 AM on October 22, 2010