Why The Art of War is Not Relevant to Your Online Business

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.6MB)

Listen to the audio for this post:

We humans are funny creatures. We love peace and wish for it, and yet we love a good action story with conflict and a clear protagonist winner defeating the antagonist loser.

But in our day-to-day lives, the real world is nothing like the plot of a story. Business is changing. Evolving. Especially online business.

I get that if you’re a paying Hulu Plus customer, you’re probably not also a paying Netflix customer, and vice-versa. Those two companies really are fighting over customers in a way that could be analogous to warfare. In other respects, brand loyalty isn’t what it used to be. A young person isn’t necessarily going to be a Ford person for life if she buys a Ford as her first car. Automakers are, in a real sense, fighting over your money and your loyalty. But as consumers, we’re more loyal to ourselves than to some brand.

In case you didn’t know, The Art of War (affiliate link for the edition which I personally own) teaches that the highest technique in warfare is deception. Pretend to be weak so you lull the enemy into overconfidence. When the enemy strikes you then surprise them with your true strength and overwhelm.

The Way of War is
A Way of Deception.

When able,
feign inability;

When deploying troops,
appear not to be;

When near,
appear far;

When far,
appear near;

Lure with bait,
strike with chaos.

We see shades of this when Apple operates in secret and then suddenly unleashes a new category-redefining product , throwing its competition into a mad scramble of disarray. If you own an iPhone, chances are you own no other form of portable device for anything the iPhone does (except perhaps an iPad… well done, Apple, well done).

But these are huge corporations we’re talking about. Not you and me and our tiny little one-person or small-team operations.

If you’re a freelance writer or web designer, you’re in competition with so many thousands of other writers or web designers that it’s not even competition at all: it’s noise, over which you struggle to be heard. There are thousands—perhaps tens of thousands—of other people who do what you do. Many better than you, many worse. Or they may have more talent but horrible reliability. Their work might make you throw up in the back of your mouth, but their clients love them to no end.

And in this brave new world of affiliate sales and content marketing and transparency and authenticity, business-as-war just breaks down utterly into dust and is scattered on the winds of change.

The abundance of both web designers and people who need them is so great that there’s practically no reason anyone should work with someone they dislike.

If anything, cooperation is the watchword, not competition. Individually, several wedding specialists (catering, photography, planning, gowns, etc.) could band together and form a complete one-stop shop for engaged couples. Their physical places of business may be separate, but they can co-operate under a single website. They can market themselves under a powerful single brand.

Instead of deception, openness.

Instead of command, communication.

Instead of unquestioning loyalty, clear understanding.

The whole notion of I win, you lose is just absurd in this new world of business. That would be like me saying that, in order for me to “win” I would have to drive Denise Wakeman or Andrew Rondeau or Johnny B. Truant or Christian Russell out of business.

And I’m sorry, but that’s just fucking ridiculous.

There are so many people who need what we offer, and we all have our own very unique ways of operating, that everyone can be happy and be doing their thing.

Even in local markets, if you’re a real estate agent, you’re not ever going to be the only one. You can’t possibly be right for every customer. But if you and the other agents in the area see each other only as targets for destruction, you’re actually making success harder for yourselves, it seems to me. Referrals don’t just come only from customers, you know.

Think alliances.

Think partnerships, collaborations, joint ventures, splitting the revenues.

Think associations and serving the greater community.

Think networking.

Think mutual affiliate programs (I’m in your affiliate program, you’re in mine, and we both offer each other’s stuff to our customers for the greater benefit of all).

Business in the interconnected internet age is the least like war it’s ever been for the great majority of business owners.

If they’re willing to wake up and see it that way, and let go of this Art of War bullshit.

photo credit: vlasta2 and vlasta2 via photopin cc

Filed Under: Opinion

http://twitter.com/alisonjgolden Alison Golden

I couldn’t agree more. I haven’t read the Art of War but its’ precepts seemed ridiculous as I read them above. Cooperation, support, openness – absolutely. In this world we live in, I am so tired of the snarky, I win-you lose attitudes I keep coming across (and don’t get me started on those who consider it some form of ‘debate’) that I am actively unfollowing, blocking and ignoring those who adopt them. They are utterly draining emotional vampires. And while I haven’t read the Art of War, I have read the War of Art, and that *does* contain a very valuable message, one I am not following by merrily commenting here instead of doing what I should be doing.
- http://remarkablogger.com Michael Martine
  
  The precepts of the Art of War are GREAT… for WAR. People want to believe that business is war but I don’t believe that. At least, not the kind of businesses that you and I run.
Leon Noone

G’Day Michael,
I’m not sure that they were the first to mention it, but Al Ries and Jack Trout raised this issue in their book “Marketing Warfare” published in the 1980s. This book was a follow-up to their famous “Positioning”, first published in 1981.

One if the main issues they raised in “Marketing Warfare” was how market share is a major determinant in how a business should be marketed. A market leader should use a different marketing strategy to someone whose market share is a mere 5%. And the “5%er” must use a different strategy to the market leader.

As a very small business in employee performance improvement, I simply don’t have the resources to “mix it with the big guys.” If I try to, they can drive me from the market place simply because they have the resources to do so.

However, there are services that I can provide that the “big guys” simply can’t match. There are target markets that I can dominate that are simply of no interest to market leaders. It;s unfortunate that these days people talk about “The Art Of War”as it applies to business without linking it to the marketing principles espoused by Ries and Trout in “Positioning.’

The main principles were to have a crystal clear business focus and a narrow, specific target market. I believe that these two principles are fundamental to the success of any business. The “art of war’ idea was designed to fit that framework. Unfortunately, not everyone seems to understand that. The Lexus is the biggest selling luxury car in the USA today not because it’s a Toyota, but because it observes those two principles religiously.

Incidentally, I broadly agree with what you’re saying about collaboration and cooperation. But sometimes it’s hard to find like minds.

As my old mate Bix Berry says, “marketing isn’t everything but everything is marketing.”

Have a great 2013,

Best Wishes
Leon
- http://remarkablogger.com Michael Martine
  
  Hmm… I’ve read Positioning but not Marketing Warfare. Will fix that oversight very soon! But when I hammer on the idea of the “3 P’s” (people, problem, and product) it is to sort of invisibly craft another “P” which is positioning because those will give it to you.
  
  And that saying from your mate is the best thing I’ve read about marketing probably in weeks.
  - Leon Noone
    
    G’Day again Michael,
    
    It’s clear from the other comments that you’re not alone in misunderstanding what Al and Jack were talking about when they introduced the”Art of War” ideas into marketing.
    
    If you haven’t already done so, I’m sure you’d find their “22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” very illuminating too.
    
    My mate commemorates two fine jazzmen: cornetist Bix Biederbecke and tenor sax player Chu Berry. Both had the same first name; “Leon.”
    
    Y’know, I’d been in business for 13 years before I discovered Ries and Trout. I’d talked to lots of people, read lots of books but I couldn’t find anything definitive about marketing that made sense to me. Then someone suggested that I read “Positioning.”
    
    I believe effective marketing is the absolute fundamental upon which business success is built. I have a little 5 step process for improving employee onjob performance. Step 1 is “sort out your marketing.’ If you lack a crystal clear business focus and a narrow, specific target market, all the military strategists from Europe and the Orient wont be much help, unpronounceable names not withstanding. This applies whether you favour the Art of War, the Art of Peace or the Art of Andy Warhol!
    
    At times like this I usually rattle off two of my favourite quotes. “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”…… John Wooden
    
    “It aint what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for certain that just aint so.”….. Mark Twain
    
    Avagoodweegend!
    
    Best Wishes
    
    Leon
Tom Southern

I’m glad somebody’s saying this.

To compare business with war is ridiculous. Although, here in the UK, the retire home for many a former military officer as been corporate land, or The City, illustrating how much this belief becomes policy.

You’re right, people do want to believe business is war, hence the continuing adherence to the existence of Competition and how to beat (defeat) it. And, it’s a war most business is losing and our economies are the casualties.

Brand loyalty can be nurtured (try parting a Mac user from their Apples!). The ingredient is likeability. If you can become liked by people, and continue to include them in your community and give them the recognition that they seek, your brand and everything in it, will prosper.

Having a small solo business makes this much easier. And reaching out to each other would make running solo businesses a lot less stressful. And less solo.

“If anything, cooperation is the watchword, not competition.” – Amen!
- http://remarkablogger.com Michael Martine
  
  Thanks, Tom. Arguments about “personal branding” aside, on the scale we’re talking about it’s really more of a personal loyalty than a brand loyalty. Most important is dropping the conventional notions of competition and replacing that with an eye for cooperative opportunities.
LJ

An eye for cooperative business alliance, exactly what my business is about. However, my idea seems to be ahead of the game. Met with 5 businesses and all were onboard with my alliance approach to services. Within the 1st week of launching, I received 2 phone calls from outside sources regarding cut throat tactics aimed at damaging my reputation and relationship with 2 of the 5 businesses. Yes, one of the other businesses decided to take my idea and cut me out of the alliance. A bit discouraging, unfortunately still a reality of business. However, I’m all the more determined to get the right team onboard.
- http://remarkablogger.com Michael Martine
  
  Well, that’s not ironic at all! What a crappy thing for them to do.
http://www.sonshi.com/ Thomas Huynh

Hi Michael, I understand where you are coming from. The Art of War is certainly about competition. It does talk about deception. It also emphasizes the fact that deception shouldn’t be used for its own sake but for formlessness, especially when you’re the small fry. Sun Tzu did mention building alliances, and he also talks about building strength. He advised the reader how to win even if he or she is weaker than others. Seems to me the book would be useful for many small operators on the Web. I’ve been studying it for over 20 years and it has helped me. I hope you take a second look at The Art of War, or at least not discourage others from reading it, because they would be missing out on many useful ideas. Your friend, Thomas
sfsfsfsf

ffsfsfssfs
Anshuman

I guess coopetition is the best word which satisfy both sides of argument … its clear that competition will always be there in market but by cooperation healthy business can be done. Also as far as i remember, there is one lesson according to which best wars are win without fight. So i strongly believe that teachings of Sun Tzu can be implemented 100% in business. As far as openness goes, it is for consumers and not for competitors . No two companies come and tell each other their trade secrets.
- http://remarkablogger.com Michael Martine
  
  There are no secrets, just different ways of doing something. There’s nothing secret about how Amazon dominates, for example. Nor does it really matter that Apple develops in secret because their approach has already been dissected.
  
  For individuals running small online businesses, the notion of competition isn’t half as useful as the notion of partnership and joint ventures.
  
  Thanks for your comment and sharing your thoughts!