Why are Woman Afraid of Competition?

See those Coca Cola and Pepsi trucks? That’s competition and it’s not “bad.”

Let’s talk about the “C” word and how our views affects us as women in business. We absolutely MUST bust through sentiments that hold us back in business. Many times I hear women say express a sentiment that implies that “competing”, “competition”, “compete”, and “competitive” are dirty words. If this is the attitude we will not become masters of even a small scale in business. Mind you, this is one of the reasons why our businesses are not economically viable.

In business you WILL have to compete –Point blank. Competing against others and yourself in business is a good thing as it helps you to strengthen your business muscles.

When I apply for seven-to-eight figure government contracts best believe I am competing against people; some that I even know due to us being in the same industry. It’s all good too; we get along just fine. I’ve broken bread with these people, visited some of their offices and homes, had meaningful conversations with them; but I still compete against them in business, as they compete against me. Think of it as Steve Jobs breaking bread with Bill Gates. When one of us does not land a contract that was up for grabs sometimes we will ask each others what numbers (read: money) we used to land the contract and apply it to our strategy for later bids. Also, I am competing against myself. I usually try to get a number that was higher than my last number.

When competing against others, the key to maintain business relationships is that of good sportsmanship. You can land all the contracts in the world but if you have poor sportsmanship people will seriously dislike, if not, hate you; and that is dangerous. There is an art to crafting good sportsmanship. Luckily, some of us are born with a naturally diplomatic way but we can definitely learn the art. As the old adage goes, “It ain’t what you say, it’s how you say it.”

The wrong time to compete is with your family and friends –NEVER DO THAT. it will ruin your friendships and relationships. Sometimes, it is best to not even bother to tell your friends what you are doing in business and when they ask just keep it light and general. No need to draw enemies, as your life will become busy enough. To reach certain levels in business you are going to need a mental makeover.