Business Opportunities Weblog

Book: Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry

By on April 6, 2013 in Books

Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry by Stephen Denny profiles more than 30 companies from around world that have taken on the giant in their industry and won.

From Silicon Valley to the townships of South Africa, Denny explains, “It can be a blessing in disguise to be the little guy.” Giant killers can afford to be nimble and to take bold steps. They are, by virtue of their size, faster, more responsive and adaptable that the battleship-sized competitors they face.

Two of Denny’s best nuggets of advice from the book are:

  • Win in the last three feet. Leverage someone else’s investment-just be there the moment the customer grabs their wallet.
  • Create “thin ice” arguments. Shift the conversation to places where the competition can’t-or won’t-go.

I have a couple copies of this book to giveaway. To enter, leave a comment below.

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Business Opportunities Weblog editor and publisher Dane Carlson lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, just 15 miles from Yosemite National Park. He accidentally became a professional blogger in 2001. He has added 12,203 posts to the site.

Another Idea: How to Start a Book Business

  • http://talflife.ecrater.com Lola Atobatele

    I AM TIRED OF PEOPLE SAYING IT CANT BE DONE AND YOU NEED A LOT OF MONEY TO START ANY BUSINESS.JUST KEEP IT SIMPLE AND TRY TO MAKE A PRODUCT BETTER THATS WHAT I DO

  • http://www.woodagedholdings.com Kevin Murphy

    Give me a book, I am in the alcohol industry which is dominated by Giants, every turn we are locked out of the market unless we are prepared to pay BIG figures as graft to enter specific markets, I need some inside running NOW
    send me a book
    Kevin Murphy

  • http://CMAagency.com Jo Stone

    We’re the small guy in town, an insurance agency, and the big boys hold clients hostage by requiring them to do business with them in order to get their business, even though we give better service and have the more qualified knowledgeable staff. It’s tough being a female in the good old boy system also.

  • http://www.NJVowsNow.com celia Milton

    Smaller companies can be more flexible, more creative and more customer service oriented. I honestly feel that most people would rather do business with a PERSON than a corporation. If we go back to the well known theory that clients do business with pros that they ‘know, like and trust’, than it just figures that a business with a ‘human face’ would have an enormous advantage over a faceless corporation. I’d much rather get another person on the phone than, “Press 1 for customer service”, which is usually anything but that.

    Money is not the issue in most cases; money can drive a potential customer to a website, but it won’t make them buy; a person has to convince them to do so, and that is priceless.

    Celia Milton

  • Exx

    Sounds like a great reading, with an extraordinary relevance for our company, as we are just starting off and focus on the largest (humongous!!) of our competitors. :)

    I’d love a copy of it. Thanks for the effort. :)

  • TERRY RICHARD

    We are a small green tech company looking for way to grow and extand to Africa countries. i do love to have a copy of the book.
    Thanks for you do.

  • http://homeofteamcatalyst.com Judy Narum

    Interesting, might this apply to the business of Network Marketing as well as Brick and Morter? I am always open and looking for ways to win the last three feet. You never know when you are three feet from gold and I am not a quitter.
    Show me what you have.

    Thanks for work,
    Judy

  • Hunter

    This book does sound pretty interesting, smaller companies are definitely more agile and creative, the larger companies get, the more bureaucratic they become which slows them down.

  • Matt

    I am definitely interested in the book and the subject. Seems like the examples would be a really fun and inspiring read.

  • http://www.howtoseducelife.blogspot.com Guru Eduardo

    “the instinct to follow the herd among business people, makes sheep seem like independent thinkers” If this book gives some answers to that quote, I want a copy….thanks!

  • http://www.debtorsheaven.com Eric Kittleson

    I would love to help people pay their debts under more realistic terms according to their circumstances. How do I showcase my message amongst all of the theives in this industry?

  • http://www.debtorsheaven.com Eric Kittleson

    Btw, I would love to have a copy of this book. Thanks for your consideration.

  • http://www.highchairbelts.com nancy r

    There is a saying: Why reinvent the wheel.” I’ve watched big brother spend their big advertising dollars to get the sale. The little guy needs more than just exceptional, personal customer service to compete. This books is relevant and necessary. Thanks for writing it. I hope to have you share your wisdom with me, and I will pay it forward ;)

  • http://healthwisecoffee.com Michael Reines

    I’ve spent over 15 years in preparation to take on the second biggest commodity in the world – coffee. Without adulterating it, I’ve developed a method for highly fertizizing the soild and then sealing-in all of the valuable essential minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber lost by other coffees during the roasting process. I’ve spent the time acquiring over 200 studies from independent laboratories, government agencies, medical journals, medical centers and many more others. We have FDA approval and exceed their requirements to call our coffee “low acid” and our coffees also have dietary fiber, all of the foregoing range between 4.6% and 22% of the RDA. I need your book for any additional tips prior to our national release.

  • Marius

    I am a college student and currently doing my first steps in Entrepreneurship. A copy of this book would help me a lot!

  • Tyrone

    Interesting book. Currently I’m pursuing investing in real estate in a way that will build me capital so that I can start my own business. To know some of these techniques will definitely be invaluable. Knowledge is power for sure.

  • http://www.stephendenny.com Stephen Denny

    To all: many thanks for your interest in Killing Giants! It was certainly fun to research and write. I hope that the 70+ interviews and 33 brand stories help answer some of your questions.

    Dane, appreciate your kind review, as well.

    I look forward to everyone’s feedback. Thanks –

    Stephen Denny
    Author, Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath In Your Industry

  • http://josephinegiaimo.com Josephine Giaimo

    Sounds like a great read. Probably would work in a service/non-profit segment as well as in a product segment. I think part of the answer is to look for the trends, changes, weaknesses, opportunities, long-term strategies, etc. For some reason, I’m thinking of (van?) Clauswitz’s Art of War. Looking forward to reading this book!

  • http://www.stephendenny.com Stephen Denny

    Josephine: Thanks for your comparison – although I’d go with Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” or BH Liddell Hart’s “Strategy” before Clauswitz. Rarely (to paraphrase Hart) to direct attacks work against larger competitors. Both Hart’s (and my) books are studies of indirect strategies, of the ways that strengths can be negated and smaller resources used to greater effect. Case studies and learnings from Silicon Valley start-ups, Brazilian telecom co’s, South African cosmetics brands, Japanese retailers and others. Hope you like the book! Thanks –
    S. Denny

  • http://healthwisecoffee.com Michael Reines

    I made a career of outhinking, outsmarting and outmaneuvering the big guys. My specialty was turning-around small companies who where broke due to monies spent on adv., PR and consultants and got no results. None of the companies could afford my services, so I bet on myself and there products. I turned around ten companies in 11 years.

    My lastest challenge has me out of my comfort zone, due to the number of dirty tricks, lies, business interference. I am about to overcome all of that. I have spent over 10 years substantiating the findings about this FDA approved process I am using to roast coffees. This is coupled with all owners actuallyt
    lending their expertise on an as needed basis in return for sharing in the gross profits. This is coupled with strategic marketing – right now we are preparing to introduce our coffee on TV using a very well known Celebrity who will have exclusive rights to a special line of coffees.

    I can use your book right now to make sure I’m incorporating anything that has developed over the last 10 years.

  • Kali

    It may not be easy, but it is possible to beat the big guys. If this book is more of a how-to guide than anecdotes, it’ll earn a place on many entrepreneur’s shelves. Added to the ‘must read’ pile!

  • http://www.stephendenny.com Stephen Denny

    @Kali – each of the 33 brand stories (calling them “case studies” sounds too heavy) are deconstructed with the “how to” work following each. I certainly tried to stay above the “lite” anecdote sort of analysis! Thanks & hope you find Killing Giants useful!
    S. Denny

  • Kali

    Who won the giveaway?

    Read an excerpt. I like the way the book is organized. Describing the strategy, and then examples of different ways it has been applied.

  • http://Www.miniscraper.com W. Eldridge

    We are introducing a new line of Green All Purpose cleaners and bio degradable
    products to the Us market and would like to be able to get on the store shelves, this book would give us insight to that.

  • http://www.facebook.com/DarrenOsborneAUS Darren Osborne

    This book would help me start my uav drone business by topplingbmy major competitor in my other business

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