Competitive Intelligence | Leonard Fuld | author of The Secret Language | Chris Tucker

Leonard Fuld, author of The Secret Language of Competitive Intelligence: How to See Through & Stay Ahead of Business Disruptions, Distortions, Rumors & Smoke Screens (Crown Business, $25), takes a moment to speak with us about his new book and what "CI" really is. - Chris Tucker.

What's Competitive Intelligence, and where do we find it?
It's all kinds of bits and pieces of information that give insight and competitive advantage. It could be something learned from a trade show, a document, or a conversation your sales people have.

So it's not spying, but it's not just browsing the New York Times either?
No. Browsing is not in the CI lexicon. It's not a laid-back pursuit. It's aggressive.

What's Rule No. 1 of CI?
Wherever money is exchanged, information is exchanged. It's there if you know how to look.

What are some of the enemies of good CI?
Groupthink is one - drawing conclusions based on what "everybody knows is true." And there's denial. For almost a decade, Kodak denied that digital cameras threatened its business. They said sales declined because of a recession or some other problem.

Of course, the IBMs and Microsofts of the world make big investments in CI. Can little guys also play the game?
Everyone should play. Small companies may actually have an advantage because they're closer to the street and what's really going on, with fewer layers of bureaucracy to penetrate.