Unconventional B2B Strategy #14
1818. South Africa. The 12,000-strong Ndwandwe army emerges from the morning mist. Shaka waits with his Zulu army half the size.
If Shaka loses here, the Zulu could face extinction.
The Ndwandwe won battles the old way – attrition. Stand within throwing range. Chuck long spears at the enemy.
The Zulu would lose in a head-to-head battle. So Shaka did something radical.
He slowed down, spending six long years avoiding the Ndwandwe.
Behind the scenes, Shaka got to work retraining his warriors.
The Zulus…
- Ran 50 miles daily, barefoot, over acacia thorns
- Trained without sandals, hardening feet on burning sand
- Sparred with a short, heavy spear, not the traditional set of five long spears
- Relentlessly drilled a complex battle formation called “bull horns,” where the center force would appear weak, while two thin flanks (the ‘horns’) would run on either side at a full sprint. Timing and fitness were critical.
The Ndwandwe already thought Zulus were weak.
But Shaka needed them to drop their guard even further. So, he started the battle with a fake retreat.
With the enemy thinned out, Shaka’s warriors bull-horned the enemy.
Ndwandwe’s surprise turned to panic. They were too close to lob their spears.
In another surge, the Zulus unleashed the short spears.
By sunset, 7,000 Ndwandwe fell. The Zulu only lost 700. The Zulu empire swelled to over 250,000 people from the momentum of that battle.
The Germans revived Shaka’s slow, slow, quick, quick strategy during World War II in the form of the blitzkrieg.
Robert Greene’s 14th Strategy of War says:
❝Striking first, before your opponents have time to think or prepare, will make them emotional, unbalanced, and prone to error.— Robert Greene
⚡ Adapt the blitz to B2B
Imagine you’re a B2B tech company. Your competitor just released an integration you don’t have.
SLOUCH – Slow 1
Publicly: Speak on social and podcasts about ‘pulling back to focus on our core competencies’ – advertise the message directly to your competitors. Lose to Win.
Behind the scenes: Build out a better integration. Forge relationships with your competitor’s clients.
RUN AWAY – Slow 2
Privately: Digitally remove one guy from your company. Buy them a ticket to the show. Book a prime venue near the event. Prep 100s of posts, ads, videos, etc. to showcase your better integration.
⚡ SHOCK – Quick 1
The day before the show, launch your marketing blitz to all attendees & exhibitors.
ATTACK – Quick 2
At the show, your spy invites competitor clients to your event. Expand the campaign to the rest of the market.
⚠️ WARNING: Blitzing requires…
- Budget: Can you burn money quickly?
- Resolve: Will your ego survive the buildup?
- Agility: Is your team fast enough to execute—product & marketing?
