Competitive battlecard template

What is a competitive battlecard?

A competitive battlecard is a concise, strategic tool that provides sales and customer success teams with essential information about your competitors.

The overarching goal is to equip your customer-facing teams with the knowledge they need to confidently and effectively address competition-related questions from customers. These battlecards provide concise, actionable insights that help your team differentiate your product, handle objections, and highlight your unique selling points.

Why should you use a competitive battlecard?

• Enhanced competitive cositioning: Quickly understand and articulate how your product stands out against competitors.
• Consistent Messaging: Ensure all team members convey a unified message when discussing competition.
• Effective objection handling: Equip your team with prepared responses to common objections based on competitor strengths and weaknesses.
• Informed decision-making: Provide your team with up-to-date competitive insights to support their conversations with customers.

How to use this template

Using the competitive battlecard template is straightforward. Once you've downloaded your template, simply make a copy and follow these steps to maximize its potential:

1. Fill in competitor information

Start by entering key details about each competitor:

• Competitor logo and name: Visual identification for quick reference.
• One-liner description: A brief description of the competitor.
• Quick response soundbites: Customer-ready language that highlights the strengths and limitations of the competitor compared to your product.

2. Develop objection handling strategies

Identify common strengths of the competitor and prepare objection handles:

• Strengths and objection handles: List the competitor's strengths and how your product addresses or surpasses these points.
• Customer call example: Include a short clip of a rep using this positioning in a real customer conversation to provide a practical example.

3. Create a high-level comparison

Provide a comparative analysis to highlight your product's advantages:

• Comparison grid: Show where your product excels and where the competitor falls short across various factors.
• Screenshots or demos: Visual aids to demonstrate differences in product features.

4. Use the VARS framework

Equip your team with a structured approach to positioning:

• Validate competitive presence: Engage with the customer to understand their familiarity with the competitor.
• Acknowledge competitor strengths: Recognize where the competitor does well to build credibility.
• Reframe the discussion: Redirect focus to the competitor's limitations and your product's advantages.
• Specify unique benefits: Highlight unique advantages and customer success stories that set your product apart.

5. Update regularly

Battlecards should be living documents. Commit to regularly updating them as new competitive intelligence emerges and market conditions change. Keeping these documents current ensures your team always has the latest information to support their sales efforts.

By following these steps, you'll create comprehensive and effective CI battlecards that empower your sales and customer success teams to win more deals and better serve your customers.

Download your competitive battlecard template

CI for Sales and CS: Battlecard template

CI for Sales and CS: Battlecard template ℹ️ About this resource In my view, battlecards should be hyper-focused on one job: Helping your customer-facing teams understand what to say when addressing the competition with customers. Your job is to equip them to handle these conversations with confid…

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