Know Thy Enemies
Staying ahead of your competition is critical in B2B sales, where closing deals requires sharp insights and strategic positioning. One of the most effective tools to gain this competitive edge is the competitor battlecard. This simple yet powerful resource equips your sales team with the essential information they need to tackle competitor objections and effectively position your products or services in front of potential customers.
In this blog post, we’ll explore what a competitor battlecard is, its essential components, and how it can be an integral part of creating a sales playbook. By the end, you’ll see why sales battlecards are crucial for top performers and how to develop one that drives success in your B2B sales process.
What is a Competitor Battlecard?
A competitor battlecard (also known as a competitive battlecard or simply battle card) is a concise document used by sales reps to quickly access important information about competitors. This document helps them understand competitor strengths, weaknesses, pricing strategies, and any other insights that could impact their approach to sales pitches.
Having a competitive battlecard ready at hand gives your team the knowledge they need to counter competitor claims, align your offering with customer needs, and outmaneuver the competition. It becomes especially crucial when sales reps face well-informed buyers who are evaluating multiple options.
By leveraging the insights from sales battlecards, your team can confidently address concerns during the sales cycle, making sure they are prepared for any objection or question that comes up. In essence, a competitive battlecard is a strategic asset in your B2B sales playbook.
Key Components of a Competitor Battlecard
A well-structured competitor battlecard typically includes several essential components. Let’s break down the critical elements that every battlecard should cover, providing your sales team with the comprehensive competitive intelligence they need.
1. Competitor Overview
Provide a brief summary of the competitor’s background, including:
- Basic information about their company (size, revenue, market position).
- Overview of their key products or services.
This section gives your sales reps a foundational understanding of who they’re competing against. It’s important to be concise while ensuring that the core details are covered so your sales team can quickly reference this section during their sales pitches.
2. Company Messaging
Every competitor has its own unique way of positioning itself in the market. This section should include:
- Key messages, slogans, or taglines the competitor uses.
- Their core value propositions.
Understanding how competitors speak to potential customers gives your team an opportunity to highlight differences. When they know how the competitor frames their offering, they can counter that messaging effectively.
3. Comparative Strengths
Identify the areas where the competitor is particularly strong. This might include:
- Features or functionalities where their product excels.
- A solid reputation or noteworthy case studies or success stories.
By acknowledging their strengths, your sales team can proactively address potential concerns from potential customers who are considering the competitor. It also helps plan sales plays that mitigate those competitive advantages.
4. Where/Why We Are Better
This is perhaps the most critical section of the battlecard. In this part, highlight where your product or service excels over the competitor’s, such as:
- Superior features or unique capabilities.
- More competitive pricing.
- Better customer support and customer success management.
When your sales reps are equipped with clear reasons why your company outshines the competition, they can tailor their sales pitches to address the pain points of the buyer. This also strengthens the case for choosing your offering, especially if the competitive battlecard includes relevant success stories where your company has won against the competitor.
5. Competitive History and Outcomes
Providing context on past encounters with this competitor offers valuable insights. Include:
- Where and how you’ve faced the competitor before.
- What the outcome was (wins, losses, and why).
This section of the competitive battlecard allows your team to learn from previous engagements, whether successful or not. Highlighting success stories where your team has outperformed the competition adds credibility to your sales reps’ conversations with prospects.
6. Other Competitive Information
Additional information that could help your team during competitive situations includes:
- Pricing strategies.
- Known weaknesses in their offerings.
- Customer complaints or negative reviews from social media or other sources.
Having these insights on hand enables your team to navigate the conversation in a way that capitalizes on the competitor’s vulnerabilities.
7. How to Beat Them
Finally, this section should provide tactical advice for beating the competitor. Include:
- Specific sales plays that can be used to win over the customer.
- Objection handling strategies to address common points raised in favor of the competitor.
Clear action steps are essential for making your sales team feel confident when competing head-to-head. Whether it’s adjusting the sales pitch to highlight your product’s advantages or focusing on the competitor’s weaknesses, this part of the battlecard should leave no doubt on how to win.
Best Practices for Creating a B2B Sales Playbook with Competitor Battlecards
Keep It Concise
Ensure It’s Up-to-Date
Use Case Studies and Success Stories
Embed into Your Sales Playbook Template
Collaborate with Sales Enablement
Partnering with your sales enablement team is key to developing battlecards that align with your company’s broader sales strategy. They can also help ensure that battlecards are distributed effectively and used consistently by the sales team.
Why Competitor Battlecards Are Essential for High-Performing Sales Teams
The top-performing sales teams consistently use competitive battlecards to gain the upper hand during competitive conversations. These tools help sales reps anticipate objections, compare offerings, and ultimately guide prospects toward your solution. By leveraging battlecards as part of a broader sales playbook, you can reduce the time it takes to close deals and improve win rates.
Battlecards also instill confidence in your sales team. Knowing they are armed with the latest information about the competition means they can focus on delivering value and positioning your product as the ideal solution to the customer’s problems.
Conclusion
A competitor battlecard is a vital tool in the arsenal of any B2B sales team. By ensuring your battlecards contain the right information—competitor messaging, comparative strengths, and clear strategies for how to beat them—you can equip your team to win more deals. Moreover, when you make these sales battlecards part of your sales playbook, you give your sales reps the ability to navigate even the most competitive situations with confidence.
If your sales organization isn’t already using battle cards, now is the time to incorporate them into your strategy. With well-crafted competitive battlecards, your team will be better positioned to close deals and gain a competitive advantage in the market.
