#competitive-intelligence

Conduct win-loss analysis to improve sales effectiveness. Process: 1. Interview recent wins and losses (within 30 days). 2. Ask about decision criteria, evaluation process, and competitors. 3. Identify patterns in wins (what we do well). 4. Uncover reasons for losses (product gaps, pricing, sales execution). 5. Quantify impact of each factor. 6. Share insights with product, marketing, and sales teams. 7. Implement improvements and track impact. Use neutral third party for honest feedback. Aim for 20+ interviews per quarter. Create action plan from findings.

Extract insights from won and lost deals. Interview timing: 2-4 weeks after decision (emotions settled, memory fresh). Conductor: neutral party (product manager, not account exec). Questions for wins: 1. Why did you choose us? 2. What almost made you choose competitor? 3. How was the buying process? 4. What could we improve? Questions for losses: 1. Why did you choose competitor? 2. What could we have done differently? 3. How did competitors differentiate? 4. Would you consider us in future? Document verbatim quotes. Identify patterns across 10+ interviews. Common themes: pricing, features, support, trust. Share findings with product, marketing, sales teams quarterly. Adjust messaging, product roadmap, sales process.

Equip sales team with competitive intelligence. Battlecard structure per competitor: 1. Company overview (size, funding, target market). 2. Strengths (what they do well, when they win). 3. Weaknesses (gaps, common complaints). 4. Differentiation (why you win against them). 5. Objection traps (questions to ask that expose weaknesses). 6. Proof points (case studies where you won against them). 7. Pricing comparison. Research sources: G2 reviews, Reddit discussions, sales calls (ask 'who else are you evaluating?'), competitor websites, former employees. Update quarterly. Make easily accessible (Wiki, PDF with search). Train reps on delivery: never bash competitor, focus on your strengths. Landmine questions: 'How important is [feature they lack] to you?'