Battle card
Why it matters
A rep who hears a competitor's name without preparation tends to do one of three things. They dismiss the competitor, which sounds defensive. They oversell, which the buyer notices. Or they go quiet and lose the deal. A battle card gives every rep the same honest, tested answer. A new hire can then handle a competitive question in their first weeks instead of learning it on live calls.
How to apply it
- Write cards only for the three to five competitors the team actually meets in deals.
- Research honestly: use the competitor's product, read their reviews and ask reps what prospects say.
- Name three to five differentiators specific enough for a rep to repeat word for word.
- Write the actual sentence a rep should say for each common objection.
- Update the card whenever a rep hears a new objection it does not cover.
What it is
A battle card covers one competitor on one page. It is built to be read in seconds, during or just before a call. A typical card holds a short description of the competitor and who buys from them, where they are strong, where your product wins, the objections prospects raise about you, and a ready sentence for each. Many add two or three questions a rep can ask to steer the buyer towards the criteria where you are stronger.
Common mistakes
- Running down the competitor. Buyers trust a fair comparison more than an attack.
- Claims that went out of date after the competitor's last release.
- Cards of several pages that nobody opens during a call.
