Research is an essential part of any inside sales role. In order to maximize your chances of engaging prospects, delivering your messaging, booking appointments, and closing sales is knowing who you are selling to.
It’s about knowing their position within a company, the industry they work in, and the myriad of other factors that will impact their behavior and the outcome of your sales outreach. Failing to do so is one of the biggest pitfalls salespeople encounter.
So how do we prevent this? One tool that can help you maximize your chances of sales success is battlecards.
These equip you with comprehensive, readily available information to aid you in your sales outreach, knowing exactly what parts of your offering to highlight whenever a key competitor gets name dropped.
This will allow you to better communicate the benefits of your product or service, providing a vital asset that will evolve and continue to provide value over time.
In today's blog
We will explain what battlecards are, how to create them, and how to use them effectively.
In today's blog
We will explain what battlecards are, how to create them, and how to use them effectively.
Battlecards 101
Stepping into the ring.
There’s a reason why the term battlecard sounds adversarial. This is your weapon to help triumph over competitors, knowing which weak points to strike when a prospect is considering which company to do business with. It’s important to remember that battlecards don’t replace your call scripts – they serve as a companion.
Your battlecard should be a one-page resource, comparing your company’s offering with other competitors operating in the same industry. A battlecard needs to give you all the information you require in the quickest and clearest way possible, letting you see how your company measures up against competitors in key areas such as price, performance, features, and time to deliver.
Without a battlecard, you could be left scrambling for a response to questions during your sales outreach. This can be a particular worry when engaging in a phone or video call as you need to be timely and confident in your responses.
The last thing you want is to give false information or make up facts and numbers on the spot. This is poor sales practice and will only lead to prospects having a misconception of what you can actually offer them. It can lead to dissatisfied customers who require more effort to manage, decreasing their lifetime value. It will likely lead to negative reviews too, as well as lost referral business, and a higher churn rate.
Having a battlecard ready will allow you to convey the benefits of your offering clearly in contrast with rival companies. When combined with active listening, you can tailor your responses for maximum impact.
Your battlecard will also include information on your competitors, allowing you to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of your industry. These typically come into play during the consideration stage of the sales pipeline, once prospects have searched for a solution to their business challenges and have begun to compare different options. It’s likely they know what they want, though might want a better idea of the price and features available from different companies.
Sales battlecards can be adapted for a number of purposes. They don’t necessarily need to be used exclusively for prospect-facing interactions, also serving as a great resource for reps to learn and internalize the competitive advantages of your company’s offering. They can also also be adjusted in scope, narrowed down to focus on two companies, or broadened to give you a view of the competitive landscape.
Stuck for ideas?
If you don’t know where to start then don’t worry, there are plenty of battlecard templates available, ready for you to insert the information of your company and that of your competitors. The best battlecard templates are clearly presented, allowing you to quickly scan them and retrieve the information you need. Highlight key sections, include tables and checklists – customize battlecards to make them as concise and readable as possible. Try and keep them consistent with your company brand, as well.
What tools are there?
There are plenty of tools such as Owler and ZoomInfo and other free online resources that provide the most recent updates & news.
What tools are there?
There are plenty of tools such as Owler and ZoomInfo and other free online resources that provide the most recent updates & news.
I’ve created my Battlecards, what’s next?
Like ICPs and BuyerDNA profiles, generating battlecards isn’t a one-and-done process.
They need to be updated regularly to reflect the way markets constantly change and businesses evolve.
One of your competitors could revise the features of one of their key products or perhaps change their pricing model. It could impact your sales pitch if you try to target a part of your competitor’s offering that has drastically changed.
To make sure your battlecards are up to date, it is recommended that you carry out a monthly analysis. It’s best practice to subscribe to any target company insights and make sure you’ve researched the bullet points on your cards prior to any engagement with your prospects.
Your inside sales team should work to collect and share data that you can then use to sharpen your battlecards. Keep track of industry news, read reviews, gauge sentiment via social media mentions, and conduct primary research via your account who may have insights into working with other companies in your industry.
Beyond creating battlecards, staying engaged with the latest developments surrounding your competitors can provide valuable insights.
Ready for battle?
Persuasion is a salesperson’s weapon of choice but nothing sharpens its edges better than a well-crafted battlecard.
Invest the time in researching your competitors and you’ll reap the benefits by arming yourself with the information needed to clearly and confidently illustrate your advantages over competitors, steering your prospects closer to closing a deal.
If done properly, battlecards will allow you to empower your pitches and handle any queries your prospects may throw at you.
Keep your battlecards updated.
That’s just as important is keeping them concise and to-the-point, making sure you retrieve the key highlights with a quick scan.
Keep your battlecards updated.
That’s just as important is keeping them concise and to-the-point, making sure you retrieve the key highlights with a quick scan.
