competitor-briefer

# Competitor Briefer ## Quick Start Name the competitor (and optionally their website URL). Specify what you need: battle card, comparison table, objection scripts, or win/loss post-mortem. The skill produces honest, fact-based competitive intelligence ready for sales conversations. ## Workflow 1. Identify the competitor(s) and determine if a single battle card or multi-competitor matrix is needed 2. Classify request type: full battle card, comparison table, objection scripts, win/loss post-mortem, or team training brief 3. Collect any known intelligence from the user and identify research gaps 4. Research competitor: positioning, pricing, features, recent developments, customer reviews 5. Build honest feature comparison across buyer-relevant dimensions 6. Map strengths (with proof points) and competitor advantages (with mitigation strategies) 7. Script objection responses using the ACKNOWLEDGE-REFRAME-PROVE-CTA framework 8. Design landmine questions that expose competitor weaknesses without disparagement 9. Compile win stories with deciding factors and quantified results ## Examples **Example 1: Battle card** Input: "Create a battle card for us vs. RivalSoft for our enterprise deals" Output: ``` Battle Card: Us vs RivalSoft ## Competitor Overview - Company: RivalSoft - Founded: 2018 - Target Market: Mid-market and enterprise B2B SaaS - Pricing Model: Per-seat, $45-120/user/month - Key Differentiator: Legacy system integrations ## Feature Comparison | Dimension | Us | RivalSoft | Advantage | |-----------|-----|-----------|-----------| | API integrations | 200+ native | 80+ native | Us | | Onboarding time | 2 weeks | 6-8 weeks | Us | | Legacy system support | Limited | Extensive | RivalSoft | | Real-time analytics | Yes | Batch only | Us | | Price (100 users) | $8,000/mo | $6,500/mo | RivalSoft | ## Our Strengths 1. 3x faster onboarding — validated by G2 reviews (avg 14 days vs 45 days) 2. Real-time analytics — Forrester Wave leader in data processing speed 3. 200+ native integrations — most in the category per industry report ## Their Strengths (with Mitigation) 1. Lower per-seat price → Mitigation: Calculate TCO including implementation time; our faster onboarding recovers the price difference in 60 days 2. Stronger legacy integrations → Mitigation: Position our modern API-first approach as future-proof; ask about their modernization roadmap ## Objection Handling Objection: "RivalSoft is cheaper per seat." - ACKNOWLEDGE: "You're right, their per-seat price is lower." - REFRAME: "When our customers compared total cost of ownership including implementation, they found a different picture." - PROVE: "Nextera Corp calculated that our 2-week onboarding saved $140K in productivity costs vs RivalSoft's 6-week process." - CTA: "Want me to run a TCO comparison with your specific numbers?" ## Landmine Questions - "How important is real-time data for your decision-making?" — Exposes RivalSoft's batch-only processing - "What's your timeline for going live?" — Highlights our 2-week vs their 6-8 week onboarding ## Win/Loss Summary - Wins: 18 | Losses: 7 | Win Rate: 72% - Top reason we win: Faster time to value - Top reason we lose: Price sensitivity in SMB deals ``` **Example 2: Objection handling prep** Input: "A prospect says CloudNext has better AI features than us. Help me respond." Output: A scripted ACKNOWLEDGE-REFRAME-PROVE-CTA response with specific proof points and a suggested next step. ## Tools - Use `WebSearch` to research competitor products, pricing, reviews, and analyst reports - Use `WebFetch` to pull competitor feature pages, pricing pages, or case studies - Use `Read` to access internal battle cards, win/loss reports, or competitive files ## Error Handling - If competitor is not specified → ask for the competitor name and ideally their website URL - If competitive info is outdated or unverifiable → flag data points as "unverified" or "last confirmed [date]" - If competitor operates in a different category → clarify overlap areas and scope comparison to relevant dimensions only - If user wants a win/loss post-mortem but lacks details → provide a structured questionnaire to gather the data ## Connectors (Optional) This skill works standalone. When connected to external tools, it unlocks additional capabilities: | Connector | What it enables | |-----------|----------------| | ~~CRM | Pull win/loss data and competitor mentions from deal records | | ~~email | Search email threads for competitor objections raised by prospects | | ~~calendar | Review upcoming meetings where competitive positioning is needed | | ~~LinkedIn | Research competitor employees, company updates, and hiring signals | ## Rules - Never badmouth or disparage competitors — focus on articulating your own differentiated value - All competitive claims must be accurate and sourced — incorrect info destroys credibility - Acknowledge competitor strengths honestly — pretending they have no advantages looks uninformed - Always pair competitor advantages with mitigation strategies - Objection responses must follow ACKNOWLEDGE-REFRAME-PROVE-CTA framework - Battle cards should be refreshed monthly as competitor positioning changes ## Output Template ``` Battle Card: Us vs [Competitor Name] ## Competitor Overview - Company: [Name] - Founded: [Year] - Target Market: [Segment] - Pricing Model: [Model and range] - Key Differentiator: [Their primary selling point] ## Feature Comparison | Dimension | Us | [Competitor] | Advantage | |-----------|-----|-------------|-----------| | [Dimension] | [Our capability] | [Their capability] | [Us / Them / Parity] | ## Our Strengths 1. [Strength + proof point] 2. [Strength + proof point] ## Their Strengths (with Mitigation) 1. [Strength] → Mitigation: [How to handle] ## Objection Handling Objection: "[Objection]" - ACKNOWLEDGE: "[Validation]" - REFRAME: "[Shift perspective]" - PROVE: "[Evidence]" - CTA: "[Next step]" ## Landmine Questions - "[Question]" — Why it works: [Explanation] ## Win Stories - [Client]: Chose us over [Competitor] because [factors] → Result: [Outcome] ## Win/Loss Summary - Wins: [N] | Losses: [N] | Win Rate: [%] - Top reason we win: [Reason] - Top reason we lose: [Reason] ``` ## Related Skills - `lead-researcher` -- For researching prospects who use competing products - `proposal-writer` -- For embedding competitive differentiators in proposals - `follow-up-drafter` -- For follow-up emails that address competitive objections - `crm-helper` -- For tracking win/loss reasons and competitor mentions in the pipeline