Are you constantly losing deals to rivals you never saw coming? When was the last time you actually looked at a competitor’s contract?
Selling against competitors effectively isn’t about memorizing battle cards or feature lists. You need to understand the exact information they are providing to your prospects. Most sales reps rely on hearsay or marketing fluff to understand the competition. But if you want to win, you need to see what your customer is seeing.
We are often expected to know our competitors better than we know ourselves. However, there is a massive gap between a competitor’s “website promises” and their “contractual reality.”
When your customer is comparing you to a rival, they aren’t looking at your slide decks; they are looking at your paperwork. To bridge this gap, you must actively close for whatever information your competitors are giving to your prospect. If you don’t know what’s in their contract, you aren’t really selling against competitors. You’re just guessing.
When you’re engaging with a prospect, don’t be afraid to ask for the documents they’ve received from other vendors. This doesn’t make you look nosy; it makes you look thorough.
By seeing exactly what your prospect is looking at, you can:
One of the biggest hurdles reps face when selling against competitors is the prospect’s hesitation to share “confidential” info. This is where the NDA becomes your best friend.
Remind the prospect that you are under an NDA, which allows you to review competitor information with full legal protection. This enables you to gain deep insights into their offerings and better position your products or services. Knowing how to beat your competitors is about having a comprehensive understanding of their actual strengths and weaknesses, not their marketing spin.
Asking to see a competitor’s contract is also a powerful qualification tool. Getting confirmation that your prospect is considering competitors (and seeing the proof) validates the deal itself.
If a prospect refuses to share any details, it’s a red flag. But if they show you the paperwork, it proves they are serious about making a change. This transparency allows you to strategize more effectively and demonstrate exactly why your solution is the superior choice based on hard evidence.
By implementing these strategies, you’ll be better equipped for the reality of selling against competitors in a crowded market. Success in sales isn’t just about closing deals—it’s about positioning yourself as the most credible, transparent, and superior option in the eyes of your customer.
Stay proactive, leverage the NDA, and stop selling against “ghosts.” Get the paperwork, find the gaps, and win the deal.