🚀 AI Whispers: The Sales Secrets Your Competitors Don't Want You to Hear

Hello Fellow Sellers!

Personal Note - Apologies for the delay in the past few weeks; I recently joined a startup to head global sales, and it has been very busy!  I finally caught up this past weekend and will be sharing many lessons from what I see daily in a series A, Silicon Valley tech startup, plus continuing to share sales secrets (with AI) from the past 29 years in tech sales.

You don’t sell hundreds of millions of software by ignoring the competition. The truth is a key part of my success has been my dogged determination to constantly monitor what others are doing in the marketplace and then do it better than them. What are they saying, how are they presenting, who are they meeting with?

Here’s the truth: understanding the competition is just as critical as knowing your own product when it comes to succeeding as a sales rep!

Now for the good news: with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), you have access to tools that can analyze competitors at an unprecedented level of depth and with crazy speed. By leveraging AI for competitive intelligence, you’ll be able to not just react to your competitors but actually outmaneuver them by predicting their next steps and responding proactively.

In a hyper-competitive market, the ability to know your competition better than they know themselves can be the key differentiator – and today’s advanced AI can help you do just that. So, let’s take a closer look at what you need to do to enhance your competitive intelligence with AI.

Stat of the Week:

83% of companies using AI in sales see revenue growth, with many reporting increased leads (up to 50%).

A large percentage of sales professionals (over 40%) report using AI tools to analyze data that inform their sales decisions.

Source - G2 (link https://learn.g2.com/ai-in-sales-statistics)

This Week in AI Sales:

• What is competitive intelligence and how can it help you win more business

• Using AI to create a battle card for common threats

• How to use AI to review competitor content

• What Cognism is and how to take advantage of it

Let’s dive deeply into how AI is transforming how sales reps gather and interpret competitive data.

Deep Dive 1: Competitive Intelliwhat?

Let me start out by giving you a definition of competitive intelligence (CI) so we are all on the same page. CI is the process of gathering, analyzing, and applying insights about competitors, market trends, and customer preferences to gain a competitive advantage. It helps businesses understand their rivals’ strengths and weaknesses, industry shifts, and potential opportunities.

OK, with that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at how you can use AI to gather CI in a way that is faster, more efficient, and more accurate than traditional manual research methods. 

1. Automating Data Collection from Multiple Sources

One of the biggest advantages of AI is that it automates the process of gathering competitive data from various sources such as websites, social media, news outlets, forums, and customer reviews. Using natural language processing (NLP) and web scraping, AI tools can extract relevant data points from a wide array of digital sources without manual effort. AI can then aggregate and analyze this data to highlight key insights such as new product launches, pricing changes, customer sentiment, or shifts in marketing strategies.  

ProTip - Choosing an AI Assistant that can access the web in real-time allows analysis of more current data, which is key in this competitive analysis!

2. Real-Time Competitive Alerts and Notifications

Another great thing about AI is that it can use advanced algorithms to continuously scan for specific keywords, such as competitor names, product features, pricing changes, or industry developments. When a relevant update occurs, the system can send real-time alerts to you. You could set up specific alerts to notify you about any major shifts in the competitive landscape. This might include new product launches, pricing changes, or competitor promotional campaigns.

3. Analyzing Competitor Messaging and Positioning

An additional benefit of AI is that it can analyze competitor content and provide insights into how competitors are positioning their products, what pain points they address, and the type of language they use. AI tools like sentiment analysis can also gauge the tone and emotional appeal of competitor messaging. Reviewing competitor messaging lets you understand the key value propositions your competitors are using and identify areas where you can differentiate your offering. 

ProTip: AI has “computer vision,” which enables it to translate images to text, so you can feed in whole website landing pages as PDFs instead of thinking you must copy and paste text.  Or you can take an image and have your AI assistant transcribe the text from a marketing image.

4. Competitive Product Comparison

AI-powered tools can enable you to automatically compare your products to those of competitors by pulling information about features, pricing, and customer reviews. The AI can analyze this data and generate a side-by-side comparison of how your product stacks up against the competition.

5. Analyzing Customer Sentiment and Feedback

AI tools can track customer feedback and reviews across various platforms (e.g., G2 Crowd, Trustpilot, and social media). By analyzing sentiment and gathering insights from customers discussing competitors’ products, you can learn about the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors from the customer's perspective. You can even use AI to understand how customers feel about a competitor’s product—whether they love it, hate it, or have specific complaints. 

6. Competitor Pricing Analysis

AI tools can track competitors’ pricing strategies and provide insights into any adjustments they make, such as discounts, bundling, or subscription models. You can use this data to adjust your pricing strategy or highlight the value of your product over lower-priced alternatives.

7. Predictive Competitive Insights

AI uses predictive analytics to forecast competitor behavior based on historical data. This could include predicting when a competitor might launch a new product, offer a promotion, or adjust pricing. Predictive analytics can give you a proactive edge by preparing you for upcoming moves from competitors.

Now that we have looked at how AI can empower you to gather competitive intelligence more effectively and efficiently, let’s look at two ways to take advantage of this exciting new technology.

Deep Dive 2:  Create the Ultimate Competitive Battle Cards

One powerful tool that can help sales teams combat common sales challenges is the Battle Card. This concise, easy-to-reference document arms you with the correct information to handle objections, differentiate your offering, and close deals more effectively.

Incorporating AI into battle card creation can take this resource to the next level, transforming it into a dynamic, data-driven asset that can quickly adapt to changing market conditions. As we mentioned, you can use AI to analyze competitor data in real time, predict customer objections, generate tailored recommendations for potential clients, automatically identify common threats, and much more. 

You can even use AI to update the battle card whenever new information is available automatically. Whether it’s a competitor’s new feature release, a change in market conditions, or updated customer feedback, AI will ensure that you are always equipped with the latest intelligence. 

Battle Card Creation Prompt

Obviously, you can use a much shorter prompt, but why?  This one gives you a very sophisticated battle card with much more detail.  Let me know how it works for you.

CONTEXT:

I'm a sales representative for [YOUR COMPANY NAME], which offers [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE]. I frequently compete against [COMPETITOR NAME] when selling to [TARGET CUSTOMER PROFILE]. Our sales team needs updated, comprehensive battle cards to effectively position our solution against this competitor during sales conversations, objection handling, and proposal development.

ROLE:
I need you to act as a strategic competitive intelligence analyst with deep expertise in [YOUR INDUSTRY] and sales enablement. You should combine the thoroughness of a market researcher with the practical mindset of an experienced sales professional who understands what information is actually useful in customer conversations.

TASK:

Create a comprehensive, sales-ready battle card for [COMPETITOR NAME] that:

1. Provides a concise company overview of the competitor (founding date, size, location, funding, notable leadership, recent news)
2. Analyzes their product/service offering in comparison to ours
3. Identifies their key strengths with specific examples
4. Reveals their critical weaknesses and limitations
5. Maps their typical customer profile and core market segments
6. Outlines their standard pricing model and contract structure
7. Details their typical sales tactics and process
8. Captures their most common messaging and positioning statements
9. Lists their most effective value propositions
10. Catalogs predictable objections they raise about our solution
11. Provides effective counterpoints to each objection they might raise
12. Highlights specific customer pain points their solution fails to address
13. Suggests targeted questions to ask prospects that lead the conversation toward our advantages
14. Includes specific examples of customers who switched from them to us (if applicable)
15. Summarizes 3-5 key competitive advantages we should emphasize

OUTPUT:

Format the battle card as a cleanly organized, visually scannable document with:

1. Clear section headings for each major category
2. Bulleted lists for easy scanning during sales calls
3. Bolded key points and conversation starters
4. A "Quick Facts" summary section at the beginning for rapid review
5. A "Competitive Positioning Matrix" comparing us vs. them across key evaluation criteria
6. "Do's and Don'ts" section for sales conversations
7. "Elevator Pitch" section with 15, 30, and 60-second competitive positioning statements
8. Direct quote comparison table showing how we address their messaging
9. Color-coded competitive strength indicators (Green = Our Advantage, Yellow = Parity, Red = Their Advantage)
10. A final "Closing Strategy" section with specific techniques to win when directly competing

Use data-driven insights whenever possible. Include actual product screenshots, pricing examples, and customer testimonials if available. Make all content concise, actionable, and immediately useful in sales situations.

Tool of the Week - Cognism

Looking for a way to get started using AI? Cognism is a highly effective, easy-to-use tool. It is designed to help sales teams find and connect with the right prospects. By leveraging data from multiple sources, including social media, web scraping, and other public datasets, Cognism provides actionable insights into potential customers. The platform is designed to support sales teams in identifying prospects, enriching lead data, and ultimately improving sales conversion rates.

Deep Dive 3: Review Competitor Content is a Competitive Advantage

As I mentioned earlier, one of the most powerful ways to gain an edge is by constantly reviewing and understanding your competitors' content. From website copy to blog posts, advertisements, and promotional materials, competitor content offers valuable insights into their messaging, positioning, and overall strategy. AI makes this easy to do. 

You can copy and paste competitor content into an AI-powered tool, such as an AI document analyzer or a competitive intelligence platform, and ask for a review. The AI will scan the content, identifying key messages, tone, target audience, and positioning strategies.

Here’s how to do it: 

Competitor Analysis and Review Prompt:

While you can create a very simplistic prompt, why not use a very thorough prompt that allows you to get a complete response? As I have mentioned in all my material, I highly advise you to have your company's context, your product, and anything else you often use with AI.

I recommend that you include the names of your competitors, their products, and any additional material you have on them. Also, tell your AI assistant more about the deal, the stages, and the needs. You will be surprised what it can find for you.

By analyzing these elements, you can adapt your sales pitch to better align with the preferences of your target audience.

Purpose
You are a specialized competitive intelligence assistant for high tech sales professionals. Your primary role is to analyze competitive information, identify key differentiators, and provide actionable insights that can be used to win deals against competitors.
Core Functions

Analyze competitor profiles including:

Product capabilities and limitations
Pricing structures and models
Market positioning and messaging
Target customer segments
Known strengths and weaknesses
Recent product launches or updates
Sales tactics and objection handling approaches


Develop strategic responses to:

Common competitor claims and FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt)
Pricing objections and discounting strategies
Feature comparison requests
Technical capability questions
Total cost of ownership (TCO) discussions


Provide actionable battle cards with:

Key differentiation points in simple, memorable language
Questions to ask that highlight competitor weaknesses
Evidence-based counterpoints to competitor claims
Customer success stories that demonstrate your advantages
Technical proof points that matter to specific personas


Recommend sales approaches based on:

The specific competitive scenario
The customer's industry, size, and technical maturity
Stage in the sales cycle
Key decision-maker personas involved


Input Requirements
To provide the most effective analysis, please include:

The specific competitor(s) you're facing
Your product/solution details and unique value propositions
The customer's industry, size, and primary pain points
Any specific competitor claims or tactics you're encountering
The current stage in the sales cycle
Key decision-maker roles and their primary concerns

Output Format
The assistant will provide:

A concise executive summary of the competitive situation
Key differentiation points listed in order of relevance to this specific opportunity
Tactical recommendations for handling objections and positioning
Suggested questions to ask the prospect that highlight your advantages
References to supporting materials (case studies, benchmarks, whitepapers, etc.) when available

AI for Competitive Intelligence Checklist

Day 1: Define your key competitors and set up AI tools for web scraping and competitive monitoring.

Day 2: Automate alerts for competitor activities, such as product launches, price changes, and marketing campaigns.

Day 3: Use AI to analyze competitor messaging and identify key value propositions and positioning.

Day 4: Track competitor customer sentiment using AI tools to analyze reviews, forums, and social media.

Day 5: Set up AI to monitor and compare competitor pricing strategies, discounts, and promotions.

Day 6: Compile and share actionable competitive insights with the sales team, integrating findings into CRM systems.

The bottom line is AI is a real game-changer when it comes to accumulating competitive intelligence. By adopting AI tools, you can ensure that you’re always armed with the most relevant and up-to-date data to inform your outreach, objections handling, and product positioning.

Your Action Items for This Week:

• Set up AI-driven competitor monitoring: Implement tools like Crayon or Kompyte to track competitor product updates, pricing changes, and new marketing campaigns in real time.

• Analyze competitor content: Use AI to gather and review competitor messaging, positioning, and social media strategies to understand key value propositions.

• Monitor customer sentiment: Leverage AI to track and analyze customer reviews and feedback on competitor products across various platforms like G2 and Trustpilot.

• Update sales pitch based on competitive insights: Based on gathered intelligence, refine your sales messaging to highlight strengths and address competitor weaknesses effectively.Don't let AI leave you in the dust. Supercharge your sales skills now!

Ok, that’s it for now. I hope you benefited from this article! Remember, AI is the future and if you don’t embrace it now, you could be left behind.

Explore More:

• AI Sales Starter Kit 

• AI Sales Accelerator (Coming Soon)

• AI Sales Revolution Course (Coming Soon)

• The AI Enhanced Leader (Coming Soon)

That is all of this week, but keep pushing forward!

See you next week,

Steve