Competitive battlecard Claude skill

Use this when a competitor comes up often on calls. A battlecard is the on-call version of a teardown: short enough to read in 30 seconds with the buyer still talking.

Inputs

• Competitor research (or run a teardown first).
• Win-loss notes against this competitor.
• Your differentiators and approved proof.

The play

1. Lead with when you win and lose

The most useful line on the card. Reps need to know whether to fight or qualify out.

2. Write the quick positioning

Two sentences a rep can say when the buyer mentions the competitor, acknowledging their strength and stating your difference fairly.

3. Three differentiators with proof

Only differences that matter to buyers and that you can prove. Each: what, why it matters to the buyer, proof.

4. Landmine questions

Questions the rep asks that lead the buyer to discover the competitor’s weakness on their own. Fair, neutral, answerable.

5. Objection responses

"They’re cheaper", "They have feature X", "We already use them for Y". One or two lines each.

6. Traps

What the competitor says about you and how to answer it; what not to do (trash talk, matching their discount without a trade).

Read references/battlecard-template.md for the full one-page template and a filled example.

What good looks like

• Fits on one screen; a rep can find an answer mid-call.
• Fair about the competitor’s strengths; buyers trust reps who are.
• Updated each quarter with fresh win-loss notes and pricing.
• The common mistake is a ten-page feature comparison that reps never open on a call.

Rules

• MUST keep claims about the competitor factual, current and sourced.
• MUST include when to walk away.
• NEVER disparage the competitor or its people.
• NEVER use confidential competitor information.

Example prompts

• "Make a battlecard against Acme for our mid-market reps."
• "Turn this teardown into a one-page battlecard."
• "What should I say when a prospect says ‘Acme is half the price’?"

COMPETITOR: <name>                              Updated: <month year>

WE WIN WHEN: <2-3 situations>
WE LOSE WHEN: <2-3 situations>  →  Qualify out early by asking: <question>

QUICK POSITIONING (say this):
"<Competitor> is a good fit for <who>. Teams that need <what> usually choose us because <why>."

DIFFERENTIATORS
1. <What> - why it matters - proof
2. <What> - why it matters - proof
3. <What> - why it matters - proof

LANDMINE QUESTIONS
- <question>
- <question>
- <question>

OBJECTIONS
"<objection>" → <response>
"<objection>" → <response>
"<objection>" → <response>

PRICING NOTES: <their model, typical price, renewal behaviour, what is gated>

THEY SAY ABOUT US → WE SAY
"<claim>" → <response>

DON'T: <traps>

Filled example (fictional competitor "Rotaflow")

WE WIN WHEN: multi-location groups (10+ sites); teams that need group-level reporting; ops leaders own the decision
WE LOSE WHEN: single-site practices; buyers want the cheapest option; IT mandates their existing suite
  → Qualify out early: "How many locations will be on it in 12 months?"

QUICK POSITIONING:
"Rotaflow is great for single offices that want something simple. Groups with 10+ locations usually pick us because they can move patients and staff across sites from one schedule."

DIFFERENTIATORS
1. Group-level schedule - fill chairs across sites - Northwind: 71% → 86% utilisation
2. Same-day reporting - decisions on today's data - live demo of the group view
3. Rollout in 3 weeks - no lost booking days - rollout plan + 2 references

LANDMINE QUESTIONS
- "How do you see open capacity across all locations today?"
- "What happens when one office is overbooked and the next one is empty?"
- "How long did rollout take for groups your size?"

OBJECTIONS
"Rotaflow is cheaper per location." → "It is. Most groups find one extra filled chair a day per site covers the difference; want to run your numbers?"
"We already use Rotaflow at two sites." → "Makes sense to start there. How do you combine their schedules with the other eight?"

DON'T: call them outdated; promise features on the roadmap; match their price without a trade