Competitive AnalysisSeeing the buyer’s alternatives

Start from the buyer, not the market map#

Many competitive analyses begin with a list of companies that look similar and a large spreadsheet of features. The result is often accurate and useless. Buyers do not compare every feature; they compare a few options on a few criteria that matter to them, and frequently the strongest alternative is not a company at all.

So begin with the question: what does a buyer actually consider when they have the problem you solve? The answer usually includes direct competitors, indirect substitutes, in-house options and the status quo. The jobs to be done lens is helpful because it defines competition by the progress the customer wants, not by product category.

Four types of competitor#

• Direct competitors. Similar offers aimed at the same customer. The obvious ones.
• Indirect competitors. Different offers that do the same job, such as a freelancer instead of an agency, or a marketplace instead of your own store.
• In-house alternatives. The buyer’s own team, a spreadsheet or a manual process.
• Doing nothing. Accepting the problem. Often the most common outcome in lost deals, and the least studied.

A step-by-step method#

1. 01Define the decision. Which segment and which buying situation are you analysing? Analysis for enterprise buyers differs from analysis for small businesses.
2. 02List the alternatives. Use sales notes, lost-deal records and customer interviews to find what buyers really considered.
3. 03Choose the criteria. Use buyers’ decision criteria, not your feature list. Ask customers what mattered most.
4. 04Gather evidence. Public sources, customer conversations, win-loss reviews and your own experience as a prospect.
5. 05Compare honestly. Where are you clearly better, equal or worse on each criterion that matters?
6. 06Find the gaps and openings. Unserved needs, weak claims, positions nobody owns.
7. 07Decide what to change. Positioning, messaging, offers, pricing, product or sales handling.

Gathering evidence ethically#

Good competitive intelligence comes from legitimate sources. Competitors’ websites, pricing pages, documentation, job postings, public filings, reviews on third-party sites, ads visible in public ad libraries, conference talks and their social content all reveal a great deal. Your own customers and lost prospects are the richest source of all.

Avoid anything that crosses legal or ethical lines: misrepresenting yourself to obtain confidential information, encouraging staff from competitors to share secrets, or scraping in breach of terms. Apart from the legal risk, it damages trust if it becomes known.

Comparing from the buyer’s point of view#

A useful comparison has only a handful of criteria, chosen by buyers, with an honest assessment of each option. Resist the temptation to score yourself best on everything. If you do, the analysis will not change any decision, and sales will not believe it.

The table above is illustrative only. Fill in your own criteria and assessments from evidence.

Positioning maps are useful for discussion but easy to abuse. Picking axes that conveniently put you alone in a corner proves nothing. Choose axes from buyer criteria, and remember that an empty quadrant may be empty because nobody wants it.

Win-loss analysis: the most honest source#

Systematically interviewing buyers after a decision, whether you won or lost, gives you competitive insight no desk research can match. Ask what they compared, what mattered, what each option did well and badly, and what tipped the decision. Interviews are more candid when conducted by someone other than the salesperson involved.

Record findings in a consistent format and review them quarterly. Patterns across many decisions matter more than any single story. See sales and marketing alignment for how to build win-loss findings into a joint monthly review.

Turning analysis into action#

Competitive analysis is only worth doing if it changes something. Common outputs include sharper positioning, comparison pages for buyers evaluating options, battlecards for sales, changes to packaging or pricing, and product priorities. Each finding should name an owner and a decision.

Battlecards sales will actually use#

A battlecard is a short reference that helps sales handle a specific competitor in a live conversation. Most battlecards fail because they are too long, too boastful or out of date. A useful one fits on a page and answers the questions a salesperson faces mid-call.

• When we tend to win against them, and the type of buyer for whom we are the better fit.
• When we tend to lose, honestly, so sales can qualify out early or prepare.
• What buyers say about them, in buyers’ words from win-loss interviews.
• Questions to ask that bring out the criteria where we are stronger.
• Proof to share: case material, references, demonstrations.
• Traps to avoid, such as disparaging a rival, which usually backfires.

Keep battlecards factual and fair. Claims about competitors must be accurate and up to date; misleading comparisons carry legal and reputational risk. Date each card and assign an owner to refresh it.

Common mistakes#

• Comparing features instead of buyer outcomes.
• Ignoring doing nothing and in-house options.
• Scoring yourself best on every criterion.
• Producing a long report that no one uses in sales conversations.
• Copying competitors’ messaging, which makes you harder to tell apart.

Published by Fabulous.Media, a network of specialist marketing agencies. Updated 9 October 2026. Platform features change often; check current official documentation before acting on platform-specific detail.