How to Use Sales Battlecards and Win Competitive Deals

They always say the best defense is a good offense, right? Well, consider sales battlecards the offense your business needs to win competitive deals and overcome common objections prospects may have. 

Sales battlecards fulfill a variety of functions and act as a cheatsheet to close more deals. The key is, of course, using them in the most effective way. Knowing your competition, as well as how to differentiate from them, is at the root of most sales battlecards.

Here’s what you need to know:

What is a Sales Battlecard?

In simple terms, a sales battlecard is a one-pager developed by sales enablement to help your team close more deals. Typically seen as a handy cheat sheet, this document lists important talking points, product/service information, and statistics at a glance for a more compelling pitch during pivotal conversations.  

Great battlecards typically include:

• Succinct pointers and facts 
• Answers to frequently asked questions and objections
• Compelling product/service pitches
• Pricing information with tiers
• Company differentiators from competition

How to Use Sales Battlecards

Part of maximizing sales battlecards is knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your product or service. A skilled salesperson will take the time to know this inside and out and be able to highlight the strengths without tapping too heavily into the weaknesses. You want the battlecards to be an extra, at-the-ready resource to present your features in the best light while still being authentic (more on that later).

Be sure to train sales staff to prioritize the most important selling points upfront without info dumping or coming across too aggressively. Up until this point, with the right brand consistency in place, you’ll establish a level of rapport and trust with these prospects, so maintaining that relationship during sales is crucial. After all, Lucidpress’s State of Brand Consistency Report indicated consistent, omnichannel branding can increase revenue 10-20%. Sales battlecards provide the blueprint for that consistent language and messaging, so regardless of who a prospect speaks to, it will have a similar tune.

Ways to Create Winning Sales Battlecards

• Get feedback from highly successful customers: Learn what they love most about your product or service and incorporate those elements into the battlecard. This will help you frame conversations around people who match your ideal customer profile (ICP), which will be beneficial for long-term profitability. 
• Consult your go-to market team: This includes people outside the sales team, including marketers, customer success reps, and product specialists – any other area of the business that’s bringing in revenue. Gather intel and make adjustments over time based on data and anecdotes they’re seeing to stay accurate on your industry.
• Define optimal success: With a great-fit potential client, identify what an ideal sale looks like. Is it a higher tier, or a modular service that is what your current team has bandwidth to offer? Keeping a pulse on this is vital to providing a great experience long after the sale is made. 
• Identify both your and competitors’ weaknesses: Honesty goes a long way in today’s world. In fact, 94% of consumers in a study indicated they’d be more likely to be loyal to a brand that is transparent. Focusing on genuine connection and humanizing your interactions goes a long way, even if you have to mention a shortcoming or weakness in your product or service. Be compelling, but not at the cost of the human element. It reflects in your bottom line every time. 
• Curate based on need: You can’t fit everything in a single battlecard, as conversations can change depending on need. You’ll need different battlecards for different situations – after all, you (typically) wouldn’t bring a knife to a gun fight. Explore options for product-specific battlecards, one for competitors, value/ROI for customers, and more. You can easily add more over time based on need.

Sales Battlecards are Your Tool for Strategic Pitches

Involving your go-to market team for the ongoing success of your sales battlecards is crucial – as is being human in your interactions. Training your sales team to frame conversations similarly will also ensure brand consistency and encourage customer loyalty. You’ll also be able to pinpoint and compare competitor shortcomings while highlighting your strengths. 

If you’re curious about learning more on digital growth and success across marketing and sales, download your free growth stack guide from us.