Free template · Sales process & deals
Competitive Battlecard Template
One page per competitor, plus the card most startups forget: how to win against 'do nothing'.
What's inside
- How to build battlecards people actually use
- A fill-in battlecard per competitor
- A status-quo ('we'll do it ourselves') battlecard with questions
- A win/loss log
Who it's for
Anyone losing deals to a competitor or to inaction.
Why it matters
Early-stage sellers often hear a competitor's name mid-call and improvise. Some overclaim, some badmouth the rival, and some go quiet. A battlecard gives them a one-page answer ready before the call: where you are stronger, where the competitor is stronger, the questions that reframe the conversation and honest responses to the objections that come up when that rival is in the deal.
For most young B2B startups, the most common competitor is not another vendor. It is the buyer keeping things as they are: a spreadsheet, an in-house workaround, a planned hire or simply waiting. This template includes a dedicated card for that status quo, plus a win/loss log so you can see which competitors you actually lose to and why.
How to use it
- 1Build the status-quo card first. Note what buyers say when they choose to do it themselves, what usually sits behind it and the question you will ask back.
- 2Create one card per real competitor, filling in who they are, who they usually win with, where you win and, honestly, where they win.
- 3Write questions that shift the conversation, each paired with what the answer reveals, and add only proof that is real and approved for sharing.
- 4Record every competitive deal in the win/loss log with the date, competitor, result and the main reason in the buyer's own words.
- 5Review the relevant card after each win or loss against that competitor, and note the source of every claim so the cards stay accurate.
Read alongside it
- Outbound agency vs in-house outbound
- GTM agency vs marketing agency: what's the difference?
- Sales and marketing alignment for startups
Competitive Battlecard Template: FAQ
- What is a competitive battlecard?
- A battlecard is a one-page reference a seller uses right before or during a call when a specific competitor is in the deal. It summarizes who the competitor is, where you are stronger and weaker, questions that expose gaps, likely objections with honest answers and proof you are allowed to share.
- Where can I get reliable information about competitors?
- Fair sources include what buyers tell you on calls, public pricing and documentation, public reviews and your own testing of their product. Avoid treating their marketing claims as fact, and do not use anything you cannot back up. Write down where each point came from so the card can be checked and updated later.
- How do you compete against 'do nothing' in B2B sales?
- Make the cost of the current situation visible in the buyer's own numbers: time, money, missed revenue or risk. Ask questions such as what happens if the problem is still unsolved in six months, or who would own an in-house build and what they would stop doing to take it on.
More free templates
View all 45Rather have it built than download it?
We build your ICP, CRM and live outbound in a 14-day sprint, documented and handed over.