SaaSguy

Account Executive

Do you ever recommend/mention competitors by name?

Sometimes a prospect will mention they need to investigate multiple vendors as part of their due diligence. Sometimes they will directly ask who they should also look at. How do you approach this? Do you recommend the weakest from a technical perspective? Do you recommend the most expensive so your pricing looks better? Or do you refrain from mentioning any competitor by name?

How to approach mentioning competitors when a prospect asks?

Attached poll

Mention the weakest competitor Mention the most expensive competitor Don't mention any competitor by name at all

*Voting in this poll no longer yields commission.

👑 Sales Strategy

🏅 Competition

16 comments

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funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

I name drop competitors allllll the time. I know them well and am fine pointing out their strengths and weaknesses. Give me all the smoke.

SlinginSoftware

Politicker

Account Executive

100%! People that don't are many times afraid of the competition!

CharmingSalesGal

Politicker

Account Executive

ALWAYS bring it up before the prospect does is what I was taught. If you don't, you have no clue what else they're looking into and you basically allow the competition to control the conversation.

NoSuperhero

Politicker

BDR LEAD

Yeeeeess!!!! I do this all the time. Specially if what they do is slightly better in in something very specific, but everything else is kinda meh. I feel knowing the differences and being able to openly talk about them allows the prospect to see that you're not just trying to sell but trying to help. But that's just me idk.

SaaSguy

Tycoon

Account Executive

This is mostly how I approach it. Depends on the vibe sometimes I can tell a prospect is looking to check a box so if i send them to the cheapo competitor they might buy.

paddy

WR Officer

Director of Business Development

I just call them cowards.

SlinginSoftware

Politicker

Account Executive

I'm always asking what other options they're looking at...if they say " "no one" (which is ALWAYS a lie), I'll starting talking about what we do well and what others do well.

Some hardcore qualifying (or disqualifying) let's me know right away how competitive the opportunity will be!

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

They should do their research. I don't mention competitors. Clients know who they are already, and I refuse to be put in a spot where the client could possibly mistake anything I said as being negative.

Beans

Big Shot

Enterprise Account Executive

We're the most expensive (and for good reason ;) ).

But yes I do name the weakest of the bunch because it highlights the additional value we bring more than my pitch ever will.

HappyGilmore

Politicker

Account Executive

I'm happy to name competitors as it can build trust but also I'm happy to point out their strengths/weaknesses, knowing damn well i can go head to head with them.

CaneWolf

Politicker

Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract

It depends on what you sell.

If you're working with highly educated enterprise buyers, they know. They might be seeing how honest you are.

If you're working with SMBs in a fractured market, the situation could be very different.

I've sent people to "competition" when they clearly weren't the right fit for us.

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

100%. If you name them, instead of saying "other providers in our space" and dumb shit like that, then I believe you come across more confident.

Especially if you are in a space with only a hand full of competitors.

detectivegibbles

Politicker

Sales Director

I voted solely to vote but I'd add the following option:

*Mention competitors by name without labels (weakest, most expensive, etc)

Hear me out...

"Mr. Customer, I'm glad you're shopping around. How else would you gage the market for these services? What did XYZ and ABC provide that you liked/disliked? While I've heard customers have good and bad experiences with both, I can only speak to what we do well and why we've seen so much continued success"

You'll never hear me bad mouth a competitor. I don't know their day to day processes and they don't know mine.

Plus, Karma is a huge bitch.

fuzzy

Notable Contributor

CMO (Chief Meme Officer)

I use it against them in calls. Name all the competitors then say something along the lines of, “there’s a reason I work for this company rather than them, but I’m here to help you make the best decision, so you have a chance to ask me any questions honestly about my company or theirs since I know them all well.”

FarmingU

Politicker

Account Manager

We are leaders so I am not scared mentioning competitors.
when I worked in a not leader company I also mentioned them but had made a good previous benchmark and highlight the values where we were better

GDO

Politicker

BDM

I try not to mention them. But if need be yes, they will find them anyways. And that way I can tell them what to ask 😅

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SaaSguy

Do you ever recommend/mention competitors by name?

How to approach mentioning competitors when a prospect asks?

16 comments

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