Competitor Intelligence in B2B

There’s a debate in B2B about the value of focusing on your competitors.

The argument for focusing on your competitors is you’ll stay on top of how others in your category are innovating their products, positioning their brands, and pricing their solutions.

The argument against focusing too heavily on your competition is it takes your eye off an essential asset for your business: your customer. You know, the ones who are paying you to solve their problems.

Focusing too much on your competitors and not enough on your buyer can cause you to make reactive strategic decisions (product roadmapping, pricing, etc.) that prove unproductive because they aren't grounded in solving real problems for your customer.  Just because your competition launches a new feature doesn’t mean you have to or should. 

The line that I take is that it’s healthy to study your competitors, particularly when it comes to your target buyer’s journey.

Their buying journey will likely include researching other firms in your category (your competition). 

Knowing who those competitors are and how they position themselves will help you better articulate your value differently.

And being different is key to driving sales conversations.