AMA: Sauce Labs Group Manager, Product Marketing, Madison Springgate on Competitive Positioning

Competitors influence our messaging - but they don’t define it. Our job isn’t to react to everything they do, its to position ourselves as the best choice for our ICP Here’s how I approach it: * First - we got to know our strengths. I focus on what makes us different and uniquely valuable. Our differentiation should be the foundation of our positioning, messaging, and value propositions. * Next - dissect their messaging. I look at how competitors talk about themselves, where they speak to their value, and what gaps they leave open. * Be proactive, not reactive. Instead of copying competitors’ messaging, we have to find ways to own the conversation. That means speaking in a way that resonates with our customers and doesn’t just feel like a response to someone else. * Equip the team with counter-messaging. Battle cards, objection-handling guides, and real customer proof points help sales teams confidently counter competition when theyre in the room with a customer.

When it comes to competitive positioning, it’s all about making insights actionable. The best research is useless if your team doesnt know how to apply it. Here are my go-to docs: 1. Competitive Battle Cards – These are the holy grail for sales teams. A digestible slide (or two) with: * TLDR on our core differentiation * Why we win & why we lose (with objection handling) * A customer example of why they chose us 2. Feature Matrix – A side-by-side comparison of product capabilities, with not just the "what" but the "why" behind each feature (ie how it translates into real value). 3. Win/Loss Analysis Reports – Insights pulled from Salesforce data and customer interviews to uncover trends on why we’re winning and losing deals. 4. Competitive Analysis Deck – A go-to internal deck that includes: * High-level competitive landscape * Key differentiators * Counter-messaging and objection handling * A quick TLDR slide for easy reference 5. Competitive Intelligence Slack Channel – Not technically a document, but an ongoing way to share real-time insights, customer feedback, and competitive shifts across the team.

The best competitive analysis isnt just insightful - its easy to act on. Heres how I make sure the team stays informed and ready to compete: * Make it accessible and actionable. Sales doesnt have time to dig through long reports, so we as PMM have to distill insights into battle cards, breakdowns, and quick TLDR summaries that they can access when they need it. * Sales Enablement Sessions. We run regular sales training sessions where we share updated competitive information, and talk through best way to handle competitor objections to reinforce our differentiation * Slack Channel! This is a space for real-time intel - whether it’s a customer sharing why they left a competitor, a new competitor feature launch, or a sales rep asking for a quick info

Creating strong competitive positioning is part art, part science, with a bit of detective work. The key is to understand your customers, your competitors, and your unique strengths - then translate those insights into a compelling story that sets you apart. Heres how I do it: * Start with customer insights - The best competitive positioning starts with understanding your customers, not just your competitors. I dig into win/loss analysis, customer interviews, and sales calls to understand what really matters for them and why we win. * Analyze the competition - I break down competitors positioning by: * Reviewing their website, product docs, and pricing pages * Checking G2/other review sites and blogs for real customer feedback * Signing up for their product to experience it firsthand! * Talking to industry experts or former employees for their insider perspective * Create a feature matrix - I map out a side-by-side breakdown of our product vs competitors in an easy-to-digest way, including: key features, value behind each feature, where we win/lose against the competition * Sales enablement - Translating research into actionable insights: * Battle cards with high level why we win and why we lose, objection handling, as well as customer win examples * Quick-reference TLDR slides for sales to use in live conversations * A Slack channel for competitive insights so teams stay in the loop

When a competitor offers something you dont, avoid the feature war and try to uplevel the conversation to what outcome theyre trying to achieve. Buyers dont choose a product based on who has the longest checklist - they choose based on who solves their problem the best. Heres some thoughts on how you can handle gaps: 1. Shift the Focus to Outcomes, Not Features – More features doesnt always mean better results. 2. Reframe the Gap as a Strength – Position it as a strategic choice based on what actually drives value. 3. Acknowledge & Offer a Workaround – If its a must-have, work with your product team to provide an alternative solution or roadmap update 4. Leverage Customer Proof and Case Studies – Let your users tell the story of the value they have seen!