competitive-battlecard-generator

# Competitive Battlecard Generator

Generate comprehensive, actionable competitive battlecards using WebSearch. Each battlecard gives sales teams the intelligence they need to win competitive deals — competitor strengths, weaknesses, objection handling, and trap questions, all grounded in real research. Can batch-process up to 5 competitors in a single run.

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## Activation

When the user triggers this skill, follow the steps below **in order**. Do NOT skip the input step. Do NOT produce a battlecard without gathering context first.

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## Step 1 — Collect Input

Ask the user for these inputs **all at once** in a numbered list:

```
I need some context before building your battlecard(s). Answer these questions:

1. What is your company name and what do you do? (one sentence)
2. Which competitor(s) do you want a battlecard for? (1-5 names)
3. (Optional) What are your key differentiators? (3-5 bullets)
4. (Optional) Any known weaknesses of the competitor(s)?
5. (Optional) Are you usually compared to them? In what context?
```

**Rules for this step:**
- Wait for the user to respond before proceeding. Do NOT generate placeholder answers.
- Only question 1 and 2 are required. If either is missing, ask again.
- If the user provides more than 5 competitors, tell them you will batch the first 5 and they can run the skill again for the rest.
- If the user provides optional inputs, use them to sharpen the analysis. If they skip optionals, proceed without them — you will research independently.

---

## Step 2 — Competitor Overview

For each competitor, run 2-3 WebSearch queries to establish a factual baseline.

**Search patterns:**
- `"{competitor} what does it do"` or `"{competitor} company overview"`
- `"{competitor} funding crunchbase"` or `"{competitor} series funding investors"`
- `"{competitor} customers case studies"` or `"{competitor} pricing"`

**Gather these data points:**

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **What they do** | Their positioning statement — how they describe themselves (from their homepage or about page) |
| **Founded** | Year founded |
| **HQ** | Headquarters location |
| **Company size** | Employee count range |
| **Funding** | Total raised, last round, key investors (for private companies) |
| **Key customers** | Named logos from case studies, website, or press releases (3-8 names) |
| **Target market** | Who they sell to — company size, industry, buyer persona |
| **Pricing model** | Pricing tiers, per-seat, usage-based, etc. If not publicly available, write "Pricing not publicly available — ask during discovery" |
| **Recent news** | 1-3 headlines from the last 90 days with source URLs |

**Rules:**
- If any data point is not findable after searching, write "Not found." Never fabricate company data.
- Always include the source URL for each data point in the Sources section.

---

## Step 3 — Their Pitch

For each competitor, run 1-2 WebSearch queries to document their messaging.

**Search patterns:**
- `"{competitor}"` (homepage messaging)
- `"{competitor} why choose us"` or `"{competitor} vs alternatives"`

**Gather:**

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Main value proposition** | Their primary claim — the one sentence from their homepage or hero section |
| **Top 3-5 claims** | The specific promises they make (speed, accuracy, cost savings, ease of use, etc.) |
| **How they differentiate** | What they say makes them different from competitors |
| **Key messaging themes** | Recurring themes across their marketing (innovation, simplicity, enterprise-grade, etc.) |
| **Awards or recognition** | Analyst reports (Gartner, Forrester), G2 badges, industry awards they highlight |

---

## Step 4 — Strengths Analysis

Honestly assess what the competitor does well. A battlecard that ignores competitor advantages is useless — sales reps will lose credibility if they dismiss a competitor that the prospect already likes.

For each competitor, run 1-2 WebSearch queries.

**Search patterns:**
- `"{competitor} reviews G2"` or `"why I chose {competitor}"`
- `"{competitor} case study results"`

**Document:**

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **What they do well** | Objective strengths — features, UX, integrations, market position |
| **Where they have an advantage over you** | Be honest. If they are better at something, say so. This helps reps prepare instead of getting blindsided. |
| **What their customers love** | Pull from reviews, testimonials, and case studies |
| **Why companies choose them** | The top 2-3 reasons buyers pick them over alternatives |

---

## Step 5 — Weaknesses Analysis

Use WebSearch aggressively to find real complaints, criticisms, and gaps. This is the highest-value section of the battlecard.

Run 3-4 WebSearch queries per competitor:

**Search patterns:**
- `"{competitor} reviews complaints"` or `"{competitor} negative reviews G2 Capterra"`
- `"{competitor} reddit problems"` or `"{competitor} reddit complaints"`
- `"{competitor} issues limitations"` or `"switching from {competitor}"`
- `"{competitor} vs"` (often surfaces comparison articles that highlight weaknesses)

**Organize weaknesses into categories:**

| Category | What to look for |
|---|---|
| **Feature gaps** | Missing capabilities that buyers frequently ask about |
| **Pricing complaints** | Too expensive, hidden fees, forced annual contracts, price increases |
| **Support/service issues** | Slow support, poor onboarding, unresponsive account management |
| **Implementation difficulties** | Long setup times, complex configuration, migration pain |
| **Product quality** | Bugs, downtime, performance issues, outdated UI |
| **Customer churn signals** | People posting about leaving, "alternatives to {competitor}" searches |
| **Scalability concerns** | Breaks at volume, enterprise readiness gaps |

**Rules:**
- Every weakness claim must have a source (URL, review platform, Reddit thread). Never invent criticisms.
- Distinguish between isolated complaints and patterns. A single bad r