Competitor knowledge has always been a cornerstone of good selling. But if we’re honest, it’s also one of the trickiest areas to navigate. On one hand, you want to walk into a call knowing how you stack up. On the other, you don’t want to spend hours piecing together fragmented insights or worse, risk crossing an ethical line by using information you shouldn’t.
This is where I’ve found AI to be a real asset. Used responsibly, it helps me and my Solutions Engineering team quickly pull together competitor context so we can have more informed, value-focused conversations. Not to attack competitors, but to better articulate our differentiation and connect with what matters to the customer.
1. Use AI to Translate Public Info into Talking Points
There’s more competitor information in the public domain than most people realize: websites, product docs, case studies, blogs, analyst reports, customer reviews. The challenge is cutting through the noise.
Example Prompt:
“Summarize the top 3 strengths and weaknesses of [Competitor] based on this product page and customer review site. Frame the output as key themes a prospect might bring up in discovery.”
How I use it: Before a sales call, I’ll drop in a competitor’s pricing page, solution overview, and a handful of recent reviews. AI helps me spot patterns like “strong analytics but weak integrations” or “praised for speed but criticized for support.” I don’t lead with this but I keep it in my back pocket for when the prospect inevitably brings up comparisons.
2. Anticipate Customer Questions (and Prepare Your Answers)
Often, the hardest part isn’t knowing the competitor—it’s knowing how the prospect might perceive the competitor. AI can roleplay a buyer’s mindset to surface likely questions.
Example Prompt:
“Act as a VP of Sales who is evaluating [Your Company] vs. [Competitor]. What questions would you ask to understand the difference?”
How I use it: I’ll run this exercise with my team before big calls. It often surfaces things we hadn’t considered—like deployment timelines or data residency so we’re not caught flat-footed. Then we workshop clear, ethical responses that focus on our strengths rather than tearing down the other vendor.
3. Create Fair Comparison Frameworks
Customers often ask for “side-by-side” comparisons. Instead of relying on rumor or competitor-bashing, I use AI to build frameworks rooted in publicly available information and our known differentiators.
Example Prompt:
“Based on these two product descriptions, create a neutral comparison framework that highlights feature coverage, ease of integration, and support models.”
How I use it: This gives me a structured way to position our solution without sliding into “us vs. them” mudslinging. I can confidently say, “Here’s where we tend to stand out based on what’s publicly available,” and then pivot back to the customer’s goals.
The Bottom Line
AI doesn’t give you secret intel—and it shouldn’t. What it does give you is the ability to process the overwhelming amount of public information into something actionable and customer-centric.
The goal isn’t to beat competitors on every feature. It’s to clearly articulate why your solution is the best fit for this customer, right now.
How do you use AI to get smarter about the competition? What tactics do you use to stay informed without crossing ethical lines?
