What are Sales Battle Cards and How they Help You Win the Battle

Sales battle cards are like cheat sheets for salespeople. They're packed with information about your product or service, target market, and competition. They can help you stay on track during sales calls and give you the confidence to close more deals.

In this article, we'll explain what sales battle cards are, how to create them, and how to use them to win more sales.

Ready? Let's get started.

The importance of battle cards in sales

The nifty tools called battle cards provide sales reps with the support they need to conquer the sales battlefield. But what exactly do you use them for?

• Make an effective pitch 

Picture this: you're in the midst of a sales pitch, and suddenly, you find yourself needing more information. Panic sets in as you desperately search through websites, folders, and even your dusty old cabinets. 

Well, with sales battle cards, all the essential information is right at your fingertips. These handy cards allow you to deliver compelling pitches without missing a beat. No more scrambling or feeling like a disheveled detective hunting for clues. The battle cards provide instant agility, making you a confident seller.

• Stay one step ahead of the competition

As a super busy sales rep, you may occasionally miss out on the latest updates about your company's offerings or the ever-evolving industry landscape. 

With sales battle cards, you’re kept well-informed and on top of your game. 

These cards provide valuable insights into what's shaping the industry, the competition's moves, and even those pesky regulations. 

And hey, if your rival launches a new feature that you already have, the battle card will have your back, highlighting your product's frontrunner status and immediate benefits.

• Prepare for customer challenges in advance

Anticipating customer challenges is like having a crystal ball that reveals exactly what obstacles lie ahead. Sales battle cards offer just that. 

They outline common customer pain points, helping you understand your prospects' unique needs and providing tailored solutions. With this information, you can address the prospect’s challenges head-on and showcase your product as their perfect problem-solving companion.

• Navigate difficult sales situations

These magical cards aren't just here to make you shine during standard pitches; they're your secret weapon for those tough customer meetings where you need to adapt, impress and conquer. For example:

1. Context is king. Picture this scenario: you walk into a customer meeting and discover they're facing a specific challenge, like plummeting sales of a particular feature or product. With a good battle card, you have the knowledge and insights to contextualize your pitch, showcasing how your product can be the knight in shining armor that addresses their unique challenges.
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2. Expiry dates and license lifelines. Say you're engaging with a customer and learn that their license is nearing its expiry date. Your battle card contains all the pertinent information about the customer's current product and its licensing status. Armed with this knowledge, you can confidently guide the conversation and demonstrate why your product is the perfect renewal or upgrade option.
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3. Unveiling new features. Ah, the excitement of launching a shiny new feature that your customers have been eagerly anticipating. But how do you ensure sellers are armed with this crucial information? Simple! Your battle card highlights the new feature, empowering your reps to showcase it confidently.
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4. Customer wishlist magic. The battle card is like your mystical wishlist decoder. It's the repository of customer feedback and desires that allows you to tailor your pitch to highlight the features that align perfectly with your customers' needs and challenges.
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5. Promotions and discounts. When you're launching sales promotions or offering discounts, you want your sales reps to be armed with that information to seal the deal. Your battle card is like a treasure map that ensures you take advantage of every good pricing opportunity.

Types of sales battle cards

There are many types of battle cards, each one used for a different sales scenario. 

• Product-specific battle cards. Battle cards focused on a specific product or product line, addressing competitor information, objections, and messaging specific to that offering. They streamline call preparation for reps handling diverse product offerings.
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• Prospect-specific battle cards. Customized battle cards created for high-value prospects. These battle cards provide detailed information about the prospect's background, needs, and potential objections, enabling sales reps to tailor their approach effectively.
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• Industry-specific battle cards. Battle cards tailored to specific industries, addressing unique opportunities, challenges, trends, and concerns encountered when engaging with prospects in those industries.
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• Competitor battle cards. Reference cards that provide information and insights about your competitors. They are useful for call preparation and as a quick reference during sales calls.
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• Feature comparison battle cards. Dedicated battle cards that compare features and capabilities across different competitors. They help address prospects' questions and concerns about product features.
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• Objection-handling battle cards. Battle cards are designed to equip you with effective responses to common objections. They help salespeople stay prepared and confident during sales interactions.
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• Key messages battle cards. Battle cards that outline key messages and talking points to ensure essential information is communicated during sales calls. They serve as a guide to keep the conversation focused and impactful.
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• Upsell battle cards. Battle cards that guide sales reps in preparing for calls aimed at upselling or engaging in account-based marketing strategies with existing customers.

How do you create a battle card?

Creating an effective sales battle card involves presenting information in a concise and persuasive manner. It goes beyond repeating buyer personas or common queries; instead, it guides you on leveraging product details to convince customers to make a purchase.

Now, let's explore the process of crafting a sales battle card, including the essential sections to include.

Collaborate

Creating a battle card is a collaborative effort involving multiple teams. Involve key stakeholders from sales, marketing, product, and executives to provide valuable feedback and insights. Each team brings unique expertise that contributes to the sales process.

• The product team offers in-depth insights into product features.
• The customer success team identifies common customer issues that sales can address up front.
• Marketing understands competitor positioning in the marketplace.

Know your company

Research market statistics, estimated demand, and information about your industry. This empowers the sales team to speak confidently about the industry's trends and how your product stands out in that environment.

Research advantages over competitor

Go beyond simple comparisons and analyze competitor information in-depth. Provide your sales team with a clear understanding of the advantages your product has over competitors and how it serves as a superior solution.

Identify needs and opportunities

Combine your ideal customer profile, buyer personas, and customer pain points. Clearly showcase how your product or service addresses their needs. Additionally, include information on cross-selling and upselling opportunities.

Pin-point most relevant product features

Focus on the product features that are most relevant to your prospect and identify features that customers may not initially prioritize but end up loving later.

Identify common sales objections

Address potential customer issues with your product or service and provide effective responses to overcome these objections. 

Common objections also include price concerns and feature requirements. Highlight ways to communicate value to address price objections and encourage sales representatives to inquire specifically about customer needs to offer relevant solutions.

Proactively addressing objections increases the chances of closing the sale and educates customers about your product's value.

Leverage success stories 

Include compelling success stories and case studies in the battle card. Social proof is a powerful differentiator, providing evidence of how real-life customers have benefited from your product. Use real numbers and statistics to demonstrate the impact your product has had on customers' businesses.

Best practices for creating sales battle cards

Understand sales challenges

Before diving into creating battle cards, talk to your salespeople and sales leaders to identify their challenges. Common challenges may include guiding new salespeople on competitive advantages, addressing difficulties selling against specific competitors, explaining complex product features, showcasing partnership value, or entering new markets.

Set clear goals

Based on the identified challenges, set clear and measurable sales goals to address them. Goals include increasing contract value, improving upsell success, acquiring customers from specific verticals, or reducing lost deals to competitors.

Gather information

Collect relevant information from sales, marketing, customer service, operations, and product experts. Inputs from different roles will ensure comprehensive and impactful messaging. 

Gather details such as customer profiles, product overviews, top features, pain points addressed, common prospect objections, pricing details, competitor talking points, value propositions, case studies, and potential drawbacks.

Draft concise messaging

Use the gathered information to draft the messaging for the battle card. Keep the messaging short, conversational, and easy to reference during sales conversations. 

Use bullets to highlight key details and avoid jargon or marketing-centric language. Personalize the messaging based on the target personas and back up claims with evidence like case studies and customer quotes.

Design a consistent template

Design a user-friendly and consistent battle card template. Opt for a one-page layout to avoid scrolling or clicking through the document during sales calls. Clearly, separate sections using obvious headers to help sales reps quickly locate the information they need. Use your brand's fonts and colors to add professionalism and emphasize the document's significance.

Include all the must-have elements

A well-crafted battle card should include the following key elements:

• Information about your solution

The battle card should provide essential information about the company's history, management, business divisions, and geographical presence. 

Additionally, include key details about the product or service being offered. While sales reps need not know technical details, having easily accessible product information on the battle card helps during sales calls.

• Profile of the ideal target audience

Outline the traits and characteristics of the ideal buyer persona. Understanding the target audience's needs, preferences, and challenges is essential for tailoring the sales pitch to address their specific pain points effectively.

• Unique selling points

Highlight the unique selling points that set your product apart from competitors. Identify distinctive aspects that competitors cannot easily replicate and ensure they are clearly stated on the battle card.

• Use cases applicable to clients

Include real-life use cases demonstrating how your product or service solves specific business problems for clients. Showcase how your offering has benefited customers in the same industry to build trust and credibility.

• Benefits for clients

Emphasize the benefits your product or service brings to clients. Clearly communicate the advantages clients can gain by choosing your solution, whether quantitative or qualitative.

• Industry trends

Keep sales representatives informed about the latest industry trends, including incumbent players, new entrants, government policies, and regulations. 

An overview of industry trends on the battle card equips salespeople to engage in more informed conversations with customers.

• Differentiating factors

Address the key factors that distinguish your solution from competitors. Anticipate the question of why your product is superior and provide compelling reasons on the battle card.

• Real-life success stories

Incorporate examples of successful implementations for other customers without necessarily revealing specific names. Highlighting how your product solved real-life problems builds credibility and reassures potential customers.

• Potential pitfalls

Acknowledge potential shortcomings or areas where the competition might have an advantage—guide sales reps on handling these situations delicately and avoid engaging customers on those particular points.

• Answering difficult questions

Prepare sales reps to handle counter questions from customers who have explored other products or services. Equip them with appropriate responses to address concerns and showcase the strengths of your offering.

The new and improved battle cards

We saved the best for last! 

In this blessed digital age, you can find a new kind of battle cards that allow you to improve sellers’ capabilities and equip them with the knowledge and actions that upgrade their status from sellers to exceptional advisors and allow them to address any buyer concern, need, or question in real-time.

The most advanced battle cards are based on an AI engine that transcribes the meeting in real-time and then identifies specific cues from both the conversation with the prospect and the seller’s browser. The algorithm uses these verbal cues and mouse tracking to prompt battle cards that offer the most relevant content the seller should use, such as the most relevant questions to ask, key talking points, the most suitable presentation or other resources, and even the right demo flow.

But that’s not all. By providing you with real-time data that clearly shows which participants are less engaged so that sellers can engage them in the conversation. 

In addition, with insights into what was and wasn’t said, AI-enabled battle cards help you create an improvement loop and focus sellers on what they need to say when they need to say it. 

And finally, advanced battle cards that offer smart CRM integration allow sellers to sync all their sales call data and notes with specific CRM fields, freeing them to do what they do best: selling. 

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