I hate to brag, but I’ve gotta do it.

You’re looking at (errmmm reading the words of) the official winner of Ready For Launch’s first live episode 👑 That’s right — I beat out Andy and Jason to take the crown on our latest episode, Best Competitive Launch.

We competed live on Wednesday at Klue’s Compete Week. It was part of two days of jam packed learning, and my head’s ready to burst. I rarely take the time to go this deep on the topic of competitive enablement and win loss, and I’m starting to realize that it’s a missed opportunity. It’s such a critical part of driving market success — and it doesn’t get nearly enough attention.

Today, I’m going to pull back the curtain and share the most impactful lessons and strategies from the event, so you can strengthen your competitive game alongside me.

Let’s get into it.

Own Your Data Collection Blindspots

Competitive research can be tricky since we rely on publicly available information. We can’t always answer every question we might have.

It’s so tempting to minimize the unknown and emphasize the known. But, this can lead to overconfidence and potential gaps that we aren’t even aware of.

That’s why I loved when Clara Smyth, Director of Competitive Consulting at Klue, dropped this slide 👇🏻

Her tip? Be honest about what you don’t know AND show up with a game plan on how you will fill the gaps (and the resources you need to do it).

Because sometimes it’s what you don’t know about a competitor that might lead to a major unlock.

Connection is a Competitive Advantage

Emma Stratton never disappoints, and her keynote “Differentiate Your Tech with Buyer-Centric Messaging” was no exception. PLUS she delivered it IRL right here in Vancouver.

One slide in particular stood out.

As Emma says, the closer you get to the customer, the better you’ll be able to build a real connection. And that connection (aka differentiation) will come out loud and clear in your messaging.

Win Loss = Revenue

60% of salespeople are completely or partially wrong about the reason for losing a deal. This stat really surprised me (it’s a bit alarming, TBH).

How can we get around this? That’s where the power of win-loss programs comes in — they help us get to the truth (directly from customers, not from sales).

If you need proof to get executive buy-in, just show them this slide 👇🏻

When win rate increases, revenue increases. It’s a real win-win 😉

Differentiation Fights Commoditization

See that orange coffee maker on the right? That’s the Moccamaster. And it’s the second time this week someone’s mentioned it to me.

Now, when I think of coffee makers, I definitely don’t think differentiation. It’s a suuuuuper crowded market, and one coffee maker is really just as good as the next.

But, the Moccamaster has accomplished something Anthony Pierri, the co-founder of Fletch, spoke about in his keynote: they’ve identified their unique differentiators and used them to combat commoditization and stand out in their category.

It’s why they can charge $499 for a drip coffee marker (that doesn’t even have a timer on it).

Trust = Truth

Running customer interviews can be stressful. You want to follow a script but you don’t want to feel forced. You want insights, but you don’t want to lead the customer in any particular direction.

That’s why I loved this session on “How to Recruit and Run a Win-Loss Interview” from Jen Doyle, the Research Director at Klue. Her DEPTH framework helps make win-loss research easier.

The T stood out to me most. It stands for Trust, which means establishing trust as an impartial 3rd party. And it’s one of the most crucial parts of a win-loss interview.

Let the interviewee know that you have nothing to gain from this interview — you simply want to capture their feedback. If you can build this trust early, your reward will be truthful answers and insights.

That’s it, that’s all. Want to watch the recording of the event? I’m think it’ll be available inside the Compete Network Community soon. Or just DM any of these amazing folks and I’m sure they’d be happy to share their slides.

CAMPER ESSENTIALS

📚 Reading List: Next up on my reading list: Seth Godin’s new book, This Is Strategy. Grab a copy and read along with me.

🎧 Playlist: Take one last opportunity to enjoy all things spoooooky before Christmas hits full blast. My friends over at We’re Not Marketers dropped a special Halloween edition, and it’s a must listen.

☕️ Products: The infamous Moccamaster, for those who are dying to know more.

Until next week,