# Sales Battlecard Writing Guide: Field-Ready in One Sitting > A section-by-section production manual for writing a single-competitor battlecard that reps will actually use in live deals. Covers build order, word-count limits per section, named failure modes, and a field-test checklist to pressure-test a draft before publishing. Free guide for sales managers. Topic: [Sales Content, Playbooks & Battlecards](https://www.peerlab.ai/library/topic/sales-content-playbooks-battlecards/). Published by PeerLab in the [Sales Enablement Resource Library](https://www.peerlab.ai/library/). Source: https://www.peerlab.ai/library/sales-battlecard-writing-guide-field-ready/ ## How to use it Work through the build order top to bottom, writing each section before moving to the next, the sequence matters because earlier sections constrain what belongs in later ones. Run the field-test checklist on your draft before it goes to reps, and repeat the process for each competitor rather than writing one generic card. Share the failure modes list with anyone reviewing the draft so they know what to cut. ## What's inside - Build order: the exact sequence in which to write each section and why it matters - Section-by-section specs: what to include, what to cut, and word-count limits for each field - Named failure modes for the seven most common battlecard mistakes - Word-for-word line guidance: how to write scripts reps will say out loud, not paraphrase into nothing - A "when to use / when not to use" note for each high-risk section - Source guidance: where to get the competitive intelligence and who to interview - A one-page field-test checklist reps can use to grade a card before trusting it in a deal - Red flags that tell you a draft needs to go back before publishing This guide is for the person doing the writing: an enablement manager, sales leader, or senior rep building a single-competitor battlecard from scratch. It is not a template and not a scorecard. It is a production manual. The output you are building is a one-page (two-page maximum) reference card a rep can open mid-call and use without interpretation. If they have to think about what a section means, the card has failed. --- ## Before You Write Anything: Source Your Intelligence First A battlecard written without field input becomes a marketing brochure. Before opening a blank document, gather: - **Three to five lost-deal debriefs** against this competitor. Ask the rep: "What did they say that you couldn't answer?" - **Two to three win debriefs** against the same competitor. Ask: "What landed that the prospect hadn't heard before?" - **The competitor's current pricing page, case studies, and any public pitch decks** (SlideShare, G2 reviews, LinkedIn posts from their AEs). - **One product or solutions call recording** where this competitor was mentioned. Do not ask marketing for a competitor overview and use that as your primary source. It will be months old and written to protect feelings, not win deals. --- ## Build Order Write the sections in this order. Each one constrains what belongs in the next. 1. Competitor Snapshot 2. Where You Win (and Why) 3. Where They Win (and Why) 4. The Three Landmines 5. Objection Scripts 6. Discovery Questions 7. Trap Questions 8. When to Walk Away --- ## Section-by-Section Specs ### 1. Competitor Snapshot **Word limit: 60 words.** One sentence on what they sell and who they sell it to. One sentence on their typical deal size and sales motion. One sentence on their current market narrative (what they tell prospects they are). Nothing else. **Failure mode: "The Encyclopedia".** Writers pad this section with company history, funding rounds, and headcount. Reps do not care. If it does not change how you sell against them today, cut it. --- ### 2. Where You Win (and Why) **Word limit: 120 words. Maximum four bullet points.** Each bullet names one specific advantage, states the condition under which it applies, and gives the one-line proof. Format: **[Advantage], [When it matters], [Proof point or metric].** Example: *Reporting depth, When the prospect has a BI team pulling data downstream, our API exports field-level audit logs; theirs export summary rows only.* **Failure mode: "We're Better at Everything".** If you list more than four wins, reps stop reading and stop believing. Pick the four that come up most in competitive deals. Save the rest for the product sheet. **When NOT to use this section in a call:** Do not recite this list unprompted. It exists so reps know which wins to listen for, not to read aloud. --- ### 3. Where They Win (and Why) **Word limit: 80 words. Maximum three bullet points.** This is the section most writers skip or soften. Do not. If a competitor has a real advantage in certain situations, name it plainly and tell the rep what to do when they are in that situation: qualify out, reframe, or escalate. **Failure mode: "Spin Instead of Truth".** Writing "they appear to have lower prices but total cost of ownership..." is not honest. Write: "Their licence fee is 20-30% cheaper for teams under 20 users. If the prospect's team is under 20, this deal is price-sensitive." --- ### 4. The Three Landmines **Word limit: 90 words total.** Three things the competitor's rep will say that sound compelling and need a specific counter. Format: **[Their line] / [Why it lands] / [Your counter].** This section must be written in plain speech, not corporate language. If a competitor's AE says "we integrate with everything natively," write that exact phrase, not "they claim broad integration capability." **Failure mode: "Vague Warnings".** "Watch out for their pricing tactics" is useless. Name the tactic. Name the phrase. Give the counter. --- ### 5. Objection Scripts **Word limit: 40 words per script. Maximum four scripts.** Word-for-word. Not a framework. Not "acknowledge, reframe, ask." The actual words. Format: **Objection:** [exact phrase the prospect says] **Script:** "[Word-for-word response with [fill-ins] where personalisation is needed.]" Test: read it aloud. If it sounds like a human, publish it. If it sounds like a slide deck, rewrite it. **Failure mode: "The Framework Trap".** Scripts that say "empathise, then pivot to value" give reps nothing to say. They will improvise badly under pressure. Write the words. --- ### 6. Discovery Questions **Word limit: 10 words per question. Maximum five questions.** These are questions designed to surface pain the competitor cannot solve. They are not rapport questions and not qualification questions. They are intelligence questions that also move the prospect. **Failure mode: "Leading Questions That Kill Trust".** "Have you found their reporting to be limited?" is a trap question pretending to be a discovery question. Reps who ask it sound like they are running a script (because they are). Write open questions that get the prospect talking. --- ### 7. Trap Questions **Word limit: 10 words per question. Maximum three questions.** Unlike discovery questions, these are deliberate. They are asked when the rep knows the competitor cannot answer well. They are only appropriate after rapport is established and only when the prospect has indicated they are genuinely evaluating alternatives. **When NOT to use this section:** In early-stage calls or with procurement-led deals where the technical buyer is not in the room. Trap questions asked at the wrong moment destroy trust faster than any competitor. --- ### 8. When to Walk Away **Word limit: 60 words.** Name the two or three signals that mean this prospect is going to buy the competitor regardless of what you do. Walking away early saves the deal slot for a winnable one. **Failure mode: "Omitting This Section".** Most battlecards do not include this. That is why reps waste three months on deals that were never available. Be specific: "If the prospect's IT policy requires on-premise hosting and you cannot offer it, close the opportunity." --- ## Pressure-Testing Your Draft Before publishing, run this check yourself: - Read every script out loud. If you stumble, rewrite it. - Check every bullet against this test: "Would a rep in a live call find this useful in under ten seconds?" - Remove any sentence that begins with "We believe", "Our mission", or "It's important to". - Confirm the card is two pages or fewer in print view. - Send the draft to one rep who loses to this competitor regularly and ask: "Is anything here wrong or missing?" Fix what they flag. --- ## Field-Test Checklist (for Reps) Print this or paste it at the bottom of the card. A rep should be able to answer yes to every question before trusting the card in a live deal. | Question | Yes / No | |---|---| | I know which deals this card applies to | | | I can say the objection scripts out loud without reading them | | | I know at least two specific things this competitor cannot do | | | I know at least one situation where I should walk away | | | The discovery questions do not sound like traps | | | The landmine counters are in plain English | | | This card is no more than two pages | | | It was written or validated by someone who sells, not only by marketing | | If any answer is no, flag it to your enablement lead before using the card in a deal. A battlecard you do not trust will make you sound uncertain. That is worse than having no card at all. --- ## Common Named Failure Modes at a Glance | Failure Mode | What It Looks Like | Fix | |---|---|---| | The Encyclopedia | 400-word competitor history | Cut to 60-word snapshot | | We're Better at Everything | Eight or more "where we win" bullets | Pick four, max | | Spin Instead of Truth | Euphemisms for competitor strengths | Name the real advantage, then address it | | Vague Warnings | "Watch out for their pricing" | Name the phrase, give the counter | | The Framework Trap | "Acknowledge, then reframe" as a script | Write the actual words | | Leading Questions That Kill Trust | "Have you found their X to be limited?" | Write open questions | | Omitting When to Walk Away | No disqualification signals | Add two to three concrete exit signals |