Many B2B product companies I work with use battle cards.

Basically, cheat sheets that outline competitive intelligence, pricing strategies, and objection handling.

Consumer brands rarely create them. They should.

Of course, your “competition” isn’t limited to other brands or even similar products. It’s whatever your customer does instead of buying your product.

That includes direct competitors, the status quo’s powerful gravity, and any cognitive biases that make people hesitate.

Things like:

Loss aversion: the fear of wasting money on something new

Status quo bias: the comfort of familiar solutions

Choice paralysis: too many options leading to no decision

Sunk cost fallacy: staying with something purely because you’ve already invested in it

A battle card strips away assumptions and forces brutal honesty.

What’s your customer’s current solution?

Who influences their choice?

When do they feel the need most acutely?

The strongest battle cards dive deep into price resistance, common workarounds, and the hidden barriers that stop purchase decisions. They map both competitor strengths and the comfort of existing habits.

Action for today: Build your first battle card. Lead with this question: “Why wouldn’t someone buy this right now?”

Looking for an experienced perspective on your competitive strategy? Let’s talk — hit reply.

Laurier

Product Payoff: When Liquid Death launched mountain water in tall cans, they knew their battle was not at all against other water brands — they were taking on the image and allure of energy drinks and beer. Nothing they did reflected the drinking water market. Understanding the true competition helped change everything.