B2B Competitor Intelligence

There’s a debate in B2B about the value of focusing on your competitors.

The argument for focusing on your competitors is you’ll stay on top of how others in your category are innovating their products, positioning their brands, and pricing their solutions.

The argument against focusing too heavily on your competition is it takes your eye off an essential asset for your business: your customer. You know, the ones who are paying you to solve their problems.

Focusing too much on your competitors and not enough on your buyer can cause you to make reactive strategic decisions (product roadmapping, pricing, etc.) that prove unproductive because they aren't grounded in solving real problems for your customer.  Just because your competition launches a new feature doesn’t mean you have to or should. 

The line that I take is that it’s healthy to study your competitors, particularly when it comes to your target buyer’s journey.

Their buying journey will likely include researching other firms in your category (your competition). 

Knowing who those competitors are and how they position themselves will help you better articulate your value differently.

And being different is key to driving sales conversations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the argument for focusing heavily on competitors?

That staying on top of how others in the category are innovating products, positioning brands, and pricing solutions keeps a business informed about the broader competitive landscape it operates within.

What's the risk of focusing too much on competitors instead of customers?

It can lead to reactive strategic decisions, on product roadmapping, pricing, and more, that aren't grounded in actually solving real problems for customers, decisions driven by what competitors do rather than what buyers need.

Why doesn't a competitor launching a new feature automatically mean it should be matched?

Because that kind of reactive decision-making isn't rooted in genuine customer need. Just because a competitor does something doesn't mean it's actually the right move for a different business's specific buyers.

What's the recommended, healthier way to study competitors?

Through the lens of the target buyer's journey, since that journey will likely include researching competing firms anyway. Understanding those competitors and their positioning helps articulate value differently, not to copy them.

Why does understanding competitor positioning actually help drive sales conversations?

Because it reveals how to differentiate more clearly, and being different is key to driving sales conversations. Competitive awareness in this context serves differentiation, not imitation.