01 / START HERE
A useful way to approach it.
A competitor brief should let another person reopen the evidence and understand the comparison. Its job is to document published offers, not guess private revenue, identify undisclosed customers or prove that your product is better. Start with a buying decision and a short, relevant comparison set.
This template uses one row per material observation. Record the exact source page, access date, buyer segment and conditions. If a feature is not mentioned, write not found in the reviewed sources. That is different from saying the competitor does not offer it. Use the same criteria for your own offer and the alternatives.
02 / THE PROCESS
Go from question to next step.
- 01
Define the comparison set
Select a small number of alternatives a buyer could realistically choose. Include a manual or no-purchase option where it changes the decision. Write why each belongs in the set instead of selecting only weak competitors.
- 02
Choose consistent criteria
Use the buyer's needs: supported task, plan limits, published cost, setup requirements and terms. Keep a criterion separate from a verdict. For instance, exports CSV is an observable claim; easy to use would require a different kind of evidence.
- 03
Collect public sources
Prefer the vendor's current documentation, pricing and terms for its published offer. Save the URL and date. Accessible third-party reviews can raise questions, but attribution and sample limitations still matter. Respect access controls and source permissions.
- 04
Build the evidence table
Create columns for vendor, criterion, observed statement, source, date, caveat and follow-up. Separate an exact quoted statement from your interpretation. Normalize billing terms before comparing price and keep taxes, add-ons and usage assumptions visible.
- 05
Write a bounded conclusion
Explain which criteria favor which alternatives and what remains unknown. Propose the smallest next test, such as asking a vendor to confirm a documented limit. Do not convert published marketing claims into independently verified performance.
03 / YOUR STARTING POINT
A prompt you can make your own.
Replace the bracketed fields. Add only information you have permission to share. This is a reusable text prompt; it does not run a task from this page.
Prepare a competitor research brief from these public sources: [URLs or pasted pages]. Buyer scenario: [task, team size, country]. Alternatives: [names, including our offer when appropriate]. Criteria: [same criteria for every alternative]. Use a dated evidence table: alternative | criterion | observed claim | source URL | access date | caveat | next check. Separate observations, interpretations and missing evidence. Missing from a reviewed page means not found, not absent. Do not infer private revenue, customer lists, negotiated prices or tested performance. End with conditional tradeoffs and a verification checklist, not a winner based on unsupported scores.
04 / SEE THE SHAPE OF IT
Example evidence table: public scheduling offers
Fictional vendors and observations, shown only to demonstrate the table format. Replace them with current source-backed entries.
| Alternative | Observation | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Service A | The fictional basic plan lists one calendar connection | Open the actual plan documentation and date the observation |
| Service B | The fictional offer describes team routing | Confirm which plan includes it and any per-seat conditions |
| Manual process | A shared inbox can receive booking requests | Measure your own handling time; do not assume it is free |
This table supports questions and tradeoffs. It does not establish usability, reliability or total cost until those criteria have their own evidence.
05 / KEEP YOUR JUDGMENT
What to watch before you use it.
Different buying scenarios
Comparing a personal free plan with an enterprise package exaggerates differences. Normalize audience, scope and billing conditions first.
Absence presented as fact
A page that omits a feature may be incomplete or out of date. Keep the uncertainty and ask for confirmation.
Opinion disguised as testing
Published claims and reviews are desk research. Do not say you tested an offer unless an actual documented test occurred.
06 / THE FINAL PASS
A little review goes a long way.
Your checks stay on this page. They do not approve or run a task.
07 / GOOD QUESTIONS
Before you begin.
How many competitors should I include?
Include enough to represent the buyer's real alternatives. A small, carefully sourced set is usually more useful than a long list with incomplete evidence.
Can AI choose the best competitor?
It can organize tradeoffs using explicit criteria. The buyer must decide how to weight them, and any recommendation remains limited by the evidence supplied.
Is a missing pricing page evidence that pricing is expensive?
No. It means a comparable public price was not found in the reviewed material. Record that uncertainty and obtain a quote if it matters.