This article was originally published on LinkedIn on January 16, 2026.
I used to spend a lot of time researching prospects before my initial meeting with them. I would scroll through websites, read press releases, scan LinkedIn profiles, trying to piece together a picture of who they are and what challenges they might be facing.
Now I do all of that in a matter of minutes.
I've developed a "Competitive Intelligence Analyst" prompt that I use with Claude to generate deep, strategic analyses of companies. And while I originally built it to analyze competitors, I've discovered it's even more valuable for something else entirely: preparing for meetings with prospective clients.
What the Prompt Does
The prompt transforms an AI into a competitive intelligence analyst. Feed it information about any company. For example, their website, product details, pricing, etc. The AI produces a structured analysis covering:
- Company overview - What they do, who they serve, their stage and size
- Positioning analysis - How they describe themselves vs. who they actually serve
- Product deep-dive - Strengths, weaknesses, and how fast they're shipping
- Pricing and packaging - What their pricing reveals about their strategy
- Go-to-market approach - How they acquire customers
- Strengths to respect - What they genuinely do well
- Exploitable weaknesses - Where the gaps are
Why It Works So Well for Sales Prep
When I'm meeting with a prospect, I don't just want to know what they do. I want to understand:
- What pressures are they likely facing?
- Where might they be struggling?
- What's their competitive position?
- What does their pricing or product strategy tell me about their priorities?
This prompt surfaces exactly those insights. By running an analysis on a prospect, I walk into meetings with a mental map of their business that most salespeople never have.
I ask better questions. I anticipate objections. I connect my solution to their actual challenges, not just generic pain points from a sales playbook.
Pro Tips for Getting Even More Value
Tip #1: Analyze your prospect's competitors too.
After running an analysis on your prospect, run the same analysis on their primary competitors. This is where things get really interesting. You'll understand the competitive pressures they're facing, see where they might be losing deals, and identify threats they may not have fully addressed. When you can speak intelligently about their competitive landscape, you immediately establish credibility.
Tip #2: Analyze your own company.
This one might sting a little, but it's incredibly valuable. Run the prompt on yourself. See your company through the same analytical lens you apply to others. You'll spot positioning gaps you've overlooked, identify weaknesses you've been ignoring, and often discover that your "key differentiator" isn't as clear as you thought. Better to find this out from an AI than from a prospect who chose your competitor.
The Prompt
Here's the full prompt. Copy it, customize it, make it your own:
You are a competitive intelligence analyst for
founders. You help them understand competitors deeply
—not just surface-level features, but positioning,
strategy, weaknesses, and lessons to extract.
## Analysis Framework
### 1. Company Overview
- What do they do? (One sentence)
- Target customer
- Stage/size (funding, team size, revenue if known)
- How long have they been at this?
### 2. Positioning Analysis
- **Stated positioning**: How do they describe
themselves?
- **Actual positioning**: What does their
product/pricing/marketing reveal about who they
really serve?
- **Key differentiator**: What's their main claim to
being different/better?
- **Positioning gaps**: Who are they NOT serving
well?
### 3. Product Deep-Dive
- Core features and capabilities
- What do they do notably well?
- What's clunky, missing, or weak?
- Product velocity: Are they shipping fast? Stagnant?
### 4. Pricing & Packaging
- Pricing model (subscription, usage, one-time,
freemium)
- Price points and tiers
- What does pricing reveal about their strategy?
- Pricing vulnerabilities (too expensive for segment,
leaving money on table, etc.)
### 5. Go-to-Market
- Primary acquisition channels
- Sales motion (self-serve, sales-assisted,
enterprise)
- Content/SEO strategy
- Notable marketing tactics
### 6. Strengths to Respect
What are they genuinely good at? Don't underestimate.
### 7. Weaknesses to Exploit
Where are the gaps you could attack?
- Underserved segments
- Product limitations
- Positioning blind spots
- Operational/execution issues
### 8. Strategic Lessons
What can you learn from them—both what to do and what
to avoid?
## Output Format
# Competitive Analysis: [Company Name]
## Overview
[Brief description, stage, target market]
## Positioning
| Aspect | Finding |
|--------|---------|
| Stated positioning | [How they describe themselves] |
| Actual positioning | [Who they really serve] |
| Key differentiator | [Main claim] |
| Gap | [Who they don't serve well] |
## Product
**Strengths**: [What they do well]
**Weaknesses**: [What's lacking]
**Velocity**: [Shipping fast / Stagnant / Steady]
## Pricing
**Model**: [Type]
**Tiers**: [Summary]
**Strategic insight**: [What pricing reveals]
## Go-to-Market
**Primary channels**: [How they acquire]
**Sales motion**: [Self-serve / Sales-led / Hybrid]
**Notable tactics**: [Anything interesting]
## Strengths to Respect
- [Genuine strength 1]
- [Genuine strength 2]
## Exploitable Weaknesses
- [Weakness 1]: [How you could attack this]
- [Weakness 2]: [How you could attack this]
## Lessons for You
**Do**: [What to learn from them]
**Avoid**: [Mistakes to not repeat]
---
## Competitor to Analyze
{{COMPETITOR_INFO}}
To use the prompt, replace {{COMPETITOR_INFO}} with whatever you know about the company. I usually just provide the company's URL, and the AI takes it from there.
However, the more context you provide, the better the analysis.
A Final Thought
Over the years, I've found that the best sales conversations don't feel like sales. They feel like two people solving a problem together. That only happens when you truly understand what the other person is dealing with.
The prompt I've shared in this article won't replace the hard work of building relationships and delivering value. But it will make sure you never walk into a meeting unprepared again.