Competitor Analysis Workflow
Understand your competitive landscape clearly enough to position against it.
Most small businesses either ignore competitors entirely or fixate on them unhealthily. This workflow helps you conduct a structured analysis that informs your positioning without making you reactive to every competitor move.
The Workflow
Map the competitive landscape
Identify who you're actually competing with — direct competitors, indirect alternatives, and the status quo (doing nothing).
Map the competitive landscape for my business. My business: [BUSINESS_DESCRIPTION] My target customer: [TARGET_CUSTOMER] How customers currently solve this problem without me: [CURRENT_SOLUTIONS] Direct competitors I know of: [KNOWN_COMPETITORS] Please: 1. Organize competitors into three categories: direct (same solution, same customer) / indirect (different solution, same problem) / status quo (what customers do if they buy nothing) 2. For each direct competitor, describe: their positioning, their likely customer segment, and their apparent strength 3. Identify any competitors I might have missed based on the market you know 4. Tell me which competitors I'm actually competing against most directly for my specific target customer
Replace: [BUSINESS_DESCRIPTION], [TARGET_CUSTOMER], [CURRENT_SOLUTIONS], [KNOWN_COMPETITORS]
Analyze your positioning gaps
Find the space where competitors are weak and your strengths can win.
Help me find my positioning gap in this competitive landscape. My top three direct competitors and their positioning: 1. [COMPETITOR_1]: [THEIR_POSITIONING] 2. [COMPETITOR_2]: [THEIR_POSITIONING_2] 3. [COMPETITOR_3]: [THEIR_POSITIONING_3] My current strengths: [MY_STRENGTHS] What my best customers tell me they chose me for: [WHY_CUSTOMERS_CHOSE_ME] Where competitors consistently fall short (based on their reviews or reputation): [COMPETITOR_WEAKNESSES] Please identify: 1. The positioning gap — what need exists that nobody is owning clearly? 2. The dimension I should compete on: price / quality / speed / specialization / relationship / niche 3. A positioning statement that differentiates me without just saying "we're better" 4. One thing I should not try to compete on (where I can't win)
Replace: [COMPETITOR_1], [THEIR_POSITIONING], [COMPETITOR_2], [THEIR_POSITIONING_2], [COMPETITOR_3], [THEIR_POSITIONING_3], [MY_STRENGTHS], [WHY_CUSTOMERS_CHOSE_ME], [COMPETITOR_WEAKNESSES]
All Prompts for This Workflow
Map the competitive landscape for my business targeting [TARGET_CUSTOMER]. Business: [BUSINESS_DESCRIPTION] How customers solve the problem today: [CURRENT_SOLUTIONS] Competitors I know: [KNOWN_COMPETITORS] Organize into: direct / indirect / status quo competitors. For each direct competitor: their positioning, customer segment, and apparent strength. Identify competitors I may have missed. Tell me who I'm actually competing with most for my specific customer.
Replace: [TARGET_CUSTOMER], [BUSINESS_DESCRIPTION], [CURRENT_SOLUTIONS], [KNOWN_COMPETITORS]
Find my positioning gap against these competitors: [COMPETITOR_POSITIONING_LIST] My strengths: [MY_STRENGTHS] Why customers choose me: [WHY_CUSTOMERS_CHOSE_ME] Where competitors fall short: [COMPETITOR_WEAKNESSES] Identify: the positioning gap, the dimension I should compete on, a differentiated positioning statement, and one thing I shouldn't try to compete on.
Replace: [COMPETITOR_POSITIONING_LIST], [MY_STRENGTHS], [WHY_CUSTOMERS_CHOSE_ME], [COMPETITOR_WEAKNESSES]
Analyze these competitor reviews to find patterns I can learn from. Competitor: [COMPETITOR_NAME] Their reviews (paste 10-15): [COMPETITOR_REVIEWS] Please identify: 1. The three things customers consistently praise about this competitor 2. The three most common complaints or frustrations 3. What customers say they wish this competitor did differently 4. One unmet need that appears repeatedly that I could address 5. The language customers use to describe their problem (this is voice-of-customer research)
Replace: [COMPETITOR_NAME], [COMPETITOR_REVIEWS]
A organized competitive landscape across direct/indirect/status quo categories, a clear positioning gap you can own, and a differentiated positioning statement that doesn't just say 'we're better.'
- →Read your competitors' negative reviews. That's where the market's unmet needs live.
- →Update your competitive analysis every 6 months. Markets move fast, and yesterday's gap can become tomorrow's crowded space.