How to present and share competitive intelligence research
Data is abundant and valuable.
Except when it’s meaningless.
The key difference between a heap of useless data and actionable insights is presentation.
While we typically use a handful of templates to present our findings, there are many considerations when it comes to presenting competitive intelligence.
After all, the way you present data is dependent on the type of information you’re gathering, the audience, and the intention or goal behind the data collection.
There are a few factors to consider that can help you gather the right data and present it in the most compelling and useful way.
Gathering competitive intelligence is laborious and time-consuming. The last thing you want is for the data collected to go unused or unappreciated. Not only will the value of your insights be lost, but the entire practice of competitive intelligence will eventually be seen as less valuable.
By considering your audience and their needs, you can improve the reach of your valuable insights.
Stories
Broadly speaking, presentations can be categorised as either stories or facts.
Your audience might not want a spreadsheet full of numbers; they might prefer to get a headline message or an overview that helps them understand the market, without having to get lost in the weeds.
To tell a story, you might turn your research into a few slides that give the key facts, as well as brief descriptions to contextualise your findings. Remember your readers and the results they want to achieve. If you can address your readers’ needs, they will use and appreciate your insights – and they’ll come back for more.
Numbers
Even when your audience wants hard facts, they probably don’t want a few gigabytes of raw data. They might prefer a neat summary that highlights the most important numbers from your research.
Percentages, trends and lists are effective ways to reduce your raw numbers into digestible data. Using graphics and imagery can also help to make the data useful and visually appealing.
Don’t bury the lead
In journalism, the ‘lead’ is the main point of an article.
One of the worst things a journalist can do is to bury the central point of their story deep within the text, rather than make it unmissable. Journalists are taught to write in an inverted pyramid, in which the focus of the story is outlined at the very start. The rest of the article should then provide the background and the detail of the story.
The same principle should apply to your competitive intelligence reporting. Rather than hiding your central point – or the most important insights – at the end or the middle of a report, include it in a big bold font on the first page. Make the most important message unmissable.
Formats
How will your audience use your research? Will they simply read the report? Or will they need to process your data in any way, or include them in their own work?
These considerations might dictate whether you deliver competitive intelligence in a spreadsheet, a PDF or a Word document.
Battlecards
Battlecards turn your research into one-page guides to your key competitors. These give your sales team a quick and easy way to prepare for meetings and presentations. Everything they need to know, including threats, opportunities, USPs and positioning, is contained in a simple document. Battlecards are easy to share, easy to read and highly portable – perfect for salespeople on the go. They draw out the most important points and leave behind the raw research data.
Charts
Graphs are a common method for making your data easier to interpret. Consider using a variety of graph types, depending on your data and your audience, rather than always presenting information in the same way. It’s easy for people to become blind to things they see routinely.
Motivation or panic
Data is data, and facts are facts, right?
At its heart, competitive intelligence is about finding the truth. It’s about getting past marketing messages, hype and rumours and learning more about your competitors. Competitive intelligence agencies like Aqute are skilled at using public data and first-hand accounts to build an honest account of your market.
But when it comes to distributing your data internally, there are occasions when you want the reports to carry a degree of emotional weight. For example, when you identify that a leading competitor has failed to launch a service that customers are demanding, you might want to inspire your teams to capitalise on the opportunity.
On the flip side, when your competitor research shows that a new rival is entering the market with a product that trumps yours, then you may want drive home the fear of being rendered obsolete.
While facts are certainly facts, there is a danger that you obscure the power of your findings by presenting them too blandly. People on sinking ships don’t whisper warnings. There are times when it makes sense to inject a little passion into your reports.
Call to action
Most of the time, presenting competitive intelligence is about sharing data rather than opinions. But there are occasions when it makes sense to include an overt call to action in your research reports. If your findings suggest a clear path forward, consider adding a ‘next steps’ or instructions for how to use the data. For example, if you identify a weakened competitor in one territory, you might propose that the sales team investigate the optimal way to grasp the opportunity.
Simplicity
Whenever you present competitive intelligence, a good question to ask is: “what can I remove?”. Can you delete any:
Text
Charts
Pages
Headings
Sections
Or does every pixel earn its keep? Are any pages or sections likely to frustrate or irritate your readers? Is any of the wording pure padding – or is it all vital?
While it’s good practice to remove unnecessary distractions, you must also ensure that your reports are complete and provide context for the data displayed.
Will you always present the findings in person? Or will the report be distributed in isolation?
Competitive intelligence services from Aqute
Do you need help gathering – or presenting – competitor research? Aqute is the competitive intelligence agency that operates globally from our hubs in San Francisco and London. We work with a wide range of companies, and have a proven record of success when it comes to finding valuable data that your business can trust.
