Latest / Sales Leadership with Fexingo: Quota Carriers, Sales Managers, and Revenue Teams / How Top Reps Turn Competitor Wins into New Business
Transcript
- Lucas: So you're listening to a prospect and they say, 'We're already using your competitor, and it's fine.' Most reps hear that as a dead end. But the best reps hear that as a starting point. Luna: Right, because 'fine' is not a ringing endorsement. It's usually code for 'we're not happy, but we're not looking either.' Lucas: Exactly. And that's the window. In fact, there's a play that I've seen work again and again, and it's the opposite of the classic land and expand. It's more like a competitor rescue. And I want to drill into that today. Luna: Before you go deeper, I want to mention something real quick, because it's on my mind. We keep this show ad-free, and that's only because a few listeners chip in a few bucks a month through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: Yeah, that's genuinely what keeps the lights on. If these conversations have helped you in your sales career, even just a little, supporting it is easy and it means we can keep doing this. Luna: No pressure, just putting it out there. Now, back to the rescue play. What's the first move when you hear that your competitor is in the account? Lucas: First move is to not pitch. You resist every instinct to launch into your feature list. Because the moment you do, you've made it about you versus them, and the prospect has to defend their decision to buy them. That's a fight you'll lose. Luna: So you let them talk. You ask about how it's going, what's working, what's not. Lucas: Right. And the key question is not 'Why would you switch?' It's 'If you had to redo the decision today, what would you look at differently?' That gets them to think about gaps without feeling attacked. Luna: I love that. It's a future-oriented question that invites them to evaluate, not justify. Lucas: And that's where you start to uncover the unspoken pain. Maybe the implementation was a nightmare, the support is slow, or the product doesn't actually fit their workflow. But they're stuck because switching feels risky. Luna: That's the sunk cost fallacy, right? They've already paid for a year, so they feel they have to stick it out. Lucas: Exactly. Top reps help them reframe that. They don't say 'you wasted your money.' They say 'let's look at what you've learned and what you'd do differently now.' That makes it safe for the prospect to admit the misstep. Luna: So you're building a bridge, not a battle plan. What does that look like in practice? Lucas: There's a case I heard from a SaaS company selling project management tools. They had a prospect who was using a big-name competitor, and the rollout had been a disaster. The rep didn't lead with a comparison chart. She asked a series of diagnostic questions, and she found the real pain: the team was still using spreadsheets because the tool was too complex. Luna: So the competitor was basically shelfware. And she positioned her product as the simple, easy to adopt alternative. Lucas: But she did it in a specific way. She said, 'It sounds like you need something that gets out of the way. Let me show you how we handle that.' She didn't trash the competitor; she just offered a different approach. Luna: And that's the key. You're not saying their choice was wrong; you're saying their needs have changed. Lucas: Exactly. And timing matters too. The best reps track when a competitor's contract is up for renewal. That's when the prospect is most open to a conversation. You can even ask directly, 'When does your current agreement end?' Most people will tell you. Luna: So you're circling during the renewal window. And you're doing it with a consultative approach, not a takeover pitch. Lucas: Right. Now, one of the most powerful moves is to offer a post-mortem of the failed rollout. You say, 'Let's map out what you would do differently now.' That positions you as a partner who's been through this before, not just a vendor. Luna: And you can bring in benchmarks. 'What did you expect from the implementation? How long did it actually take?' Lucas: Yes. And that's where you can use industry data to show that your solution has a faster time to value, without naming the competitor. It's about the problem, not the player. Luna: I've also seen reps offer a pilot or a proof of concept with a clear exit clause. That lowers the risk for the prospect, so they can try you out without feeling like they're cheating. Lucas: That's a great tactic. And the best part is, you're not asking them to abandon their current system. You're saying, 'Run us in parallel for a month. If it doesn't deliver, we'll walk away.' That's a confidence move. Luna: It takes guts to say that. But it also shows you're not desperate. Lucas: Exactly. Desperation smells, and prospects can sense it. When you offer an out, you're signaling that you're there to help, not to close at any cost. Luna: So what's the most common mistake reps make when they hear a competitor is in the account? Lucas: They immediately start a feature war. They pull up the comparison sheet and start listing why they're better. That puts the prospect on the defensive, and they'll dig in even if they're unhappy. Luna: So you never go down that path? Even if you know you're better on paper? Lucas: You can, but only after you've built the case. First, you've got to get them to admit they're not fully satisfied. Then you can show how your approach differs. It's a sequence, not a sprint. Luna: I've also noticed that top reps don't just talk to the champion. They map the account and find the economic buyer who's feeling the pain from the failed implementation. Lucas: Absolutely. The person who chose the competitor might be defensive. But the CFO who's seeing the cost overruns is a different story. You want to find the stakeholder who's most motivated to change. Luna: And that's where you can bring in the ROI conversation. 'What has this implementation cost you in lost productivity?' Lucas: Right. And you frame it as a board-level concern, not a petty sales jab. That's how you get the conversation elevated. Luna: So what's your closing move when the prospect is finally saying, 'Okay, we're open to talking'? Lucas: You set up a clear next step, usually a discovery session with the full team, and you make sure the economic buyer is in the room. Then you run the diagnostic all over again, but with more depth. Luna: And you never assume the deal is done just because they're unhappy. They could still stick with their incumbent out of inertia. Lucas: That's the risk. But if you've done the work, you've given them a reason to move. And you've made it safe to admit they made a mistake. That's the real win. Luna: It seems like this play is as much about psychology as it is about product fit. Lucas: It is. You're helping a decision-maker save face while saving their company. That's a powerful position to be in. Luna: So if you're listening and you've got a competitor in your accounts, maybe it's time to stop panicking and start diagnosing. Lucas: Exactly. The next time a prospect says 'we're fine with our current vendor,' ask them a question you genuinely want to know the answer to. You might be surprised where it leads.