# How to Create Competitive Battlecards Using the Competitive-Battlecard Skill

> Learn to create effective competitive battlecards with the phuryn/pm-skills toolkit. Use the /battlecard command to research competitors and generate markdown battlecards.

- Repository: [Pawel Huryn/pm-skills](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-06-27

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**You create competitive battlecards by invoking the `/battlecard` slash command in the phuryn/pm-skills toolkit, which triggers the `competitive-battlecard` skill to execute a four-step workflow that researches competitors and generates a markdown-formatted battlecard.**

The `phuryn/pm-skills` repository provides a declarative prompt-based system for product management workflows. Within the `pm-go-to-market` command package, the **competitive-battlecard** skill automates the process to create competitive battlecards by combining structured markdown prompts with real-time web research capabilities.

## How the Competitive-Battlecard Skill Works

The skill is defined in [`pm-go-to-market/commands/battlecard.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-go-to-market/commands/battlecard.md) and operates through a declarative four-step workflow when you invoke the `/battlecard` command.

### Step 1: Identify the Matchup

You supply your product name and the competitor you want to analyze. The prompt template uses structured placeholders like `[Your Product]` and `[Competitor]` to capture these inputs for the LLM.

### Step 2: Research the Competitor

The skill automatically triggers the internal **competitive-battlecard** sub-skill (referenced in lines 30-38 of the command file) to execute web-search queries. This gathers the latest feature lists, pricing data, positioning statements, identified weaknesses, and recent news about the competitor.

### Step 3: Generate the Battlecard

The LLM assembles a single-page markdown document containing:

- **Quick summary** highlighting win/loss situations and key differentiators
- **Positioning comparison** between your product and the competitor
- **Feature-by-feature table** using the format `Capability | Us | Them | Verdict`
- **Pricing matrix** and objection-handling scripts
- **Land-mine questions**, trap questions, and win/loss patterns
- **Conversation starters** for sales engagements

### Step 4: Offer Next Steps

The prompt concludes with actionable follow-up suggestions, such as creating battlecards for additional competitors or running a full competitive analysis.

## Invoking the Battlecard Command

You can trigger the competitive-battlecard skill through any interface integrated with the pm-toolkit command set.

### Basic Invocation

Use the `/battlecard` slash command followed by your product and competitor:

```text
/battlecard OurCRM vs Salesforce

```

The model will ask follow-up questions regarding buyer profile and deal stage, then return the completed markdown battlecard as defined in the template (lines 40-95 of the command file).

### Providing Competitor Artifacts

Upload existing documents to enrich the research phase:

```text
/battlecard ProjectFlow vs Monday.com for mid-market teams
/upload competitor_pricing.pdf
/upload win_loss_data.xlsx

```

The skill consumes these artifacts during the "Research the Competitor" step to populate comparison tables with specific data points from your files.

### Chaining Further Analysis

Execute subsequent commands after battlecard generation:

```text
/battlecard MyProduct vs XYZInc

# After the battlecard is generated

/run competitive-analysis --market SaaS CRM

```

The generated battlecard includes clickable suggestions in the "Offer Next Steps" section that you can execute directly to continue your competitive intelligence workflow.

## Source Code Architecture

The competitive-battlecard skill relies on a declarative architecture where business logic lives in markdown files while the pm-toolkit handles runtime execution.

**Key Components:**

- **Command Definition** ([`pm-go-to-market/commands/battlecard.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-go-to-market/commands/battlecard.md)): Contains the slash-command definition, argument hints, and the full prompt template that drives the skill execution.
- **Sub-skill Invocation**: The `competitive-battlecard` skill name is reused inside the prompt to trigger web-research capabilities (lines 30-38).
- **LLM Execution Engine**: Parses the markdown prompt, replaces placeholders with user arguments, runs the web-search sub-skill, and renders the final markdown output.
- **Output Format**: A single-page Markdown document optimized for rapid consumption by sales representatives.

This design keeps the skill **declarative**—all instructions and templates reside in the markdown file—while the surrounding pm-toolkit framework provides the runtime plumbing for parsing slash-commands and invoking web searches.

## Summary

- **Invoke the skill** using the `/battlecard` slash command with your product and competitor names.
- **Automated research** occurs through the internal `competitive-battlecard` sub-skill that queries current web data.
- **Structured output** includes comparison tables, pricing matrices, and objection-handling scripts formatted as a single-page markdown document.
- **Source file** is located at [`pm-go-to-market/commands/battlecard.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-go-to-market/commands/battlecard.md) in the phuryn/pm-skills repository.
- **Extensible inputs** allow you to upload PDFs and spreadsheets to enhance the generated battlecard with proprietary data.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What triggers the competitive-battlecard skill?

The skill is triggered by the `/battlecard` slash command defined in [`pm-go-to-market/commands/battlecard.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-go-to-market/commands/battlecard.md). When you type this command followed by product and competitor names, the pm-toolkit framework loads the markdown prompt and executes the four-step workflow.

### What file contains the battlecard template?

The complete prompt template and command definition reside in [`pm-go-to-market/commands/battlecard.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-go-to-market/commands/battlecard.md) (lines 40-95). This file contains the structured placeholders and output format specifications that the LLM uses to generate the final battlecard.

### Can I upload custom competitor data?

Yes. You can upload PDFs, spreadsheets, or other documents using the `/upload` command immediately after invoking `/battlecard`. The skill processes these artifacts during the research phase to populate comparison tables with your specific win/loss data and pricing information.

### What output format does the skill generate?

The skill generates a single-page Markdown document containing a quick summary, positioning comparison, feature-by-feature tables, pricing matrices, objection-handling scripts, and strategic questions. This format is designed for immediate use by sales teams and can be saved directly as a `.md` file.