Become great at competitive intel & market research

Learn how to build a world-class competitive intelligence program – regardless of your company’s size or resources.

By Andy McCotter-Bicknell,

Senior Product Marketing Manager @ ZoomInfo

Course length: 1h 24min

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English subtitles Certificate included

Some of the companies that train their teams at CXL:

Product Marketers have their hands full. Making sure that each responsibility is given the attention it deserves is no easy task. But all too often, we see competitive intelligence getting deprioritized when businesses can’t afford it – because it’s hard to see results.

When done correctly though, competitive intelligence can have an immense impact on a business. And it’s not uncommon to see leaders of competitive programs celebrated by sales, product, marketing, and leadership teams alike.

After taking this course you’ll…

  • Understand how to gather up-to-date information on your competitors.
  • How to conduct an effective win/loss program.
  • How to collaborate with marketing to establish proactive competitive displacement campaigns.
  • How to get a seat at the table for strategic company initiatives.

This course is essential for you if…

  • You work at a startup and are an underdog in your industry.
  • You want to increase your visibility within your organization.
  • You’re a Product Marketer in pursuit of rounding out your expertise of the function.

This course is NOT for you if…

  • You are unorganized. Competitive intelligence requires you to evaluate dozens of vendors, and maintain multiple internal systems.
  • You don’t work well under pressure. Competitive pressure can be very intense.
  • You already have an established and effective competitive intelligence program.

Skills you will master

Competitive intelligenceMarket researchMarket InsightsAudience researchCompetitive Marketing CampaignsMarketing strategy

Andy McCotter-Bicknell

Senior Product Marketing Manager @ ZoomInfo

The creator and owner of ZoomInfo’s competitive intelligence program. ZoomInfo is the world’s leading go-to-market engine — ranking #1 in 27 G2 grids as of Summer ’21.

Competitive intelligence has the power to influence every aspect of a company. His competitive intelligence program has contributed to six acquisitions and dozens of seven-figure deals.

Your course curriculum

Competitive intelligence and market research

1 What is Competitive Intelligence and why is it so important?

Competitors are everywhere and there’s a lot to learn from them. Let’s start from the beginning and establish what we can learn, and how it can help our businesses (and our careers). Topics covered: Define what we mean by “Competitive Intelligence.”Est …

2 Gathering Competitive & Market Insights: Startups & Mid-Market

You don’t have to put down tens of thousands of dollars to start building a competitive intel function. Let’s start small with a few recommended affordable and free tools. Topics covered: Learn how to dig through a competitor’s website and identify who …

3 Gathering Competitive & Market Insights: Enterprise

Your business is growing, and so is your list of competitors. Invest in these tools to stay on top. Topics covered: Learn how to automatically keep up to date on your competitors’ web presence.Track how often competitors are mentioned by prospects or c …

4 Understanding Your Audience: An Ongoing Mindset

The art of cataloguing insights and thinking like a Content Marketer. Topics covered: Understand how to think about your audience in the same way that sales and marketing thinks about their prospects and customers.Establish a simple methodology for con …

5 Building Battlecards for Sales & Marketing Teams

Deliver what they need to confidently dismiss competitors. Topics covered: Understand the most important thing to include in your battlecards.Learn the tools you can use to build battlecards on any budget.Figure out where to put the battlecards or dist …

6 Competitive Newsletters for Product & the C-Suite

Publish newsletters that teams actually look forward to reading. Topics covered: The three main questions to ask yourself when you uncover an insight.How to design your newsletter from top to bottom.Recommended tools to help you write in a way that peo …

7 Developing a Competitive Strategy through Win/Loss (part 1)

How and when to conduct quantitative research through Win/Loss surveys. Topics covered: Learn the “what” and “why” of quantitative research.Recommended tools to help you create surveys.How to write surveys properly and send invites that lead to high re …

8 Developing a Competitive Strategy through Win/Loss (part 2)

How and when to conduct qualitative research through Win/Loss interviews. Topics covered: How to conduct a proper interview without annoying the other party.Avoid commonly-made mistakes that delay program results.How to report on Win / Loss program res …

9 Organizing a Competitive Marketing Campaign

Partner with Marketing & proactively displace competitors. Topics covered: Learn the first steps you need to take when starting an email campaign.Recommended tools to make sure you get the right contact and account data.Understand the questions you …

10 Pushing “Go” On Your Competitive Program

How to put everything that you’ve learned in this course together and crush your competitors. Topics covered: Learn where to start after the conclusion of this course.Understand what makes or breaks most competitive intelligence programs.The key to pav …

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Learn Competitive Intelligence: FAQ

Who is this course for?

This course is essential for you if…

  • You work at a startup and are an underdog in your industry.
  • You want to increase your visibility within your organization.
  • You’re a Product Marketer in pursuit of rounding out your expertise of the function.

Some careers that will especially benefit from this course are brand marketer, digital marketing manager, product marketer, and conversion optimization consultant.

What will you learn?

After taking this course, you will:

  • Understand how to gather up-to-date information on your competitors.
  • How to conduct an effective win/loss program.
  • How to collaborate with marketing to establish proactive competitive displacement campaigns.
  • How to get a seat at the table for strategic company initiatives.

What does the course include?

Our Competitive Intelligence training includes 11 lessons, 1h 24min of video material, several assignments, and a final exam.

Are subtitles available for the lessons?

Lessons have English subtitles and transcriptions available.

Will I receive a certificate of completion?

After taking this course, you will receive the Competitive Intelligence Certification from CXL, with credentials that you can add to your LinkedIn profile.

What is the refund policy?

All plans come with a 7-day refund period .

How long will it take for me to finish it?

This is entirely up to you – it’s how many study hours per week you can put in. This course is 1h 24min long.