Hey there,

A SaaS founder showed me their homepage last week.

"We're 10x better than [competitor]," he said.

I looked at the website. No mention of that competitor. No comparison. No switching guide.

"Why doesn't your marketing say this?"

"Our investor said never mention competitors. Makes us look desperate."

Meanwhile, 60% of their prospects are already using that competitor.

And those prospects have no idea why they should switch.

Most of your prospects aren't starting from zero. They're already using a competitor.

But your marketing acts like:

The reality:

When you ignore the competitor they're currently using, you ignore the biggest objection in their head:

"Is this worth the hassle of switching?"

Everyone thinks Pepsi tried to "beat" Coca-Cola head-on.

They didn't. They got smarter.

What Coca-Cola owned:

What Pepsi did: They didn't say "We're better than Coke."

They said: "Pepsi is for the next generation."

The Pepsi Generation campaign positioned them as:

The genius: They didn't try to replace Coca-Cola with everyone. They targeted a different audience with the same product category.

Same product (cola). Different positioning. Different target.

The result: Pepsi didn't need to be "better." They just needed to be "different for a specific group."

This is what most B2B companies miss.

You don't need to bash your competitor. You need to show who you're for and why that matters for someone currently using them.

Don't say: "We're better than [Competitor]"

Say: "We're built specifically for [segment] that [Competitor] doesn't serve well"

Example - Notion vs. Confluence:

Confluence positioning: Enterprise wiki and documentation

Notion positioning: "The workspace for small, fast-moving teams who don't want enterprise complexity"

What this does:

The switching message: "If Confluence feels like overkill, you're not the problem. You're just not their target anymore."

Don't ignore: That they're using a competitor Acknowledge it: "Switching from [Competitor]? Here's what's different"

Example - Superhuman vs. Gmail:

Superhuman doesn't pretend Gmail doesn't exist. Their positioning:

"For professionals who live in email and need to get through it 2x faster"

Their website literally has: "Switching from Gmail?" with a migration guide.

What this does:

Don't say: "We have more features"

Say: "We believe [X] should work differently. Here's why."

Example - Basecamp vs. Asana/Monday:

Asana/Monday belief: More features, more customization, more power

Basecamp belief: "Software should be calm, not overwhelming"

Basecamp's positioning: "Project management for teams who hate project management software"

What this does:

The switching message: "Tired of tools that require training manuals? Us too."

Here's what stops people from switching (even when your product is better):

Objection 1: "What happens to our data?"

Missing content: Data migration guide, export/import walkthrough

Objection 2: "How long does it take to set up?"

Missing content: "From [Competitor] to us in 48 hours" implementation timeline

Objection 3: "What if my team hates it?"

Missing content: "How 3 teams successfully switched without disruption" case studies

Objection 4: "What if we lose something important?"

Missing content: Feature comparison that shows what you have that they don't (and what they have that you don't, be honest)

Objection 5: "Is this worth the political battle internally?"

Missing content: ROI calculator showing cost of staying vs. switching

Most B2B websites have NONE of this content.

Then they wonder why warm leads go cold during evaluation.

Before (pretending competitor doesn't exist):

Homepage: "Modern project management for growing teams"

Features page: List of capabilities

Pricing page: Plans and pricing

Case studies: Generic success stories

No mention of: The competitor 70% of prospects are currently using Conversion rate: 1.8% (mostly net-new market)

Sales objection: "How is this different from [Competitor] we're already paying for?"

After (acknowledging the switching reality):

Homepage: "Project management for teams outgrowing [Competitor]"

New page: "Switching from [Competitor]? Here's what changes (and what stays the same)" New content:

Conversion rate: 3.1% (now converting replacement buyers, not just new market) Sales feedback: "Prospects come in already understanding the difference"

The difference: Stopped pretending the competitor doesn't exist. Started helping people make the switch.

Step 1: Identify your real competitor

Not "who do we compete with in theory." Ask: "Who are our last 10 customers replacing or switching from?"

That's your real competition.

Step 2: Audit for switching content

Do you have ANY content that:

If the answer is no, that's why your qualified leads aren't converting.

Step 3: Create ONE piece of switching content

Pick the #1 competitor you're replacing.

Create: "Switching from [Competitor] to [You]: What to expect"

Include:

The test: Send it to your sales team. Ask: "Would this answer the questions prospects have?"

If yes, publish it. Watch your conversion rate climb.

Next issue: Your marketing says "We're better." Your prospect thinks "But switching is risky."