Competitive displacement

SDRs often reach out blindly, unaware if accounts are locked into contracts or ready to switch. Our cold call data shows that one of the most common objections SDRs hear is: “We already have a solution in place.”

But what if you knew that? Even better, you knew how long they’d been using the tool and when they were likely to reach the end of the contract with a competitor.

Segmenting your accounts is the first step in your competitive displacement outreach campaign. For this scenario, focus on identifying prospects using competitor tools, uncovering low-hanging opportunities ripe for engagement.

Use the technographic signals in Sales Companion, which will automatically populate your dashboard once you’ve selected the technologies you want to track. You’ll instantly be able to see leading indicators such as when the technology was first adopted and how frequently it’s being used.

This visibility helps you determine how long your prospects have been using the tool, giving you a good indication that it’s time to contact them. You can also use intent data here. For example, if the target account has been searching for ‘[Competitor] alternatives,’ it's a good indication that there is dissatisfaction with the current solution.

Now you’ve got your list of target accounts. For competitor displacement, you’ll want to prioritise the ones coming up at the end of the contract. Technographics will be your friend again, for when the tech was first adopted. Use what you know about their pricing structure from internal competitive intelligence (or their pricing page if you don’t have this luxury) to approach the prospect with conversations about their renewal. 

If a solution has been in place for nearly a year, it’s often a good time to approach it, particularly for solutions at mid-market and enterprise organisations. It's often at the year mark that renewals happen. You must get in before your competitor approaches the prospect with this conversation.

The next step is to overlay your technographic data with intent signals to help you zero in on accounts ready to switch. For example, if your prospect adopted a competitor’s technology a year ago, but their usage is dropping while purchase intent is spiking, it’s a clear sign they’re open to exploring alternatives, giving you the perfect window to engage.

Top tip: In your Sales Companion, at this point, you’ll want to find contacts to reach out to. In your Browser extension, click into the account and scroll down to  ‘Recommended Contacts’. This is an AI-driven list of highly recommended contacts within the account, ready for you to prospect. Each contact record includes the correct mobile and email for that individual and can be easily exported into your CRM or sales engagement tool.

Now it’s time to turn these technographic signals into results.

In the first example, our playbook champion positions herself as curious rather than pushy. Mentioning the competitor's renewal coming up this quarter grabs attention immediately, and asking about the renewal and potential data gaps invites a response.

Here's another great option if you decide to leverage buyer intent signals. Use intensity scores to gauge adoption rates, then validate by speaking directly to your prospects. Reinforce your outreach by showing you know they’re exploring alternatives and leverage that intent to secure the meeting.

Competitive displacement FAQs

What is competitive displacement?

Competitive displacement is the process of convincing companies to switch from one technology solution to another. It often combines sales and ABM campaign tactics to displace the competitor. Sometimes, the prospect already intends to shift, but this is not always the case.

Why use competitive takeout campaigns?

The most obvious reason to use a competitive takeout campaign is when your prospect already intends to switch. This could be through increases in relevant searches related to your brand or a lack of product adoption. It’s a good time for an SDR to prospect this account, as it means they are more likely to make a change and displace the current solution.

Find more GTM Plays for SDRs in the hub. 👇