How to Handle "We Already Use a Competitor".
It stings a little when a buyer says "we already use someone for that." Your stomach drops. Part of you wants to argue, and part of you wants to give up and hang up. I've felt both. But "we already use a competitor" is not a no. It's a door. Behind it is a gap their current tool isn't fixing. Your job is to find it without putting their tool down.
The mistake most people make
Most people do one of two things, and both lose. Some trash the competitor. "Oh, them? They're slow and overpriced." Now you've insulted the buyer's choice, so they defend it and tune you out. Others just fold. "Oh, no worries, sorry to bother you." And the call is over. One way is too pushy. The other gives up too fast. Neither one finds out what the buyer actually wishes their tool did better.
What good sounds like
Good sellers stay calm and curious. They give the rival a fair nod first. "That's a solid tool, plenty of teams use it." That one line lowers the buyer's guard. Then they ask a question that quietly opens up a gap. Not "what's wrong with it," but something the tool tends to miss. The buyer ends up telling you the problem themselves. You never said a bad word, and now you have a reason to keep talking.
How to do it
Give the rival a fair nod
Don't knock their tool. Say something true and kind about it first. That stops the buyer defending it and lets them relax.
"Honestly, that's a good tool. A lot of teams run on it."
Ask one question that opens a gap
Pick a thing their tool tends to miss, and ask about it gently. Let the buyer notice the gap, don't point at it.
"When meritt's tool flags a great candidate, how easy is it to see why?"
Listen for the gap, then dig there
When they hint at a weak spot, slow down and ask more. That's the opening. Stay on it without making it a contest.
"Got it, so the scoring is a bit of a black box. How often does that bite you?"
See the difference
"You use them? Yeah, they're pretty basic and the support is a nightmare. We do everything they do and more." The buyer just heard you call their choice a mistake. Now they're defending it and counting down to goodbye.
"Honestly, that's a solid tool, a lot of teams use it. Quick one, though. When it flags a strong candidate, how easy is it to see the reasoning behind the score? ... Got it. So that part's a bit fuzzy. How much does that slow your team down?"
Same situation. A totally different result. The weak version puts their tool down and ends the call. The strong version respects their choice, then helps the buyer spot the gap for themselves. That's why they keep talking.
How you'll know it's working
You've got this when you can point out the gap in their current tool without ever putting it down. Listen back to your next call. Did you say something fair about the rival before you asked anything? Did the buyer open up about a weak spot instead of defending their choice? If yes, you're there. "We already use someone" stops being a wall and starts being a way in. That's a skill you'll use in every deal you ever work.
Questions people ask
How do I respond when a prospect says they already use a competitor?
Start by giving their current tool a fair, honest nod, like "that's a solid tool, a lot of teams use it." That lowers their guard. Then ask one gentle question about something the tool tends to miss, so the buyer spots the gap themselves. The big mistake is trashing the rival or backing off, because one makes them defensive and the other ends the call.
Should I criticise the competitor's product?
No. Knocking their tool insults the buyer's choice, so they defend it and stop listening. Praise what the rival does well first, then ask a question that quietly shows a gap. The buyer ends up naming the weak spot for you. You get the same result, finding the gap, without making yourself the pushy seller they want off the phone.
What if their current tool genuinely is good?
Good. That makes your question matter even more. No tool does everything. Find the one thing it tends to miss for a team like theirs, and ask about that. A great tool with one real gap is still a reason to talk. You're not trying to win an argument, you're trying to learn where the buyer feels stuck.
What questions show a gap without bad-mouthing the rival?
Ask about outcomes the tool struggles with, not the tool itself. Things like "how easy is it to see why it flagged that?" or "how much manual work does it still leave you?" These sound curious, not critical. The buyer answers honestly because you're asking about their day, not attacking their choice.
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