Write an Email Based on Competitive Analysis

Write an Email Based on Competitive Analysis

Contest Winner

🏆 APOLLO TEMPLATE CONTEST WINNER

René Cobar, Sr. Sales Development Manager at Apollo

One of our very own, René is helping lead the way in outbound sales strategies at Apollo and currently manages 100+ outbound campaigns

“I use this AI prompt as a way to show prospects that their competitors may be outperforming them in some ways, and that’s why they should take a meeting with us.”

Sometimes the best way to capture a prospect’s attention is to create a little FOMO.


René’s AI prompt empowers you to analyze a prospect’s competitive landscape and where they might be falling behind  — from automation and personalization to SEO, paid ads, and multichannel outreach — then write an email about how you can help them win their market.


Use these insights to spark urgency, position yourself as a trusted advisor, and help your prospects stay ahead of the game.

✨ AI Prompt Preview

Prompt 1: Set the stage for deep research

<Context and Mission>

You represent the sender company: {{sender_company_name}}. {{sender_company_name}} provides products/services that solve certain issues and provides value to what we will refer to as "function/area".


{{sender_company_name}} wants to pitch their services to {{account.name}}, the "target company".


In order to make a strong case for their offering, {{sender_company_name}} wants to learn about what {{account.name}}'s competitors are doing in in the "function-area" that {{sender_company_name}} addresses. In other words, {{sender_company_name}} wants to find out what {{account.name}}'s competitors do in "function-area". Using this information, {{sender_company_name}} wants to approach {{account.name}} with a message along these lines:


"We solve problems and add value to [function-area]. Your competitors do ______ in [function-area]. We can help you beat them by doing _______, since we specialize in [function-area].


For context. These are the steps of the mission at large:
Your focus:

  • Assess {{sender_company_name}} to determine the "function-area" they specialize in.
  • Assess {{account.name}} to determine who their competitors are
  • Produce research guidelines that, when followed, will reveal what {{account.name}}'s competitors are doing in [function-area]. Do not focus on what they are doing in {{account.name}}'s function-area, but what they are doing in {{sender_company_name}}'s function-area. Focus on close competitors, not just similar industries.


Next steps (not your focus, provided for context into how your output will be used):

  • Conduct deep industry research based on guidelines that YOU produce
  • Identify what {{account.name}}'s competitors are doing in relation to the function-area of {{sender_company_name}}.
  • Identify where {{account.name}} is falling short (focusing on areas that are relevant to {{sender_company_name}}. In other words "how can {{sender_company_name}} help {{account.name}} and what is a priority based on what {{account.name}} is doing. In other words, how are they falling short in {{sender_company_name}}'s function-area
  • Drafting an email from {{sender_company_name}} to {{account.name}} to promote {{sender_company_name}}'s offerings and position value propositions in a way that calls out what competitors are doing in that [function-area].


The "function-area" is whatever {{sender_company_name}} focuses on through their offerings.
</Context and Mission>


<Input Analysis>
Sender company details:
  Sender company name: {{sender_company_name}}
  Sender company website: {{sender_company_url}}
  Value Proposition sender company offers: {{value_proposition}}
  Pain Point addressed by sender company: {{pain_point}}


Target company details:
  Target company name: {{account.name}}
  {{#if account.website_url}} Target company website: ```{{account.website_url}}``` {{#endif}}
  {{#if account.description}} Target company description: ```{{account.description}}``` {{#endif}}
  {{#if company_scraped_info}} Target company website scraped text: ```{{company_scraped_info}}``` {{#endif}}
</Input Analysis>


<Output Format>
Section 1: What {{sender_company_name}} provides:
[List and describe offerings and value propositions]


Section 2: Look for:


- "What are [descriptor relevant to {{account.name}}'s competitors] companies doing in [field that {{sender_company_name}} supports]"
- "Common approaches to [problem {{sender_company_name}} solves] in ________ industry"
- "[Competitor 1 name] approach to [function-area that {{sender_company_name}} supports]"
- "[Competitor 2 name] approach to [function-area that {{sender_company_name}} supports]"
- "[Competitor 3 name] approach to [function-area that {{sender_company_name}} supports]"
- "[Competitor 4 name] approach to [function-area that {{sender_company_name}} supports]"


Section 3: Where to look:


- [list suggested sources]
</Output Format>


Only output the sections "What to look for" and "Where to look"


<Example>
If the "sender" is a marketing agency and the "target" is a construction firm.


What [sender] provides:
[list and description about marketing services]


What to look for:
[Search terms about how construction firms approach marketing]


Where to look:
[Suggestions on sources that show how construction firms are approaching marketing]
</Example>


Ensure that your output contains a section describing {{sender_company_name}}'s offerings and value propositions.


Visit {{sender_company_url}} then visit {{account.website_url}}. Describe what each company does. Who are {{account.name}}'s competitors?

Prompt 2: Exploring competitors’ activities and strategies

<Context and Mission>

You represent the sender company: {{sender_company_name}}. {{sender_company_name}} provides products/services that solve certain issues and provides value to what we will refer to as "function/area".


{{sender_company_name}} want's to pitch their services to {{account.name}}, the "target company".


In order to make a strong case for their offering, {{sender_company_name}} wants to learn about what {{account.name}}'s competitors are doing in in the "function-area" that {{sender_company_name}} addresses. In other words, {{sender_company_name}} wants to find out what {{account.name}}'s competitors do in "function-area". Using this information, {{sender_company_name}} wants to approach {{account.name}} with a message along these lines:


"We solve problems and add value to [function-area]. Your competitors do ______ in [function-area]. We can help you beat them by doing _______, since we specialize in [function-area]."


You are writing your final assessment based on research that was conducted while following this prompt below:
{{contact.Research framing 1077}}


Mission

  • Identify what {{account.name}}'s competitors are doing in relation to the function-area of {{sender_company_name}}.
  • Identify where {{account.name}} is falling short (focusing on areas that are relevant to {{sender_company_name}}. In other words "how can {{sender_company_name}} help {{account.name}} and what is a priority based on what {{account.name}} is doing". In other words, how are they falling short in {{sender_company_name}}'s function-area

</Context and Mission>


<Input Analysis>
Target company details:
  Target company name: {{account.name}}
  {{#if account.website_url}} Target company website: ```{{account.website_url}}``` {{#endif}}
  {{#if account.description}} Target company description: ```{{account.description}}``` {{#endif}}
  {{#if company_scraped_info}} Target company website scraped text: ```{{company_scraped_info}}``` {{#endif}}
</Input Analysis>


<Output Format>
How {{account.name}}'s competitors approach _______.
[list and describe]


How {{sender_company_name}} can help {{account.name}}
[list and describe]
</Output Format>


<Final note>

Do not make assumptions about what the competitors are doing. Simply report what you find.

</Final note>

Prompt 3: Bring everything together in a powerful email

<Context and mission>
You are a world class sales copywriter. You work for {{sender_company_name}}.


{{sender_company_name}} want's you to write a sales email to {{account.name}}.


Rather than writing a generic email, {{sender_company_name}} would like to send an email that highlights what {{account.name}}'s competitors are doing in a given field/function and position {{sender_company_name}} as an ideal partner to help {{account.name}} to surpass its competitors.


To support with the development of this email, {{sender_company_name}} has armed you with an analysis of {{account.name}}'s competitive landscape.


Your mission is to read the analysis below and use it to write an email from {{sender_company_name}} to {{account.name}}
</Context and mission>


<Analysis>
{{contact.Research framing 1077}}


{{contact.Deep research 6659}}
</Analysis>


<Email-writing guidelines>

  • Length: <200 words
  • Tone and style: spartan, conversational, 10th grade reading level, no corporate jargon, no cheesy intros like "I hope this finds you well". Polite. Do not put anyone in a bad light.
  • Focus on what competitors are doing to solve the problems that {{sender_company_name}} addresses.
  • Do not include the subject line, or signature. Start with the hook that names the competitors and ends with "Best,"
  • Use whitespace to make your email readable
  • Keep in mind your audience is {{account.name}}, specifically, a contact named {{contact.first_name}}. Use "you" language every now and then.
  • Avoid stats and social proof unless they are directly provided to you in context.


Format:


[hook about what competitors are doing]


[description about how {{sender_company_name}} can help {{account.name}}]


[soft call to action "Worth a conversation?"]
</Email-writing guidelines>


<Example>
Hi {{contact.first_name}},


[Competitor 1] is _______. [Competitor 2] is ________. {{account.name}} [something good about their offering or what they do] but _____________.


{{sender_company_name}} can help __________ to ___________ by __________.

[some value propositions with transformations]


[vision of success tailored to {{account.name}} (just a few words)]


Best,
{{sender_first_name}}


</Example>


Do not provide a PS like, Intro text, preambles, or anything outside of the salutation, body, and “Best,”

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