Show Prospects What They’re Missing with this FOMO-Driven AI Prompt

No one wants to feel left behind. 

Which is why “fear of missing out” messaging is such a powerful motivator.

In a recent sales campaign, René Cobar, Senior Sales Development Manager at Apollo Labs, leaned into the power of FOMO by writing an AI prompt that researched what his prospect’s competitors were doing better and infused it in his outreach.

It landed him a $72,000 dollar deal overnight — and won him a spot on the podium for Apollo’s AI template contest.

Naturally, we had to talk to him and get the inside scoop…

In an exclusive interview, he shared his full approach — along with the AI prompt itself — so you can use it too. 

👉 Grab his research AI prompt in Apollo here.

Keep reading to learn how to use it.

Shining a light on what the competition does better 

Mentioning a prospect’s competition by name in an email isn't unusual — so René dared to take it one step further.

He sells our product Apollo which, at its core, is a platform designed to help companies grow pipeline and generate leads.

If he only knew how and where a prospect’s competitors were dominating their lead generation — like ranking higher on key search terms, launching aggressive outbound sequences, investing in new ad channels, or producing more compelling top-of-funnel content — it would tempt his prospect to want to make a change so they can keep up.

“Finding competitors isn’t necessarily the hard part,” he tells us, “The tricky part is finding what they are doing better.”

The problem is finding competitor information requires hours of research.

Sellers need to run SEO audits, track keyword rankings, dig through ad libraries, and subscribe to a bunch of newsletters and gated content just to scratch the surface on one prospect’s competitors.

Quite literally, no one has time for that.

This is where AI comes in. 

By writing a prompt to do this research for him, René now has the data in front of him to create the kind of hyper-personalized outreach that sparks action.

Today, he has a multichannel sequence that taps into competitive pressure, creates a sense of FOMO, and captures a prospect’s interest. He’s pressure-tested, too — across multiple campaigns, use cases, and target audiences — and it works. 

The best AI prompts don’t leave room for guesswork. They’re specific, structured, and intentional. The more guardrails you provide, through clear instructions and detailed guidance, the better the output.

Without further ado, here it is.

The anatomy of René’s “Dynamic Competitor Advantage” AI prompt 

1. Setting the scene 

Every good AI prompt starts with direction. René tells AI its mission, using dynamic variables to focus its analysis on the right accounts and websites.

Please identify the top, direct competitors of {{account.name}}, whose website is {{account.website_url}}, and conduct an online deep dive into their competitive landscape, specifically targeting areas where competitors for {{account.name}} are gaining an edge in lead generation and market share.

Why it matters: This section of the prompt helps prevent generic outputs by providing context around the kind of information you’re after. 

2. Getting specific 

Then, he narrows the focus by telling AI exactly where to go out and look for competitor information.

Please scour the web and analyze competitor websites, digital marketing campaigns, social media strategies, and industry news to uncover innovative lead-gen tactics. This could include the use of advanced automation, data-driven personalization, or multichannel outreach strategies that are enabling competitors to attract and convert leads more effectively.

Why it matters: Specific inputs increase the chances of actionable outputs. This section gives AI its guardrails and prevents it from going where it shouldn't.

3. Provide examples and tie in lead generation 

Now, René includes a few proven angles to steer the AI towards context around lead gen (which is directly related to what he's selling). 

First, identify areas where competitors have captured a larger share of the market by optimizing their sales funnels, implementing more efficient lead-nurturing techniques, or leveraging cutting-edge technology to increase the quality and quantity of their leads. Analyze how competitors are turning these lead-gen successes into market share gains. Explore whether competitors are adopting superior CRM systems, better tracking and conversion methods, or innovative account-based marketing (ABM) strategies. 

By synthesizing data from industry reports, social listening, and online resources like {{account.website_url}} and {{contact.linkedin_url}}, pinpoint areas where {{account.company}} is vulnerable and provide actionable insights for {{contact.first_name}} to reclaim or expand their share of the market. Explore the URL of the competitors.

Why it matters: Not only do the examples in the prompt help clarify the kind of output you’re expecting, asking AI to analyze how competitors are turning these lead gen successes into actual gains saves time on manual analysis.

4. Add the contact’s information 

To make the output personalized, René includes some important details about the prospect themselves — again, using dynamic variables to tell AI exactly who he’s talking about.

Ensure that the information keeps in mind how long {{contact.first_name}} {{contact.last_name}} has been in their role, using their {{contact.linkedin_url}}, to add urgency to the message and further positions us as an intimate ally of our prospect. 

Why it matters: Personalized context — like role, tenure, and even their LinkedIn presence — transforms generic messaging into something that feels directly relevant and urgent. It shows the prospect you’ve done your homework, strengthens trust, and creates a deeper sense of alignment.

5. Ensure relevance    

Lastly, René reminds the AI tool to focus on relevant details, which is always worth reiterating. He wants the kind of information that stops prospects in their tracks. 

All of the dynamic competitor information should be astonishing and relevant points.

Why it matters: This section filters out irrelevant or lackluster findings that would otherwise take time to manually sift through. 

✨ Bonus tip: If you’re wondering where to use this research within your outbound sequence, René usually uses it within the final email of a sequence. “Think of it as your last hurrah,” he says. Another option is to use it as the basis of your “B” content in an A/B test. 

Deeper insights, more leads, and a scalable process 

After weaving the AI-generated insights into the final emails of his outreach sequence, René saw a pattern emerge: one qualified lead came in, then another. And then another.

“I consistently booked the most meetings after the third and final email — the one with the insights from my dynamic competitor advantage prompt,” René says.

One of those leads recently converted into a closed-won deal, bringing in $72,000 in annual recurring revenue.

Here’s the AI-assisted email that closed the deal:

Cheeky, specific, and, as it turns out, very profitable...

Speaking to René about his success, he also credits the fact that he used a multichannel approach (which Apollo data also proves increases your chances of booking a meeting by 26%). With AI doing the research, he had more time to create a structured outbound play that leveraged phone, email, and LinkedIn touchpoints. 

“When I trust AI outputs in my emails…that’s 100% when I get the most replies,” says René. 

By cutting out hours of research, sales teams can quickly uncover how a prospect’s competitors are winning in lead generation, craft messages that convert, and still have time left over to build the deep, personalized connections that truly make an impact.

We don't want to give you FOMO, too...

We made the prompt into a one-click template that you an use here, free.