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Developing Strategy with TAS Competitive Analysis

The Competitive Analysis view helps sales professionals to develop competitive strategy. For each competitor, the sales team can evaluate strengths and weaknesses and anticipate the competitor's strategy. The view also help the sales team to assess its own position against the competitor and to refine its strategy to win the deal.

Use the TAS Coach to help you establish your sales strategy. TAS Coach provides recommendations based on the information you enter.

NOTE:  If you use the TAS Coach to refine your strategy, enter information in the Our Competitive Strategy field. If you are analyzing a competitor's strategy, enter the information in the Competitors list.

When you determine what your strategy will be, enter a summary in the Our Competitive Strategy text field in the Competitive Analysis view.

To add competitive analysis information

1. Navigate to the Opportunities screen > List view.
2. Drill down on an opportunity record.
3. Click the Target Account Selling view tab.
4. In the lower link bar, click Competitive Analysis.
5. In the Competitors list, create a new record and complete the necessary fields.

   After you have analyzed your competitors, you determine the strategy you will take in the deal. Enter your strategy, based on what you think the competitor will do, in the Our Competitive Strategy field.

Using the TAS Coach for Competitive Analysis

The TAS Coach can help you develop a competitive strategy after you have completed the TAS Assessment for your company and competitors. You can also answer TAS Coach questions from your competitors' perspective to help you anticipate the strategy that competitors are likely to take. You may need to refer to your assessment criteria ratings during a TAS Coach session, and may want to review or print the assessments before starting. See Creating TAS Opportunity Plan and Initial Plan Reports.

To use the TAS Coach for competitive analysis

1. Navigate to the Opportunities screen > List view.
2. Drill down on an opportunity record.
3. Click the Target Account Selling view tab.
4. In the lower link bar, click Competitive Analysis.
5. In the Competitive Strategy form, click TAS Coach.

   The TAS Coach screen appears, as shown in the following figure, detailing strategy types such as Fragment, Frontal, and Disengage, and includes a description of how to use the TAS coach.
6. During the TAS Coach session, answer each question presented, and then click the Continue hyperlink to proceed to the next question.

   During the session, an interim evaluation of each answer is provided, outlining the relevant issues that you must consider.

   Click the Back hyperlink to return to a previous question.

   At the conclusion of the session, TAS Coach recommends the type of strategy to take.

7. At the TAS Coach Recommends screen, drill down on the Click here for variations hyperlink for additional strategy options.
8. When you complete the TAS Coach session and review the TAS Coach recommendation, click the Back arrow to return to the Competitive Analysis view.
9. Enter the strategy you will take in the Our Competitive Strategy field.