Using Battle Cards to Sharpen Your Sales Messaging

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I share one of the most effective tools I have used to help businesses shape their messaging and support their sales teams. In the IT industry these are often called battle cards, used by companies like Dell and Lenovo to give sales reps key points on products, competitive comparisons, benefits, features, and common objections. I do not like the term because selling is not about defeating someone but about helping a prospect. The real value comes from the process of creating these cards. It forces you to clearly define the problems your product or service solves because people spend money to solve problems, not for features alone.

Once you know the problems, benefits, and features, compare your offer to competitors and prepare for the objections you will hear most often. Role playing helps deliver answers naturally and stress testing your responses makes the messaging stronger. Share the cards with your team and keep refining them. The goal is to create a clear, practiced, and consistent way to communicate why someone should choose you, focusing on solving problems and creating win-win outcomes.

When you practice with your team, push them with realistic and even difficult scenarios. Have someone play the role of a skeptical or uninterested prospect so that responses are tested under pressure. This builds confidence and ensures that in real conversations, your team is prepared for anything. The more you work through these exercises, the more natural and effective your delivery will be.

Battle cards are not a one-time effort. They should be reviewed and updated as products change, competition shifts, and new objections arise. By keeping them current and making them a living part of your sales process, you ensure that your messaging stays sharp, your team stays aligned, and your customers clearly understand the value you bring.