# A battlecard template you can fill in during one call

A four-part battlecard format with an objection, one-sentence answer, dated proof, next response, and a clearly fictional worked example.

URL: https://www.hiresteve.ai/blog/battlecards-sales-actually-uses/battlecard-template
Part of: A three-line battlecard format for live sales calls (https://www.hiresteve.ai/blog/battlecards-sales-actually-uses)
Updated: 2026-10-12

Four fields, in this order: the objection in the prospect's words, a
one-sentence answer, one dated proof point, and what the competitor says next.
Everything else is a research document wearing a battlecard's name.

## The template

| Field | What to write | Length |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Headline | [what the prospect actually said] | One quoted line |
| Answer | [the whole answer, with no setup] | One sentence |
| Proof | [one fact, with a date and a source] | One fact |
| They will say next | [the competitor's next response and your reply] | One line |

That is the whole thing. If a section needs two sentences, it is two cards.

## A worked example

The example below is fictional; the competitor, plans, prices and dates do not represent a real case.

### "They quoted us half"

**Answer.** Their quote covers monitoring only — alerting, the API and SSO are
on the tier above, so it is not a like-for-like half-price comparison.

**Proof.** Their pricing page moved SSO to Business on 2026-08-14 (verified
2026-09-06).

**They will say next.** That most teams do not need SSO in year one. Ask the
prospect when their security review is scheduled.

**Why the date is load-bearing**

A date does not make a claim true, but it shows when the source was checked.
That gives the rep a freshness cue and a reason to reopen the evidence before
repeating it.

## What to leave out

**Keep**

- The objection in the prospect's own words
- One sentence that answers it
- One dated, sourced fact
- The counter-move

**Cut**

- Feature matrices
- Funding and company history
- Anything below the fold
- Undated claims of any kind

## Where Steve fits

Steve can draft cards from cached competitor research and project resources
with source citations; source dates are retained when available. It saves card
configurations as project-scoped presets. Per-claim sources and validation status
apply to the `singleWithClaims` path, not every card type.

Resource updates and recent news can generate a proposed stale diff for classic
battlecards. A user must accept the proposal before the card changes.

## Frequently asked

### What should a battlecard never contain?

A feature matrix, company history, funding, and anything a rep would have to scroll to reach. All four are research outputs, not call aids.

### How many battlecards per competitor?

Create one card per recurring objection that has evidence behind it. One card covering every objection is the format this template replaces.

### Should reps be able to edit the card?

Yes. Let reps propose corrections, but do not treat edit history as proof that a card was opened. Use open data where available and ask sellers which cards they use.