“We’re also looking at others”What It Means. What to Say.
How to handle a prospect comparing competitors: what the prospect really means, how to recognise it, and replies that work, from Merdial’s built-in sales canon.
SEBy Samir El Barbary, Founder, Merdial·Updated
The short answer
“We’re also looking at others” usually means: they are actively evaluating alternatives and are testing how this one stacks up; a buying behaviour, not a no. A reply that works: “Smart to compare. When you line us up side by side, what's the one thing that will decide it for you?”
What it really means
They are actively evaluating alternatives and are testing how this one stacks up; a buying behaviour, not a no.
How to recognise it
What they say: "how are you different from X?", "we're also looking at…", "X quoted us less", a price question beside a competitor mention.
Most likely
mid-to-late discovery or presentation; closing meetings; when a competitor is named alongside a question.
Unlikely
when they have said they are not looking; in the first seconds of a cold call.
Replies that work
Compare on what matters to them
Set the criteria of the comparison before the comparison happens; their priorities, ranked, not a feature table.
Welcome the comparison; it means they are buying.
Ask what will decide it for them.
Speak to their top criterion only.
Say it like this
“Smart to compare. When you line us up side by side, what's the one thing that will decide it for you?”
“Totally fair. What matters most in the choice, price, how fast the team adopts it, or the results?”
Avoid
A generic feature-by-feature comparison.
Disparaging the alternative.
Guessing their criteria instead of asking.
Differentiate from the incumbent
Find the gap their current solution leaves; respect the incumbent, then make the one difference that matters visible.
Respect the choice; never attack the incumbent.
Ask what they would improve about it if they could.
Connect one difference to that answer.
Say it like this
“Makes sense, they're a solid choice. If you could change one thing about how it works for you, what would it be?”
“Good to hear it's working. Is it doing everything you need, or is it more that switching would be a pain?”
Avoid
Criticising the competitor.
Claims about the competitor you cannot source.
Assuming they are unhappy.
How Merdial helps on a live call
In Merdial, your team reviews a reply for each challenge like this one, in your own voice. When a prospect says it on a call, real-time AI assist recognises it and puts that reply on the rep’s screen about a second later; the rep decides whether to use it. Each challenge carries competing versions, and they are tested on real calls, so the reply that actually moves calls forward is the one shown most.
Get these replies on screen during your own calls: $0, one seat, no card.
What does “We’re also looking at others” mean on a sales call?
They are actively evaluating alternatives and are testing how this one stacks up; a buying behaviour, not a no.
What should I say when a prospect says “We’re also looking at others”?
Try this: “Smart to compare. When you line us up side by side, what's the one thing that will decide it for you?” It works because it follows the move “Compare on what matters to them”: set the criteria of the comparison before the comparison happens; their priorities, ranked, not a feature table.
How do I know it is really “We’re also looking at others”?
Listen for "how are you different from X?", "we're also looking at…", "X quoted us less", a price question beside a competitor mention. It is most likely mid-to-late discovery or presentation; closing meetings; when a competitor is named alongside a question.
