What should a competitor analysis presentation answer?
Start your presentation with a decision question. For example: “Which area of differentiation should we test first in our online appointment product for small businesses?” This question helps you choose which competitors and criteria to include. The framework here is a working suggestion; it does not mean there is one format that works for every presentation.
Define competitors and scope
First, define the target customer and the product or service you are comparing. Consider separately direct competitors that offer similar products or services and indirect competitors that can meet the same customer need with a different solution. If you include an option, explain how it relates to the decision question or target customer.
Kent State LaunchNET’s competitor analysis template and guidelines recommend comparing up to three direct and up to three indirect competitors in the matrix, adapting the factors to the industry, and considering market share when selecting competitors. This is a scope recommendation for that template, not a required number for every analysis. Also state the scope of your presentation’s research: which options you examined, in what geographic area and date range, and using which types of sources?
Choose comparison criteria
Connect the criteria to the decision question and, wherever possible, define them consistently for all options. Depending on the product, you might examine pricing approach, core features, user flow, support channels, target customer, or the benefits emphasized in the product’s messaging. These are possible categories; you do not need to use them all. For each criterion, ask, “Which decision could this information affect?”
For example, “easy to use” is unclear on its own. Where appropriate, record the steps you observed while completing a specific task; state what you observed and under what conditions you tried it. If you cannot access the information, write “could not be verified in the sources reviewed” rather than filling in the cell with a guess. This wording means you could not verify it in the sources you used, not that the feature is absent.
Show the basis for your findings
Add the type of source supporting each finding and the date you checked it. Public product pages, help documents, and pricing information are examples of sources you might consult in your research; check the scope and currency of the information you obtain from them. If you used different sources for different competitors, do not conceal that; explain the limits of the comparison.
Cornell’s 2013 teaching material on competitor analysis lists the aims of identifying and profiling competitors, examining their goals and strategies, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, and considering the threats they could pose and their possible responses. This source can be used as a methodological framework; on its own, it does not provide current competitor information.
Example: a three-slide presentation flow
The scenario below, including the company names and observations, is entirely hypothetical; it makes no claims about real products or market data. The aim is to choose an initial area to test for an online appointment product for small businesses.
Slide 1 — Decision and scope: Write the decision question as, “Which customer need will we test in the first release?” Define the target audience as “appointment-based businesses with few employees.” Identify A and B as direct competitors and C as an indirect solution. State the research date range and whether it was limited to publicly available information.
Slide 2 — Comparison matrix: Use “appointment-booking steps,” “reminder option,” “setup required to get started,” and “clarity of pricing information” as criteria. Include your own product and A, B, and C as columns. Hypothetical observation: for A, write “reminders available”; for B, “could not be verified in the sources reviewed”; and for C, “appointments by phone.” Add the observation or source behind each note.
Slide 3 — From findings to decision: Present the recommendation, “Let’s focus the first test on the appointment-creation and reminder flow; let’s also verify setup ease in user interviews.” Frame this not as a definitive performance judgment about competitors, but as a next step that depends on the assumptions in the example scenario. Also show the questions that remain open.
LaunchNET notes that a table or chart can be used to compare competitors in a pitch presentation. Adapt the matrix format to your decision. If you need additional criteria specific to social media, see how to prepare a social media competitor analysis presentation.
Present findings clearly and with decisions in mind
As a practical presentation choice, consider putting one main takeaway on each slide and avoiding cramming too many criteria onto the main slides. You can keep the detailed inventory in an appendix and highlight findings relevant to the decision question. If you use colors or icons, explain what they mean. Instead of unqualified judgments such as “better,” use wording that states the observation and its basis. Keeping the date checked visible for pricing or feature information may help you determine later which data to review again.
Final checklist
- The presentation answers a specific decision question.
- Direct and indirect competitors are identified, with reasons for selecting them.
- The criteria are relevant to the decision and target customer, and are defined consistently across options.
- The source type and date checked are stated for findings.
- Information that could not be verified is not presented as definitive proof of absence.
- The hypothetical example is clearly distinguished from actual findings.
- The basis for recommendations and the questions that remain open are visible.
Frequently asked questions
How many competitors should I compare?
There is no fixed number that applies to every presentation. Include enough options to explain the decision question. Up to three direct and up to three indirect competitors in the LaunchNET template is a scope recommendation for that template. If there are more options, consider showing the ones most relevant to the decision in the main presentation and putting the others in an appendix.
What should I write if I can’t find information about a competitor?
Write “could not be verified in the sources reviewed” and record which sources you checked and when. This wording describes only the scope of your research; it does not prove that the information is unavailable elsewhere or that the feature does not exist.
Should I use scoring in the presentation?
Scoring is not required. If you choose to use it, explain the scale and the basis for the scores; if the bases are not comparable, consider presenting qualitative observations instead of scores.
If you want to connect the work to broader periodic decisions, you can also see the guide to preparing a quarterly business review presentation.
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