Survey · Market research
Competitor research survey template
Built for buyers who have just made a decision, including the ones who went elsewhere. It maps the shortlist and the criteria first, then asks one question that splits the path: buyers who chose you say what tipped it, buyers who chose a rival say what made that option the better fit, and anyone still deciding says what is holding them up.
Try it live
Try it as a respondent
Every question, and where it leads
The conversation
What a respondent is asked, in order.
You recently looked at a few options, us among them. Mind telling us how that comparison went? Honest answers help most.
What was your part in the decision?
Which other options did you look at? Include building it yourselves or sticking with what you had, if those were on the table.
Where did you do your research?
Rank what mattered most when you compared the options.
Compared with the other options, how did we come across on each of these?
Where did you end up?
What tipped the decision toward us?
Which option did you go with?
What made them the better fit for you?
Is there anything that would make you look at us again later?
What is holding the decision up, or made you hold off?
How clearly did our website explain what makes us different?
Could we get in touch with one or two follow-up questions?
What's the best email to reach you on?
Ends with
Thank you, that's exactly what we needed
The flow
Where each answer leads. Every route here is editable once the form is yours.
Single select
Long text
Multi select
Ranking
Matrix
Single select
Long text
Short text
Long text
Long text
Multi select
Opinion scale
Yes / No
What this template uses
- Single select
- Long text
- Multi select
- Ranking
- Matrix
- Short text
- Opinion scale
- Yes / No
- 6 branches
Questions to consider
- Which competitors do you expect to hear about, and do you want an open question so unexpected names still come up?
- Are you surveying buyers you won, buyers you lost, or both? The lost ones usually teach you more.
- Which criteria in the ranking match how your market actually buys?
- Who will follow up with the people who agree to a second conversation?
How to use the responses
Sort responses by outcome first, then read the ranking and the comparison grid for each group side by side. If lost buyers rank one criterion high and also rate you weaker on it, that is the gap to work on. Collect the competitor names from the open answers into one list, and treat any claim about a rival as a lead to check, not a fact to repeat. Export to CSV if you want to count patterns across a larger batch.
How to customize and share it
- 1Swap the ranking items and grid rows for the criteria your buyers really compare on, such as onboarding time or contract terms.
- 2Send the link within a few weeks of a decision, while the buyer still remembers the shortlist clearly.
- 3Add a hidden field for the deal or account so you can match each response to your own records.
Frequently asked questions
What should a competitor research survey ask?
Which alternatives the buyer considered, how they researched, what mattered most, and why they chose what they did. Ask where they ended up before asking why, so each buyer explains the decision they actually made.
Should I list competitor names in the survey?
Start with an open question so you learn names you did not expect. You can add a list later once you know which rivals come up most.
Who should I send a competitor survey to?
People who recently made a buying decision in your category, including those who chose someone else. Buyers you lost are harder to reach but give the most useful answers.
How do I keep the survey from feeling like a sales pitch?
Keep the wording neutral, ask about one thing at a time, and only ask for contact details at the end, from people who agree to a follow-up.