When someone asks about your product, mentioning a competitor can send them off to look at the competitor. I've done that myself while reading comparison pages.
That is why I'm careful about how much attention we give other businesses in our own message. I want someone to understand what we do, rather than leave with another brand name to investigate.
There are times a comparison helps. We use them in Clipflow because a familiar product can give someone a starting point for understanding the workflow we're talking about.
But I don't want to speak badly about the other business. It reflects on us, and it can distract from explaining our own work.
The other rule I keep alongside that is telling the truth. A comparison needs to help the person understand something accurately. If you're stretching what the other product does or what yours can do, you're creating a problem for the conversation that follows.
I don't think avoiding every reference to a competitor is realistic. People bring their existing tools and expectations into the decision. Sometimes you need to explain how your approach differs.
I just want a reason for making that reference. Does it clarify the problem, the workflow or the choice? Then make the comparison carefully and bring the conversation back to what you provide.
You're trying to give a potential customer enough understanding to decide. Keep the explanation useful, keep it truthful and avoid turning the other company into the main subject of your own sales conversation.
