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The following post was written by Zach Golden, Consultant at Anova Consulting Group, a leading provider of B2B win loss analysis.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of closing a sale with a successful team effort, especially when up against a top competitor. But after the celebration fades, how often do teams have an accurate sense of which aspect of the offering or sales process resonated with the prospect?

Other times, when a top rival wins the day, negative emotions set in -- disbelief, disappointment, maybe even anger. Above all, the number one question facing organizations following a lost opportunity is: why did we lose?

You work hard to stay on top of your competitors’ moves. You sift through big and small changes alike, and analyze the data to identify trends and strategies. What then? One of the biggest challenges with making use of competitive intelligence is distributing that intel to the relevant stakeholders within your organization.

Competitive intelligence skills need to be honed and sharpened regularly. The field of competitive intelligence changes constantly, with new tactics and strategies popping up and “best practices” losing their effectiveness. The best way to stay ahead of the pack is to be constantly seeking out new learning opportunities.

Fortunately, there are many free resources available for those hoping to learn more about competitive intelligence. We have included sources that lay the groundwork for competitive and strategic intelligence, as well as frequently updated, modern resources to help maintain your edge as a lifelong CI learner. We have included books, organizations, blogs/epubs, online courses, and free CI tools to help you take your CI knowledge to the next level.

Would you like to be oblivious of your competitors? Of course not, though a world of blissful ignorance can sound appealing. No one wants to be blind-sided or overtaken by a competitor, no matter how big or small they may appear to be. Yet actually making the commitment - in terms of time or money - can be a difficult task, especially if and when it involves getting teammates and managers on board with the decision.