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Strategy9 minDec 2024

Why Your Positioning Sucks (And How to Fix It)

The Positioning Problem

Your product is good. Your team is solid. But nobody's buying.

The problem? Your positioning sucks.

Most founders position their product by listing features. "We're a CRM with AI and automation." Nobody cares.

What Good Positioning Looks Like

Good positioning answers three questions:

  1. Who is this for?
  2. What problem does it solve?
  3. Why is it different?

Example: "For B2B SaaS founders who want to scale without hiring a full marketing team, we're a done-for-you marketing service that combines strategy and execution."

That's positioning. It's specific. It's clear. It's different.

The Positioning Framework

Step 1: Define Your Beachhead Market

Who is your ideal customer? Not "anyone." Specific. B2B SaaS founders. E-commerce brands. Agencies. Pick one.

Step 2: Identify Their Core Problem

What keeps them up at night? What are they struggling with? What would they pay to solve?

Step 3: Find Your Unique Angle

How are you different? Not better. Different. What's your unfair advantage?

Step 4: Craft Your Positioning Statement

"For [customer], we're [category] that [unique benefit]."

Positioning Examples

Bad: "We're a project management tool with AI."

Good: "For remote teams that hate meetings, we're the async project management tool that keeps everyone aligned without the Zoom calls."

Bad: "We're a marketing platform."

Good: "For B2B SaaS founders, we're the done-for-you marketing service that combines strategy and execution to hit your revenue goals."

Testing Your Positioning

Your positioning is good when:

  • People immediately understand what you do
  • People immediately know if it's for them
  • People remember you differently than competitors
  • People are willing to pay for it

Common Positioning Mistakes

Mistake 1: Too broad. "For anyone who wants to be more productive." Too vague.

Mistake 2: Feature-focused. "We have AI and automation." Nobody cares about features.

Mistake 3: Me-too positioning. "We're like Slack but better." You're not better. You're just the same.

Mistake 4: Changing too often. Pick a positioning and stick with it for 6 months.

The Bottom Line

Good positioning is specific, clear, and different. It answers who, what, and why. It makes your ideal customer say "that's exactly what I need."

Fix your positioning. Everything else gets easier.