By Pranjalee Lahri | 25 March 2024
10 positioning myths busted!
In a crowded marketplace with hundreds and thousands of products and services in any given category, and rising feature-parity, positioning helps you stand out from competitors.
As Founders, you know this philosophically and theoretically. But very few actually close the gap between theory and reality.
What transpires then is teams fussing about the right creative, the right tactic and the right strategy. While forgetting that without grounding it in positioning, we are not giving our best-fit customers a pointed lens to look through; something that distinguishes us from the myriad of brands/ products/ services that are ‘just like us’. Leaving them with a scattered view of what may be left to “their interpretation” through “their worldview”.
Here are some common Positioning myths that trip the best of B2B Founders:
1. We think of positioning as a good-to-have and not a must-have
Let’s be honest. Our already stretched bandwidth and a plate overflowing with to-dos is not exactly conducive to ‘making room’ for something not deemed as a non-negotiable.
Solution: As the Founder, it’s your job to (re)establish the importance of aligning your messaging to the positioning (assuming there is one). Else, take the lead in the creation exercise and popularize it within your team (and extended teams like Sales, CS, PreSales) too.
2. We try to pack it all
Least we leave out some important feature or benefit, we string a mouthful of words that don’t exactly convey ‘what we do, who we serve, what does our audience value and why we are unique’.
Solution: Instead of trying to be everything for everyone, be the special something for someone. Focusing on the exact Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) ICP also forces us to highlight finite and hyper relevant details.
3. We assume it’s something that happens only in workshops
We all love April Dunford’s work. But we also love the idea of someone somewhere doing it for us.
Solution: Positioning is an all hands on deck activity, at least for your customer-facing teams. If your teams are not available to participate
4. We trade simplicity for creativity
Somewhere along the way in our marketing journey, we assumed the need to have a creative spin on everything. So we tongue twist sentences and add buzzwords to make them sound sexy.
Solution: Unlearn the notion that creative means better. Break complex sentences into easy to assimilate structures that convey the meaning accurately to your target audience.
5. We set and forget
For companies that have been around for 3+ years (or longer) the common narrative is ‘Oh, we had done this when we launched years back.’ However, as the market changes, your product evolves and your company scales, so does your ideal customer profile (ICP), the value you offer and your key differentiator. Your positioning needs to align to the new state.
Solution: Build a positioning refresh exercise into your marketing calendar. Use this opportunity to review your external comms – talk to Sales, analyse your website, interview your customers to ascertain if the messaging (derived from the existing positioning) is landing as expected. If not, rinse and repeat.
6. We think it’s only for big brands
If you believe that positioning is only meant for large, well-established brands with extensive marketing budgets you couldn’t be further away from the truth. Positioning is MORE important for early-stage startups as it can serve as a powerful tool for carving out a distinct identity, and compete effectively.
Solution: Build a marketing culture that is solid on foundations. Encourage your customer-facing teams to be better listeners and relay-ers of customer, market, and competitor landscape so you can make Positioning a part of your DNA.
7. We equate Positioning with messaging/ tagline
While a tagline can be part of your brand’s positioning strategy, true positioning goes much deeper. It involves defining the unique space your brand occupies in the minds of consumers relative to your competitors.
Solution: Outsource copywriting work to a consultant who can not only identify your best-fit customers but develop a compelling message through your website and sales deck.
8. We deprioritize it because we think ‘it can wait’
You need to prioritize positioning as early as possible – if you are a startup, ideally during the early stages of product or service ideation.
Solution: Start small. Even if you don’t have enough data/ sample size to identify patterns, use the anecdotal and qualitative information you and your teams collect on-ground to flesh out your positioning.
9. We assume it’s only for products
Yes, product positioning for tech/SaaS products is more common. But that doesn’t mean services firms can’t and shouldn’t do positioning. As a matter of fact, because, unlike products, services are intangible that people literally have a difficult time grasping, service firms need to nail their positioning all the more.
10. We expect overnight results
Positioning alone does not guarantee success in the market. While a strong positioning strategy is essential, it must be supported by effective execution, product quality, customer service, and ongoing marketing efforts to achieve sustainable business growth and success.