Key Factors for Successful Product Positioning

Most companies suck at launching products. They’re like Alice in Wonderland — chasing shiny objects and getting lost along the way. Here’s the 11-step process we perfected after 25 years of product launches (in a collaboration with Jason Oakley): 1. Competitive Research The key to great strategy is to look externally. Take notes on competitor's features and how they grow. Build a database so you can counter-position appropriately. 2. Segmentation A launch aimed at “everyone” will miss everyone. Instead, build a laser-focused Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Follow this chain of thought: What are they craving? → What frustrates them daily? → What job are they trying to accomplish? 3. Pricing & Packaging Even the smallest feature can have a ripple effect on your pricing and packaging. Don’t wait until launch week to figure this out. Before launching, assess things like: Will this be a paid feature or free? Who will get access? What’s the plan for feature gating? 4. Positioning Now it’s time to craft a message that resonates. Speak to their deeper desires, not just their immediate problems. Communicate the outcome your product delivers and why you’re different from the rest. 5. Assemble Your Launch Team You can’t do it alone, and you shouldn’t. A successful launch involves stakeholders across the company. Use the RACI framework to assign clear roles. 6. Clear Objectives Too many teams dive into a launch without defined goals. And that’s why they miss the mark. Set clear objectives and key results. 7. Distribution Channels Many teams fall into the trap of trying to be everywhere; LinkedIn, email, ads, you name it. Reality check: Most startups only have 1-2 effective distribution channels. Find yours and double down on it. 8. Launch Milestones Planning your entire launch around individual tasks will overwhelm you. Instead, focus on major milestones and build a work-back plan. Some key milestones to include: Early access launch → Customer launch → Kickoff meeting. 9. Bill of Materials Your Bill of Materials is the content engine of your launch. Focus on: → Writing the message they want to hear → Designing visuals that captivate and appeal to them → Creating email sequences tailored to every user flow 10. Sales & Customer Success Teams Too many launches fail because these teams are looped in at the last minute. Enable them early with a messaging deck, internal FAQs, and demo materials... And they’ll become powerful advocates for your product. 11. Launch Day Make sure everything is launched smoothly and on time. If you achieve early wins, be the first to celebrate them and rally the team. And don’t forget to keep pushing the momentum forward. There's much more in the deep dive: https://lnkd.in/eB7s6umA If you don't plan your launches, even the best products will fail.

Most companies have a huge blindspot in their messaging. And I mean messaging across channels, from talk tracks to website copy. That blindspot comes from one thing: Ignoring competitive alternatives in their positioning. Everyone has some sort of competitive intel but few use it for more than battlecards. I found a better way 👇 Here's how you can map competitive knowledge into your messaging: 1️⃣ It all starts with your audience You can't compete effectively if you don't know exactly who you're competing with. Sounds trivial but you'd be surprised how many teams get that wrong. Make sure you know who your 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 customer is. Not opportunistic. Not possible. Ideal. 2️⃣ Do your research Focus on GTM strategy, not on features. Who is the target audience? What use cases and pains are highlighted? What channels do they use? What's their rep? Who's talking about them? Features change quickly. Strategy and brand -- not so much. 3️⃣ Focus Put 1+2 together to know exactly what companies your ICP is actually considering. Not "the market", your 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁-𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 customers. The companies who don't have the same ICP as you are the ones that are easiest to dismiss. Not because they suck, but because their expertise is different types of teams. And this will show in their case studies, reviews, and in who's talking about them in communities. You just need to point that out and say why that matters. 4️⃣ List your distinct capabilities What makes you the mostest for your best customers. It might include a few product capabilities but also connectivity, security, incredible customer support SLAs, engaged customer community, etc. It's all fair game as long as it matters to your ICP. Be specific. Tie each of these to a customer pain, benefit and features. These will be useful later. 5️⃣ Stack it up Compare each competitor (or competitive alternative) to each of your distinct capabilities. Capability that doesn't exist with the competitors earns you a green box. Repeat for each capability with each competitor. ✅✅ Now you know: - what sets you apart holistically - where to draw buyers' attention And the best part: it's clear to your internal teams how to use this, from sales enablement and talk tracks to competitive campaigns and website messaging. ---------------- I started iterating on this thought process years ago when I was trying to build a competitive playbook that folks would actually use. Give it a try and lmk how it went 💪 But if you do need help, go to downtoat[dot]co ☎️

Nailing your positioning requires honesty. Not just about who you’re for, but why you win. This is the biggest pitfall of typical B2B positioning exercises. We let our haste and egos blind us to the real reasons we win (...and lose.) The default is to assume that all success and failure in the marketplace results from what our product does or does not do. But if you take a step back and read the room, you’ll very likely see that most of the time, factors other than product capabilities separate the winners from the losers. (I will follow up with a post giving examples of this. There are many.) With my clients, I like to look at four things. Capability, credibility, convenience, and cost. The capabilities the product unlocks for buyers and users, along with the features that unlock them, is where we start. But then we keep going. We think about the unique attributes that make us especially credible. We think about how our go-to-market and buying experience makes us especially convenient. We think about how our price, pricing model, and the tools and processes we displace or improve result in genuinely greater value relative to the cost of our product. Then, we distill down to the most meaningful, unique factors that set us apart and win deals. Doing this will make your positioning work harder. It will add some time and force you to confront realities you might not love. But I can say from experience, it’s enormously helpful.

🔍 Strategic Intelligence Beats Gut Feelings Every Time Competitive Analysis Isn’t Spying, It’s Strategic Positioning In business, it’s not enough to be “good” at what you do; you need to be positioned to win. Too many entrepreneurs are trying to grow their businesses in the dark, unaware of how their competitors operate, price, market, and deliver. The truth? If you're not analyzing your competition, you're handing them the advantage. Let me be clear, competitive analysis is not espionage. It’s strategy. It’s awareness. It’s your secret weapon for building a sustainable advantage. I’ve worked with businesses across dozens of industries, from $5K startups to $10M+ scale-ups, and the most profitable ones have one thing in common: They know exactly who they’re up against and how to outperform them. Here’s how top performers do it: 🚨 1. Know Their Market Position. What are your competitors claiming as their unique edge? Do you clearly counter it, or are you just another “me too” option? Study their branding, content, and offers. You’re not copying; you’re identifying your differentiation. 💰 2. Analyze Their Pricing & Value Stack. In retail wireless, I used to run pricing and offer comparisons every single week. Why? Because the market moved fast, and whoever responded fastest won the customers. Are you tracking how your pricing and offer actually compare to alternatives in your space? 🧲 3. Study Their Lead Generation & Sales Process. How do your top 3 competitors attract leads? What platforms do they advertise on? What’s their funnel? In one of our recent strategy sessions, we reverse-engineered a competitor’s funnel using only public pages and ads. We found 3 holes and created an offer that outsold them in 30 days. 📊 4. Monitor Their Customer Feedback. Want the best R&D? Read their reviews. Their 5-star reviews can tell you what’s working. Their 1-star reviews tell you where the opportunity is. At My Biz Coaches, we consistently employ this method to craft more effective offers with inherent market demand. 🎯 5. Create Your Counter Positioning. Apple didn’t try to be Microsoft. They positioned themselves against Microsoft. In your business, clarity wins. Tell your prospects why you're different and then back it up. Bottom line: Competitive analysis isn’t optional; it’s essential! The businesses that scale the fastest are those that understand the game they’re playing, know who they’re competing against, and craft a better strategy to win. If you’re not actively doing that, you’re not building a brand, you’re just reacting to one. #MyBizCoaches #BusinessConsulting #FractionalExecutives #StrategicGrowth #EntrepreneurTips

I reviewed 47 company websites last week. 43 of them said the exact same thing: "We deliver results." "We're innovative." "We put clients first." "We're industry leaders." 🙄 No wonder they're all fighting over the same clients. Here's what strong positioning actually looks like: ❌ "We're the best marketing agency" ✅ "We're the only agency that guarantees 50+ qualified leads in 90 days for B2B SaaS companies under $10M ARR" ❌ "We care about our clients" ✅ "We're the only firm that gives you a personal concierge to answer all of your questions and handle any issues that arise ❌ "We have a unique process" ✅ "We're the only consultancy that embeds a strategist in your team for 6 months" See the difference? Specific. Measurable. Ownable. Most businesses have NO IDEA how to position themselves. They think it's about: Being better Working harder Caring more Having experience It's not. It's about being the ONLY logical choice for a specific customer with a specific need. That's it. Want to know if your positioning sucks? I built a Brand Positioning Score quiz. 18 questions. 5 key areas. Instant results. Plus a roadmap to fix it. Because if you're competing on price... Your positioning is the problem. Link in comments. Or keep fighting for scraps with your competitors. Your choice. ✌🏼 #shftyourbrand