Instead of positioning against direct competitors in a saturated category, frame your message against what your customer is *actually* using today. A DAM tool resonated better when it shifted messaging from being a "better DAM" to helping users "move on from Dropbox and Drive."

Marketers over-index on crafting the perfect positioning framework. The real work is in collaborating with sales and demand gen to ensure the messaging is understood, tested, and consistently used across the company.

Don't rely on LLMs for core positioning. They are trained on public data and can't know who your sales team actually competes against in deals or the nuanced "status quo" alternatives customers use. This internal, non-public context is the essential starting point for effective positioning.

While most competitors focus on solving immediate problems, superior positioning frames your offering as a vehicle for transformation. Communicate a clear roadmap from the customer's current state to a desired future destination. This elevates your value beyond features and creates a more compelling narrative.

Startups often create positioning that makes logical sense and clearly describes product features. Customers may even nod in agreement and say they understand it. However, if this messaging is based on benefits instead of the root cause of their problem, it won't compel them to purchase, leading to frustratingly polite rejections.

For companies with multiple products, positioning cannot begin until the go-to-market strategy is set. You must first decide if you have a lead "wedge" product with add-ons (like early Salesforce) or if you're selling an integrated platform. This foundational business decision precedes any messaging work.

Do not confuse positioning with product strategy. Strategy is the multi-year plan for what to build. Positioning is a tactical exercise to win against current competitors with the product you have right now. Positioning evolves as your strategy progresses.

To successfully position your product, first determine the core beliefs a customer must adopt or abandon. If a prospect's existing mindset is incompatible with your value proposition, they will fail to see your unique worth. The sales process must focus on shifting these fundamental beliefs to unlock your value.

Repositioning a product from a desktop tool to an embeddable database illustrates that a true positioning shift impacts everything: sales strategy (direct vs. web), pricing (bulk vs. single), the product roadmap, and even the fundamental structure of the company.