Literature/202603010905 defining positioning

<ul> <li>Source: [[<a class="litnote tooltip" href="/literature/@ghanadan2025">@ghanadan2025<span class="tooltiptext">Not Buying It: The Art of Selling to Scientists, Doctors, and Other Professional Skeptics</span></a>]]</li> <li>Tags: <a href="/tags/value-proposition">#value-proposition</a> <a href="/tags/value-generation">#value-generation</a> <a href="/tags/sales">#sales</a> </li> </ul> <p>Once the segments are clear (<a class="wikilink" href="/literature/202603010904_properly_segmenting_the_market/">202603010904 Properly segmenting the market</a>) we have to find a way of developing a <a class="wikilink" href="/value_proposition/">Value proposition</a> that offers clear positioning for each group. </p> <p><strong>Positioning</strong> consists of 3 things: - <strong>Formal positioning statement</strong>, which is rigorous and should contain all the relevant information that describes how the offering is situated in the marketplace. - <strong>Value proposition</strong>, is the central statement that describes the value of an offering to an audience. - <strong>Core claims to value</strong>, are supporting proof-points that substantiate the value proposition. </p> <h2>Formal positioning statement</h2> <p><strong>For</strong> (<em>audience</em>) <strong>Who need</strong> (independent of the offering), <strong>The</strong> (offering name and category), <strong>provides</strong> (benefit), <strong>Unlike</strong> (competitive forces), <strong>offering</strong> (is different in a unique way). </p> <blockquote> <p>Marketing and sales efforts based on a deep understanding of the audience's needs will be much more effective than company-centric and self-serving efforts. Technical professionals recognize and reward this effort with their attention and engagement. </p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Category design</strong> means creating a category based on a new offering. However, this is normally much more difficult than using well defined categories. </p> <p><strong>Benefits</strong> are the answers to the audience's pains. </p> <p><strong>Competitive forces</strong> are so much more than direct competing products. It is workflows, alternative protocols, etc. </p> <p><strong>Differentiator</strong>, what makes the offering unique. There has to be something that allows to distinguish this product from the others. It's more <strong>art than science</strong>. </p> <h2>Value proposition</h2> <blockquote> <p>We are the only [X] that solves [Y] in a unique [Z] way. </p> </blockquote> <p>The value proposition should guide the audience to form a hypothesis for themselves about how to satisfy their need. </p> <h2>Core claims to value</h2> <p>Supporting proof points that validate your value proposition. They are not raw specs, but explanations, connecting product features to audience benefit.</p>