Step One: Define Your Category and Audience

Start by explicitly stating:

What broad category you're in (e.g., "email marketing platform," "customer service software")

Your specific sub-category or focus (e.g., "for B2B SaaS companies," "for online retailers")

Key use case (e.g., "to automate sales outreach," "to manage customer support tickets")

Example format: "[Product] is a [category] for [specific audience] to [key use case]"

Step Two: Map Your Competitive Landscape

Don't try to position against every possible competitor. Instead:

List the 2-3 alternatives that actually show up in sales conversations

Document how customers currently solve the problem (including manual solutions)

Identify what specific capabilities make you different from these alternatives

Focus on current capabilities, not future promises

Step Three: Build Your Value Story

Instead of broad claims, focus on specific, measurable outcomes:

Replace abstract benefits ("improve efficiency") with concrete results ("reduce response time by 50%")

Include specific numbers from customer results

Structure outcomes as "from → to" statements

Lead with your strongest differentiated value proposition

Real example from AppCues: Instead of: "Get users to their aha moment faster" Use: "Customers see 30% faster product adoption in the first 30 days"

Step Four: Test and Iterate

Before finalizing your positioning:

Run it by 5-10 target customers

Ask specific questions like:some text
- What type of company is this product for?
- What specific problem does it solve?
- Why would you choose this over alternatives?
- What questions are still unanswered?

Look for patterns in the feedback

Revise based on what's unclear or missing

Step Five: Maintain Consistency

Once you've established clear positioning:

Create a one-page positioning guide for your team

Include specific examples of how to talk about your product

Document what you're NOT (just as important as what you are)

Review and update quarterly based on market changes and customer feedback

The key is being ruthlessly specific. Every time you're tempted to broaden your positioning, ask yourself:

"Will this make it easier or harder for our ideal customer to understand our value?"

B2B Positioning: How to Stay Specific As You Scale