Hi Reader,Where does differentiation come from?Most people think it comes from the product.But product is largely just a bundle of features.Many would say it comes from comparing those features to competitors.But that would merely give you a list of differences.Some would say it comes from defining what those differences mean for customers.And when you do that, you may end up merely with a list of benefits.None of the above can help you differentiate in the true sense.True differentiation...
20 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader,What's the difference between positioning that looks great and positioning that works great?Should you create a category because you hate to blend in?Should you call a spade a spade because that's what customers understand?Is there a third way out?This week I break down the nuances that distinguish great positioning from the rest.- Average positioning is based on how you see your product (e.g. We are a Customer Lifecycle Cloud, not a CRM)- Good positioning is based on how your...
27 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader,Three concepts that effectively lie one inside the other, but are distinct...Positioning. Product marketing. Solution sales.I have seen many B2B SaaS founders struggle to pinpoint where one thing ends and the other begins. Knowing the distinctions is important because each solves a slightly different problem, though they all work together to help you make the sale.Positioning helps you differentiate value - and helps buyers eliminate options.Product marketing helps you create...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader,Different personas care about different things...Then how do you please everyone in the same messaging? The solution lies in the problem.Persona A cares about X.Persona B cares about Y.Value prop = X without losing Y!In this guide, I share the secret to craft multi-persona messaging, my antidote for B2B SaaS products that touch many profiles on the org chart.The secret = "Capture the tension".Check out the full guide with real-world (anonymised) examples.
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader,Many B2B SaaS products serve multiple verticals and revenue bands.This can make it crazy difficult to create a top-level ICP.But with some lateral thinking, it is not impossible!Let me share a few examples from my client projectsExample 1: Relationship-driven servicesExample 2: Slack-using remote teamsExample 3: Subscription businessesEach of the above examples covers multiple verticals and revenue bands, yet is very specific.This is the kind of balance B2B SaaS positioning often...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader,A guy in India buys a bike called "rebel".A family buys a certain car because they are "nuclear".A nation votes for a party because it feels "endangered".In each of these examples, a decision is taken by an individual or a group, based on what they think about "themselves".What if you too, could zero down on your customer's self-concept, when positioning your product?It would be much easier then, for them to appreciate why to choose you over other options.So how do you do it in B2B...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader,Your marketing muscle works according to your marketing assumptions.And there are three errors of judgement that most B2B SaaS founders make, time and again.Let's look at them:Error #1: Thinking that the goal of marketing is to make selling easier.When you think that way, you position your products according to your ego. So that you feel good about selling your product. However, the real goal of marketing is to make buying easier - so buyers can easily find you, evaluate you, and...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader,If all you had to tell your buyers was about your product and your company, then why would you show or send them a deck?Why wouldn't you instead send them to your website?After all, it is much more interactive, updated, and immune to random edits!And gives your buyers much more autonomy over what they want to read (or skip).The job of a sales deck is to present an argument, to answer the question why choose you over others.That job doesn't require credentials or clientele or...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader,We keep chanting this term. We keep saying we need to position the product.But we don't realise the folly of saying this. 👉 It assumes that product is what customers buy. In reality, what the customers buy is a story about themselves. This should make us think whether we should position the product....or the customer?
5 months ago • 1 min read