Before engaging resources in costly sales and marketing operations, it is important to address positioning issues. These answers will be used as the basis to shape effective messages, as well as to select the most appropriate (social and traditional) media that will be able to make all the difference. *Positioning: The way by which marketers attempt to create a distinct impression in the customer's mind (Wikipedia)

1. 7 KEYS TO CLEAR POSITIONING
Foundations Of Your Business Development Series

2. COMPONENTS OF CLEAR
POSITIONING*
Before engaging resources in costly sales and
marketing operations, it is important to address
positioning issues.
These answers will be used as the basis to shape
effective messages, as well as to select the most
appropriate (social and traditional) media that will
be able to make all the difference.
*Positioning: The way by which
marketers attempt to create a distinct
impression in the customer's mind
(Wikipedia)
Your
solution’s
attributes
Competitive
offerings
Target
needs

3. 1- IDENTIFY YOUR CORE TARGET
You have the best solution, technology, product or service.
But whom is it for?
Have you identified your target audience?
Most commonly, this corresponds to your regular and also most profitable
customers.
Can you specify its characteristics?
 Industry
 Geographical situation
 Company size
 Business function within the organization
Analyzing your existing customers and their specific sales history
will allow you to understand what your different business
development options are, as well as identify your most effective
options from a sales perspective.

4. 2- UNDERSTAND YOUR TARGET NEEDS
Can you explain what sorts of challenges your target audience faces, for
which your offering, technology, product or service provides a genuine
solution?
It is with this customer perspective that you will be able to
identify a relevant value proposition.
Being able to measure the costs that such challenges can represent for the
organization and/or for the manager you are talking to within the
organization is a useful means for calculating the return on investment for
your customer – an essential sales argument when budgetary controls are
increasing.
Your customers have no time to lose: they are looking for
concrete solutions to specific problems. Understanding their
concerns will allow you to shed light on the benefits of your
offering with the goal of solving them.

5. 3 – IDENTIFY YOUR COMPETITORS
It is necessary to consider direct and indirect competitors (all the
alternatives that are available for your target audience to solve their issue).
 Have you identified all potential solutions for your customers?
What if you don’t have any competitors?
 Are you responsible for your own market education costs?
 Can you afford it?
 Are you really sure there is a need?
Having an existing market is the sine qua none condition to
creating a sales approach. It will also require time to be fine-tuned
and yield significant results.

6. 4 – KNOW YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
Can you summarize in a few words that which you offer that your
competitors do not – which will make all the difference for your target
audience?
 In terms of your offering (features, services, methodology, pricing,
etc.)?
 In terms of your company (team, location, values, etc.)?
Knowing your competitive advantages is necessary for
communicating your differentiating factors for your target
audience to clarify offerings within complex markets.

7. 5 – FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS
It will always be more effective to build on your strong
points rather than trying to fix all your weaknesses!
It is better to identify potential customers for whom your strengths will be
the most beneficial.
Emphasizing the differentiating factors of your offering is
essential for standing out from your competitors and making
the difference.

8. 6 – CHOOSE (AND RENOUNCE)
Selecting the market focus that corresponds to your
competitive advantages is a way of generating results.
This can lead you to reduce your target to a specific kind of organization
(medium size vs. large companies, or government vs. public sector), or roles
within the organization.
These choices are not related to the functional capabilities of your solution,
but rather the current market conditions, including both the situation of
your competition and of your target audience (for example, because of a
particular regulation, a specific customer need can provide you with a new
opportunity in a dedicated industry).
Positioning must be tested against reality, as well as your
customers’ perception of your offering.

9. 7 – BE AUTHENTIC
Even within huge volumes of available information, authenticity can make all
the difference.
This is because it is often the condition for true relevancy that will be
appreciated by your target audience.
Your customers don’t believe in “marketing” anymore: the
simplicity and reality of your messages will be more
effective than promises without foundations.
Disguising reality is counterproductive: With the internet and
through word of mouth, these things will come to light at some
time or another.

10. 7 KEYS FOR A CLEAR POSITIONING
1. Identify your core target
2. Understand your target needs
3. Identify your competitors
4. Know your competitive advantages
5. Focus on your strengths
6. Choose (and renounce)
7. Be authentic

11. TO LEARN MORE
For follow-up
6 TIPS TO SUCCESSFULLY ORGANIZING YOUR OFFERING
See also our white paper
7 KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

12. IDENTIFY THE BEST
OPPORTUNITIES
We are experts in B-to-B product marketing and solution selling aimed at delivering business results
without over-utilizing resources.
Our approach is always operational and pragmatic: we provide the elements that are necessary for
your project and are adapted to your context.
Our solutions include five complementary and independent components:
1 2 3 4 Adaptation of the
Analysis of your
competitive
environment
and positioning.
Evaluation of
your offering’s
functional
architecture.
Creation of
qualification
profiles and key
messages.
Production of
web sites and
content
marketing
To learn more about our services and how we can help you, please contact us
marketing plan to
your target
objectives.
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