Your positioning impacts every aspect of your business: from what you sell and how you sell it, to who you sell it to and who you compete with.
More than just defining your market space, positioning clarifies how you stand apart from your competitors through a compelling narrative that is clear, authentic, and compelling.
As your B2B SaaS company scales in an ever-evolving market, alignment across your teams—sales, marketing, customer success, and product development—is crucial.
This blog will guide you through one of the most critical aspects of differentiation: moving beyond the word "unique" to define the special combination of offerings that create unique value for your customers.
“Your product team can help you ensure the differentiation points are authentic to the experience of using your product or service. Sales will help make sure it’s aligned with the value your customers want to create and the obstacles they face. Marketing will make sure all of the above is clear, compelling, and consistent. That’s the sweet spot.” – Bob Egner.
Break up with the word unique
The word unique can lead you on a relentless search for a "single defining feature" that none of your competitors have. Instead, what’s the specific combination of things we offer that unlocks a new kind of value for customers?
This combination, formula, or “special sauce” is how you differentiate. Remember, this isn’t just about product features—it can include your services, terms, or support you offer, going beyond the basics to the core of your company’s value.
Double down on alignment
Spend time ensuring alignment between your sales, marketing, customer success/support and product development teams. You’ll get your strongest positioning when your customers’ needs align with what your brand does best.
This alignment comes from deep understanding gained from your teams that directly engage with your customers, offering insights that go beyond mere features to the essence of your offerings.
As the diagram below shows, your approach shouldn’t just be about fighting against your competitors. When businesses fail to find their sweet spot, they can really miss the mark.
When it comes to your positioning, arguably the most important aspect is finding your sweet spot.
It all starts with understanding your customers: what tangible opportunity you offer them, what they want, and who specifically you’re really for, your so-called ideal customer profiles (ICP). (Read more about ICPs in our sales efficiency ebook .)
The better you can articulate these three things, the more successful your positioning is likely to be. This blog is a great place to start to tease out what’s really important (for you and your customers) – and how to distil what makes you truly stand out.
Want to know more about creating a first-rate B2B SaaS positioning?
Read our Positioning guide here.
We're Monterro, an investment firm (of the get-your-hands-dirty with strategy and operational support variety) that helps Nordic software companies hit their biggest growth goals.
