How to do Product Positioning
The apex of all strategy is to determine your unique distinctive competence (unique value proposition)–your product positioning. For a CEO/VP Marketing, the product is the “Company.” At the Product Management Level, the product is the Product line. Positioning answers the question, “Why would anyone want to buy ‘us’” It starts with us, since they have to buy off on the company, then the individual (both have to be credible), before they decide to buy the actual product (or service)–so all three have to be addressed.
The best way to launch your product is to position it “before” it is developed—by building your selling hooks (the biggest problem solved) into the product in advance. However, if you inherited a “me too” product, you MUST find (and articulate) a unique position before the launch materials (or you have nothing to promote!).
Video: How to Position Your Product, De-position and CRUSH the Competition
Rather than list all the processes for product positioning, it will be more interesting to watch the Chanimal video that has been presented live within several webinars (SoftwareCEO charged more than 50 companies $299 each to attend (over $14,000 an hour)–and this is updated material). Following is the promotional copy for the webinar. Feel free to read it, then sit back, grab a snack or lunch and watch the video.
Below was the Promo for this product positioning video
This presentation is for EVERYONE that wants to succeed in anything–period.
Why? If you have a resume, it has to “position” you as the best candidate to get the job. If you are the CEO or VP of Marketing, your product is “the company” and it’s overall offering and benefit (the brand) has to be self-evident. If you are a product manager–you better learn how to build the best-positioned product, since you have the greatest influence. If you are a salesperson, or a channel manager (that leads dozens to thousands of salespeople (re-”sell”ers)–you have to know how to leverage the strength of your product (and teach others (your partners)) so you can crush the competition–and win the deal, get the big house, the cutest spouse (with a pile of cute kids) and drink strawberry daiquiris in the Bahamas (I did–see Facebook photos).
I was once interviewed by the CMO of a popular software company. Some of his questions were frankly stupid. I finally just stopped and asked him what he was trying to find out. He said he was trying to see if I could think strategically. I replied that anyone can think strategically–if they have the time (and aren’t killed with tactics) and if they know and follow the process. The greatest strategy for a product is a clear path to the money trail–show me the money! He disagreed. But then again, I thought he was clueless–obviously, he didn’t know the process or how to teach it.
Anyone can think strategically, and now I’ll show you how.
You Will Learn
In this presentation you’ll learn:
- How and why to position your product before it is developed
- How to position your product after it is developed (which is usually the case) – it is called, “Reality Therapy” (it is what it is (get over it)… now sell it/market it anyway)
- You’ll hear creative positioning approaches and case studies showing: Then you’ll learn how to first segment, then differentiate, then CRUSH the few remaining players
- How the “family” of products was the advantage (and “me too” was turned into product roadkill)
- How the industry best practice was flipped to become the worst practice (de-positioning everyone at once)
- How “two” features of an inferior product were enough to obliterate the much larger competitor (and win a 20,000 unit deal)
- How the “Business Case” was the ultimate differentiator–and won $1.3 billion dollar deal!
- How “Job Security” was the product positioning–not the technical bits and bytes
- You’ll also learn the tools of positioning, including the competitive matrix (Tom Cruise Chart), the Gartner Magic What? (positioning quadrants), and Venn Diagrams (Amway circles)
- From here, you’ll learn how to visualize the strength of your positioning and create the 3-5 key differentiators that carry your argument
- Finally, you’ll learn how to solidify and then articulate your positioning using the persuasive format
What You Get
All attendees will get the “Chanimal Positioning Kit,” which includes a detailed plan of action, the workshop PowerPoint, instructions for the fastest matrix possible, the persuasive format, samples, and more samples. It’s all good stuff.
None of this is magic–but it will feel like it and give you the tools to persuade any qualified prospect that they would be an absolute FOOL not to consider your product (unless they are a fool–then nothing works). In fact, if you ever talk about your product (to the public, a customer, management or anyone) and you don’t know this information–then you are flailingly disarmed and deserve what you get (usually a boot to the head!).
Nothing Boring Allowed
Come join me–always fun, always fast, always informative, but more so persuasive… and this content is critical to your success.
Walk into the meeting (ok, Webinar) as an average person–walkout as a positioning genius, capable of creating the next revolution (at least within your realm (whether ant-sized or global))–you can’t miss this meeting. Besides, if your competitor attends–and you don’t… BAM–boot to the head!!
See you there!
Tiger Ted (aka Chanimal)
P.S. See BIO for why I am qualified to teach this stuff (wrote marketing plan and positioned Netscape, helped form Red Storm Entertainment with noted author Tom Clancy, Sr. VP at Motorola (sat on marketing board & over strategy), VP marketing at $130 billion GE, (affected 290%, 690%, 620%, and over 2,700% growth). You get it–this stuff works, now learn it, follow it and prove that clueless CMO wrong!!)
Additional Resources
For additional information on product positioning:
- The Softletter Company and Product Positioning Workbook for High-Technology, by Rick Chapman (author of The Product Marketing Manager’s Handbook for Software–Chanimal’s #1 Choice for High-Tech Marketing books).
- Positioning The Battle for Your Mind, by Al Ries and Jack Trout. Excellent examples of product positioning–a must read.
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