The Secret Weapon in GTM Success? Killer Positioning
Learn why product positioning is the foundation of any go-to-market strategy and how to refine it for compelling messaging and GTM success.
Your team has spent months perfecting the product. The go-to-market (GTM) checklist is complete, the messaging fits the brand, and the marketing plan is airtight. Yet, deep down, there’s uncertainty—you can’t quite articulate what makes your product special in a sentence. Worse, you’re not entirely sure who your message will resonate with.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
Many great product launches fail, not because of bad products, but due to weak or vague positioning. Positioning isn’t just about catchy taglines or polished decks. It’s the foundation for every decision in your GTM strategy, from targeting and messaging to sales enablement and pricing.
The truth is, positioning isn’t a marketing task. It’s a strategic imperative that drives success across the board.
What Is Product Positioning, Really?
Product positioning is how you want your customers to perceive your product relative to alternatives in the market. It’s not just about what your product does—it’s about how it fits into the customer’s life and why they should care.
At its core, positioning answers three fundamental questions:
Who is this for? Your ideal buyer or target customer.
What category are we in? The market or context your product operates in.
Why should they pick us? The unique differentiators and benefits your product delivers.
Importantly, positioning ≠ messaging. Messaging stems from positioning, but positioning is the upstream strategic work that informs everything else, providing clarity on what to say and to whom.
A Simple Example
Canva positioned itself not as a design tool for professionals but as “design for everyone.” By focusing on non-designers like marketers, teachers, and small business owners, Canva created a new category of accessible design. This clarity of positioning is what made their marketing and product so effective.
Why Positioning Is the First Lever in GTM
Good positioning is like a compass for your GTM strategy. It ensures every decision aligns with a clear north star. Done well, it shapes every key element of GTM execution:
1. Messaging → Clarity
Positioning provides the foundation for your messaging. Without it, your communications risk being generic and uninspired. With clear positioning, your tagline, value props, and sales pitches resonate deeply with the target audience.
2. Targeting → ICP Alignment
Positioning sharpens your understanding of your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). It ensures that marketing and sales efforts focus on high-potential segments, reducing wasted effort and increasing efficiency.
3. Sales Enablement → Objection Handling
Clear positioning arms your sales team with the context they need to address objections. It gives them a framework to articulate what differentiates your product and why it’s the best choice for the customer.
4. Pricing → Perceived Value
Positioning influences how customers perceive the value of your product. Premium brands like Tesla or Allbirds command higher prices because of their clear, aspirational positioning.
As April Dunford explains in Obviously Awesome, “Positioning done right makes every downstream GTM activity easier.” Without it, even the best teams will struggle to execute effectively.
The 5 Pillars of Great Positioning
To craft powerful positioning, focus on these five pillars:
1. Target Customer
Who exactly is your product for? Be specific and avoid the temptation to say, “everyone.” Clear customer targeting ensures your positioning speaks directly to the right people.
2. Problem Context
What specific problem or need does your product solve for this audience? Define this problem through the customer’s eyes to make it relatable.
3. Product Category
What type of solution is your product? Are you part of an established category, or are you redefining it? Clear category definition helps customers immediately understand your product’s purpose.
4. Differentiators
What does your product do uniquely well that competitors can’t match? Highlighting your differentiators sets you apart and drives competitive advantage.
5. Proof
Why should customers believe you? Evidence like case studies, testimonials, or tangible outcomes helps build credibility.
Example in Action
Replit: Positioned as “the collaborative coding platform for developers,” Replit targets beginner to mid-level developers (target customer), solves the problem of complex and isolated coding environments (problem context), and differentiates with real-time collaboration features (differentiators).
Positioning Isn’t Static—It Evolves with GTM
Positioning isn’t a one-time exercise; it’s an evolving strategy that adapts as your product and market grow. Companies often need to refine their positioning at different stages of the GTM lifecycle:
1. Early-Stage (PMF):
Focus positioning on solving a narrow, urgent problem to find product-market fit.
2. Scaling:
Refine positioning to appeal to adjacent markets without losing focus on your core audience.
3. Expansion:
Update positioning to account for competitive signals, market shifts, or new innovations.
Real-World Example:
Notion started as a note-taking app but evolved its positioning into a “connected workspace,” targeting teams and collaboration—a broader, more scalable market.
How GenAI Tools Can Help You Shape & Test Positioning
AI tools can help you uncover insights, refine your messaging, and test positioning ideas quickly. Here’s how:
Summarize Customer Feedback
Use Claude or ChatGPT to analyze customer survey responses and extract common themes about pain points or desired outcomes.
Test Messaging Variants
Tools like Jasper and Writer help you experiment with different tones and wording that align with your positioning.
A/B Testing for Positioning Pages
Platforms like Mutiny and Google Optimize allow you to test landing page options to see how different positioning strategies resonate.
Product Positioning in Action
To refine your own positioning, try using this simple framework inspired by Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm:
For [target customer], who needs [problem context], [product name] is a [product category] that [differentiators]. Unlike [primary alternative], we [proof].
Example for an AI Compliance Platform
For regulated businesses seeking to streamline compliance workflows, ComplaAI is an AI-powered compliance platform that reduces paperwork by 60%. Unlike legacy tools, we integrate with existing systems and provide real-time monitoring.
From this framework, you can build:
Landing page messaging
SDR call scripts
Analyst briefing decks
Landing page messaging can be crafted using the framework to highlight the specific needs of your target customer, emphasize key differentiators, and clearly present the proof points that set your product apart from competitors. This ensures that visitors immediately understand how your product addresses their pain points.
SDR (Sales Development Representative) call scripts benefit from the structure by providing a clear narrative for engaging prospects. Using the framework, SDRs can focus conversations around the customer's challenges, the product's unique abilities, and why it outperforms alternatives—all while resonating with the target audience.
Analyst briefing decks also benefit greatly from this positioning framework. You can use it to succinctly articulate your product’s value in a way that aligns with industry trends and differentiates you in a competitive landscape. Providing strong proof points further strengthens your credibility among industry experts and stakeholders.
By leveraging this approach, you create a unified message that strengthens your product narrative across multiple key touchpoints.
Mistakes to Avoid
Trying to Be for Everyone: Diluted positioning doesn’t resonate with anyone.
Talking About Features, Not Context: Focus on the problem you're solving, not just the product specs.
Positioning Once and Forgetting: Updates are essential as markets shift and your business grows.
Thinking It’s Just a Slide Deck: Positioning should inform everything—messaging, targeting, and even product development.
Why Strong Positioning Is Your GTM North Star
Positioning isn’t just marketing—it’s the strategic compass that guides your entire GTM strategy. With clear positioning, every aspect of your business gains cohesion—your messaging sharpens, your targeting improves, and your product resonates more deeply with your audience.
Before your next product launch, take a closer look at your positioning. Does it answer the key questions? Does it differentiate your product effectively? If not, start from the basics.
And remember, successful positioning begins with your product team and your customers—not just with marketing.
CTA: Need help clarifying your positioning? Start by reflecting on your GTM strategy and your target audience. Or, explore tools like Copy.ai and ChatGPT to test ideas on the fly.
Additional Notes: Clarifying the Audience and Purpose of Product Positioning
Product positioning isn't limited to a single document or audience; rather, it’s a framework that serves multiple purposes for various stakeholders, both internal and external. Internally, product positioning provides a foundational guide for teams such as sales, marketing, and product development. For instance, the sales team can use this positioning to craft focused pitches that align with customer pain points and the product's unique benefits. Externally, it helps customers understand how your offering addresses their specific needs, highlighting its differentiation in the market.
Typically, product positioning can be shared through a combination of documents or materials—this might include a positioning statement, personas, value propositions, messaging frameworks, and go-to-market (GTM) playbooks. Each of these can be tailored for its primary user while maintaining consistency in the core positioning. By fostering alignment across teams and ensuring clarity for customers, it bridges the gap between your internal strategy and external communication, ensuring the message resonates universally.
Example of Internal and External Facing Product Positioning
Internal-Facing Positioning
For internal teams, such as sales, marketing, and product development, the product positioning focuses on equipping them with the tools and clarity needed to articulate the product’s value. For instance, an internal-facing messaging framework might emphasize key pain points the product solves, competitive differentiation, and detailed personas. Example elements might include:
Core Value Proposition: "Our platform reduces manual processes by 70%, allowing enterprise teams to focus on strategic growth."
Unique Differentiators: Highlight proprietary technology, speed, or enhanced security features for internal understanding.
Sales Enablement Points: "When speaking with mid-level managers, focus on how this product streamlines daily workflows."
External-Facing Positioning
For customers and external stakeholders, the focus is on tailoring the message for clarity, simplicity, and emotional impact. A go-to-market message might distill complex features into highly relatable benefits and outcomes. Example communication could include:
Customer-Centric Message: "Transform the way you work—cut down wasted time and achieve more with our intuitive platform."
Benefit-Driven Highlights: Focus on how the product will make life easier, save money, or align with customer values.
Brand Voice Consistency: Ensure the tone remains approachable and empathetic, connecting with the target audience on a personal level.
By maintaining strategic consistency while addressing specific contexts, product positioning seamlessly connects both internal team needs and external customer expectations.
TL;DR:
Product positioning isn’t just a marketing exercise—it’s the strategic core of your GTM success. When done right, it clarifies your messaging, sharpens ICP targeting, boosts sales enablement, and elevates perceived value. This blog breaks down what positioning really is, how to craft it using five key pillars, and how tools like GenAI can help refine and test it. Includes real-world examples (like Replit and Notion), a plug-and-play positioning framework, and common mistakes to avoid. If your GTM feels off, your positioning might be the root cause.