🔆 Take position or be positioned

I reflected on my experiences in the Enterprise Software space the past weekend, specifically what underpinned the periods of struggle.

I guess we all know the feeling

• Find quality leads in the market is tough
• The Sales process feels like a wind-force nine headwind
• Prospects default on opting for the safer choice. You lost again.
• Repeat

We often felt like a playball – thrown around without a grip on the game. 

We were being positioned: by prospects, competitors, and industry analysts.

Because we weren’t taking position ourselves, prospects made up their mind. Worse, competitors took advantage of it by positioning us in the most profitable way for them. 

Only when we became clear about who we were explicitly for and started to make a bold claim about how we could help them make a difference in a way no one else could things began to shift.

• The strong headwind turned into a refreshing tailwind.
• Resistance turned into becoming irresistible.
• The slack in the process turned into velocity.

Key takeaway: If you’re not providing clarity yourself – it will be created on your behalf. More often than not, that’s not in your favor.

Question for you to reflect upon

Could the success of your SaaS business be undermined because the market is positioning you? What if you’d correct that?