Quick Answer:
Developing a positioning statement is a 2-3 week strategic process, not a one-hour copywriting exercise. The goal is to create a single, internal-facing sentence that defines who you serve, the unique value you provide, and why you’re the credible choice. A good one is specific enough that it makes some potential customers say, “That’s not for me,” while making your ideal customers feel seen.
You’re staring at a blank page, cursor blinking. Your team needs clarity. Your marketing feels scattered. You know you need a North Star, so you Google “developing a positioning statement.” You find templates filled with brackets: [For target market] who [need], our [product] is a [category] that [benefit]. You fill it in. It sounds… fine. Generic, but fine. Then nothing changes. Why?
Because you just did the paperwork. You didn’t do the strategy. A real positioning statement isn’t a slogan for your website footer. It’s the foundational logic for every business decision you’ll make for the next three years. It answers the only question that matters in a crowded market: Why should anyone care?
Why Most developing a positioning statement Efforts Fail
Here is what most people get wrong. They treat positioning as an internal branding exercise. The CEO locks themselves in a room with the marketing head, they brainstorm some lofty adjectives—“innovative,” “premium,” “disruptive”—and call it a day. The resulting statement is a masterpiece of vague aspiration that pleases everyone in the boardroom and connects with no one in the market.
The real issue is not a lack of words. It’s a lack of ruthless choices. I’ve seen this pattern dozens of times. A B2B SaaS company will tell me their target is “growing small to medium businesses.” That’s not a target; that’s a demographic category from a census. A DTC brand will claim their benefit is “saving time and money.” Who doesn’t want that? You haven’t positioned anything; you’ve just stated universal human desires.
This failure has a direct, measurable cost. It leads to marketing that shouts into a void, product teams building features for no specific person, and sales teams chasing every lead that breathes. You burn budget faster because your message doesn’t stick. You’re competing on price because you haven’t given customers a better reason to choose you.
I sat with a founder a few years back who had a decent HR software product. His initial positioning was, “We help companies manage their people.” We looked at his pipeline. The successful deals were all with mid-sized tech companies with remote teams struggling with compliance across states. The deals that fell apart were with traditional manufacturers and large enterprises. His team wanted to “keep the door open” to those big enterprise deals. I asked him, “Are you funding a product for customers you win, or for the ones you lose?” He paused. That question changed the entire conversation. We repositioned solely around that specific remote-work compliance pain point for tech companies. In 18 months, his sales cycle shortened by 40% because he was now speaking directly to a known, acute problem.
What Actually Works
So what does work? It starts with accepting that strategy is sacrifice. Your positioning must be rooted in three concrete, evidence-based pillars: a specific customer avatar, a tangible market category, and a unique point of difference that you can own.
Start With Who You Actually Help
Forget broad demographics. You need a psychographic and behavioral snapshot. Don’t say “marketing directors.” Say “first-time marketing directors at Series B SaaS companies who are overwhelmed by martech stack complexity and are measured on pipeline contribution, not just leads.” This level of specificity comes from interviewing your best current customers. What keeps them up at night? What language do they use? What do they value that their bosses don’t? This isn’t guesswork. It’s detective work.
Define the Competitive Frame
You must choose the category you compete in, and it’s often not the obvious one. A premium coffee subscription isn’t just competing with other subscriptions. It’s competing with the daily ritual of the coffee shop visit—the convenience, the treat, the experience. Your category defines the rules of the game and the competitors on the field. Be intentional. Sometimes, the most powerful move is to create a new category altogether, but you need the resources to educate the market.
Find Your Uncontested Hill
Your unique value cannot be a feature. “We have an AI-powered dashboard” is not a point of difference; it’s a spec. Your difference must be a meaningful outcome tied to your specific customer’s deepest struggle. Using the earlier example, it’s not “compliance software.” It’s “peace of mind that your distributed team is legally covered, so you can focus on growth.” The former is a tool. The latter is a solution to a real anxiety. This hill must be one you can defend. If any competitor can claim the same thing next week, you haven’t found your hill.
A positioning statement is a strategic filter. Every new feature, marketing campaign, and hire should be poured through it. If it doesn’t align, you have your answer. It’s a ‘no.’
— Abdul Vasi, Digital Strategist
Common Approach vs Better Approach
| Aspect | Common Approach | Better Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Target Customer | Broad demographic (e.g., “SMBs,” “Millennials”). | Specific psychographic & behavioral profile based on interviews with best customers. |
| Category Definition | The obvious product category (e.g., “project management software”). | The context of the customer’s problem (e.g., “team clarity software for remote strategists”). |
| Point of Difference | A product feature or generic benefit (“saves time”). | A meaningful, ownable outcome tied to customer anxiety (“eliminates status update meetings”). |
| Process | Internal brainstorming session; wordsmithing. | External customer research, competitive analysis, then internal synthesis. |
| Output Use | A document filed away; maybe used on an “About Us” page. | A live filter for all strategic decisions: product roadmap, hiring, marketing channels. |
Looking Ahead to 2026
The discipline of developing a positioning statement is evolving. By 2026, three shifts will separate the leaders from the laggards. First, static positioning is dead. With AI enabling hyper-personalization at scale, your core positioning must be a flexible framework that allows for dynamic expression to different micro-segments, all while staying true to the central hill you own.
Second, credibility will be the new uniqueness. Anyone can claim a benefit. The winning statements will be those that are inherently verifiable. This means positioning will be more tightly integrated with social proof, product-led growth mechanics, and real-time data that proves your claim. It moves from “we are the fastest” to “here’s how you see we’re the fastest.”
Finally, internal alignment will be the primary KPI. The best positioning in the world is useless if your sales team ignores it and your product team builds away from it. Tools and processes that embed the positioning into daily workflows—from CRM fields to sprint planning—will become critical. In 2026, your positioning isn’t a statement you write; it’s a system you operate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a positioning statement be?
Aim for one to two clear sentences. It’s an internal strategic tool, not a tagline. If it runs over three lines, you’re likely trying to cram in multiple ideas and need to make harder choices.
Should we test our positioning with customers?
No, not directly. You test the messaging and campaigns that flow from the positioning. Asking customers to judge a strategic statement is like asking them to judge your business plan. Instead, observe their behavior in response to the concrete offers and messages your positioning informs.
How often should we revisit our positioning?
Conduct a formal review annually. However, you should have informal checkpoints every quarter. If your ideal customer profile, competitive landscape, or core capabilities shift significantly, it’s time to re-evaluate. Don’t be rigid, but don’t pivot weekly.
How much do you charge compared to agencies?
I charge approximately 1/3 of what traditional agencies charge, with more personalized attention and faster execution. My model is built on focused strategy engagements, not retainers that keep you in endless meetings.
Can a startup have strong positioning before product-market fit?
Absolutely. In fact, it’s more crucial. Early positioning is your hypothesis about who will care and why. It guides who you talk to and what you build. It’s not set in stone, but having a clear, testable position accelerates finding product-market fit because you’re not chasing every possible customer.
Look, developing a positioning statement is hard work. It forces uncomfortable conversations and demands you say “no” to plausible opportunities. But that’s the point. Clarity is a constraint. And that constraint is what gives your team the freedom to execute with precision and power.
Stop looking for the perfect template. Start by talking to your five best customers. Listen for the words they use, the frustrations they can’t shake, and the outcomes they truly value. That’s where your real position is hiding. Your next move isn’t to write a sentence. It’s to book those calls.
