re:position

A monthly newsletter and community round-up, shining light on the art and science of powerful market positioning. 

Hello again my friend,

This month we’re going to dive right into one of the most challenging concepts in positioning. Value. Often quoted but little understood, a true definition of Value eludes the best of us. So how can we take a different look at this most ambiguous yet essential positioning concept?

(And if you’d like to explore your own positioning questions live, the next clinic is coming up on 7 October - details are at the end.)

Heavy? Maybe, but also fun. Let me know how it changes the conversation over at your place.  

Be good, see you out there, 

Andy

The Value Villain

Value. The defining concept behind market positioning and yet a strategic nemesis for most.

If you look carefully you’ll find it lurking in plain sight, turning the most well-intentioned Proposition into a limp word salad.

Why value is so slippery

Value has a lot to answer for. Most people struggle to define their positioning at first and I think the ambiguity of Value is squarely to blame. With no singular definition to tell you you’re right, this lack of clarity costs time and money if you’re about to enter market.

Defining Value comes naturally to me, it’s my quirk. I guess I’m just an abstract thinker so I’ve always been able to imagine what isn’t there in the finest detail. It’s a challenge I find particularly satisfying in business, as if I’m bringing order to the universe, if only for a moment.

It has come to define my work over the years and today it defines me within my personal purpose; which, as you know, is to discover and deploy the Value in every organisation.

The hard bit

That said, practically teaching the concept of “Value” remains one of the hardest parts of my job. And it irks me, because defining Value more clearly can make business materially better.  

So let's step back and give Value some clearer context.  

Positioning = value described well

Your market position is simply "the description of the Value your business creates, for the customers who care about it the most".

This positioning defines your ideal commercial opportunity and therefore becomes shorthand for your strategic intent.

Or more bluntly: your positioning defines why your ideal customer should choose you over your competitors.

When deployed effectively, this becomes the foundation of every sales conversation and influences every snippet of marketing.

Why this matters to the bottom line

I know I bang on about this a bit, but I can’t overstate enough that this stuff impacts your bottom line.

When we can’t define our Value clearly enough, we can’t position our business in market. So we fail to describe the real strategic advantage we have over our competitors. Which makes our marketing limp and offers our sales team little to work with. 

The hunt for value

Defining Value is critical, but hard. Your Value isn’t obvious, it hides. It takes rigour and some bloody-mindedness to find it.

So how can we approach it more directly?

Firstly, you’ll be pleased to hear that it’s much easier to say what Value isn’t, than what Value is.  

• Value is not your product. 
• Value is not a feature. 
• Value is not the price. 
• Value is not the amount of effort it takes. 
• Value is not where you are from. 
  
  

Clearer?  No?  So what the #$%&@ is Value then???

Look in the right place

Take a step back again; I often coach that we search for Value in the wrong place.

Value is not about you. Or your product.

Rather Value is found with your customer.  

Your Value is an outcome or result that your ideal customer really, really wants. That Value belongs to the customer, not to your business.

"Value is the outcome your ideal customer really wants. It belongs to them, not your business."

Make the shift from value to outcome

Make the shift from Value to Outcome in your mind and pause to reflect.

When we search for our customer’s outcome, or their result, it’s nearly always easier to imagine a scenario where we deliver a unique advantage over our competitors.

Now this outcome might equally be tangible (money saved) or intangible (peace of mind, feeling of status).

Critically, it’s an outcome created because of the use of our product or service. Remember, it’s not our product or service.  

Why language matters

Talking about outcome, not Value in our teams, reminds us that we’re describing what someone else experiences.

It brings the customer back into the front of our thinking and forces us to understand our customer’s experience in much finer detail.  

It’s a simple and subtle shift, yet a fundamental one. Goes to show how purposeful language can really change how we think in our business.

Give it a try to see how much clearer you can define your true market advantage.  

Outcome labelling works, but I still love the difficult concept of Value. I’m not ready to talk about an Outcome Proposition quite yet.  Maybe next year. 

And finally

Outcome labelling works, but I still love the difficult concept of Value. I’m not ready to talk about an Outcome Proposition quite yet. Maybe next year.

Brain food

If Value is the villain, Christensen’s Jobs to Be Done is the antidote. This HBR article flips the focus from what we sell to what customers are really trying to achieve. Still as sharp today as when it was first published.

Marketing Positioning Clinic : 7th Oct

Whether you're facing a specific positioning challenge or just want to learn more, this interactive session is your chance to ask questions, share your experiences, and hear how others are approaching their positioning.

I’ll hold the space, but the real magic comes from the conversation. You’ll get just as much from the ideas, challenges, and reflections shared by others.

If you know anyone who might enjoy this read, feel free to pass it on or suggest they sign up here. 

3Green is a Commercial Strategy Practice in Aotearoa, led by B2B market positioning expert Andy Mitchell. 

If you’d like to discuss your business’s market position, schedule a free 15-minute call with me. I’d love to hear what’s happening for you and explore how I can help.

If you enjoyed this, you can find lots of other strategy waffle on LinkedIn. Come and join the conversation.