Drive GTM efficiency with differentiated positioning

Positioning for Growth (PFG) is a system designed to help companies achieve predictable and accelerated growth, particularly those transitioning from startup to scale-up. It focuses on clearly identifying the ideal customer profile (ICP) and articulating the unique problem the company solves for that specific audience.

This ensures that all target prospects and website visitors know what you do (uniquely well) and how that benefits them specifically, which increases go-to-market (GTM) efficiency by ensuring marketing and sales efforts are concentrated on the most receptive and valuable prospects.

Positioning for Growth (PFG) distinguishes itself by being deeply problem-centric and customer-oriented. Unlike product or competitor-focused methodologies, PFG begins by rigorously identifying the core problem the company solves, based on in-depth interviews with your best-fit customers. So instead of relying on guesswork, these interviews pinpoint exactly what customers value in your solution and how they talk about that value.

PFG then works outward to define the ideal customer profile, the unique way the company solves their problem, and the value that delivers. PFG then translates the findings into tangible deliverables, such as an updated website, sales tools and sales training.

The core 10 steps of the Positioning for Growth (PFG) system involve:

Positioning for Growth (PFG) delivers a comprehensive GTM overhaul within an 8-12 week timeframe. Key outputs include:

The primary audiences for Positioning for Growth (PFG) are CEOs, investors and CMOs, particularly those involved with B2B scale-up technology companies. As a company-wide initiative, it is a CEO-sponsored initiative that should impact not only marketing, but also revenue, customer success (CS), and product teams. It is absolutely not just a Marketing exercise. Investors, especially in private equity, are also key stakeholders as they are looking for ways to accelerate the growth and increase the profitability of their portfolio companies within a defined investment window. Heads of Marketing and Sales are also key stakeholders who benefit from the clarity and focus provided by Positioning for Growth (PFG).

The CMO is responsible for the execution of the positioning system: While positioning is a CEO-sponsored initiative, the marketing organisation is responsible for leading the formal positioning system within the company. This involves teaming with the PFG experts to take the company through a structured system to develop strong, powerful positioning.

Positioning is crucial for aligning the executive team around one clear, compelling narrative. This alignment is vital to avoid silos in go-to-market strategies between the executive team, sales, customer success, and product. It is therefore the job of the CEO to ensure that the positioning initiative is funded across the entire organisation, including the CEO's office, the Chief Revenue Officer's (CRO) office, and the product office, rather than just the marketing budget.

Traditional approaches to positioning can be ineffective because they mistake positioning for branding, or they lack a strong focus on the customer's problem and the specific audience experiencing that problem. They may start by defining product categories or competitors before understanding the target market and its needs. This can lead to a broad, undifferentiated message that fails to resonate with the most valuable customers, resulting in inefficient marketing spend, low conversion rates, and stalled growth. Many companies also confuse positioning with branding or messaging, leading to a lack of strategic direction.

This is a common misconception, but no, positioning and branding are two distinct concepts. Branding is primarily about creating a visual identity or experience. This includes elements like the logo, the tone of communication, and the style guide. It focuses on how a company or product is visually and experientially presented to the market. Positioning is fundamentally about owning a category and accelerating revenue. It's about defining the BIG problem you solve, how you solve that problem uniquely well, identifying who has that problem, and defining the language to use when talking about all of these things. When executed correctly, positioning will distinctly set a company apart from its competitors, help justify a premium price and aid expansion.