Assume
the Position
Looking around the software development
team, I asked. "Where have you market-tested this?"
The chief architect looked at me with a Clint
Eastwood-style squint. "With some customers,"
he replied. (I'm sure he added 'punk' under his
breath.) "Who are they?" I said. "People from
our parent company." He clicked his pen, making
it sound like the cocking of a .44 Magnum. "So,
who else have you taken this to?" He sighed. "No
one. They won't understand."
There is a reticence among some new product technologists
to spend time out in the market. It's usually
for one of two reasons: 1) the people they meet
aren't anywhere near as bright as they are; 2)
they don't want to hear negative feedback about
their baby.
Even when they go 'out there', the engagement
is usually less than successful. They've spent
so much time and focused so much love and attention
on their project, that they can't see the wood
for the trees. So the customer is presented capability
upon capability, detail upon detail - and no context.
Proposition – the uber-reason
What's missing is a proposition; a single sentence
that describes the problem they solve. It's not
a tag line, or an advertising headline, or a pun.
It's the uber-reason why the customer should be
interested.
We've all seen the 50-slide presentation set
that shows the complexity of the architecture,
the topology of the communications protocols,
the taxonomy of the data hierarchy…but nowhere
is there one slide that says, in one sentence,
'this is the problem we solve.'
(By the way – don't read this and think
"IT geeks, eh? Typical." You can see this syndrome
in all sectors, from automotive to banking. It's
not a technology issue. It's a pervasive business
issue).
There are two inhibitors to clarity. The first
is a wariness of the simple. "We can't possibly
put all of this cleverness into a sentence. It
won't do it justice. Anyway, if we reduce it that
far, we'll leave a lot of opportunity on the table."
But if you cram the kitchen sink in, no one will
give you the time to explain it. And even if they
understand the complexity, the prospect won't
make the leap between your invention and their
problem unless you SPELL IT OUT.
Inhibitor 2: "I'm selling to extremely technical
people, world authorities in their field. I don't
want to insult their intelligence." So begins
a complicated 'knowledge tango' between experts,
in the hope that the customer's expert will translate
to the buyers for you. They won't; you have to
do the work. Even if they did, would they get
it right?
US lawyer Gerry Spence says that when he prepares
for court, he lays out his case – no matter
how complex – and reduces it down to an
hour's pitch. Then to 30 minutes, then 10 minutes,
then to a single sentence.
That's the kernel of his argument, the North
Star that has helped him navigate through the
complexity of Native American land rights and
the Karen Silkwood nuclear contamination trial.
It's the premise upon which everything else is
built.
That's his proposition.
If you can't answer the question 'what problem
do you solve' in a sentence, you're sunk before
you start.
Positioning – how to be famous
At this point in an engagement the client often
asks: "So what's the difference between proposition
and position?"
Here's a challenge for you. You have a new book
/ movie to sell. You think that there's never
been anything like it before. It breaks new ground.
How do you tell people about it? Take a position
in the customer's mind.
Positioning is not about what you do. Positioning
is about what somebody else has already done.
If you want to be famous, stand next to someone
famous.
A position is a relative statement. Even if you
think you're the only player in the market, you
do not exist in a vacuum. All customers carry
a mental model in their heads, and as they pick
up new information, they'll 'fit' it into the
model. The purpose of stating your position is
to describe the space you want to take, not leave
it to them to make that decision.
What can you learn from the book and movie marketers?
Try these:
From the people who brought you 'A Room With
a View'. Well, it's not going to be a sci-fi thriller,
is it? You don't even know the title, the stars
or the story, but you have already filed it away
in a genre, just by the way it was positioned
against something else.
Ever seen 'the new Alistair MacLean' on a book
cover? Whoever it is, s/he certainly isn't writing
chick-lit.
How about getting some established authors to
write on the dust jacket? 'Gripped me from the
first page to the last' say Stephen King and Dean
Koontz. Guessing the nature of this unknown author's
work is pretty easy.
To position your offering, you need at least
one of three reference points: a previous track
record, a competitor in the same space, or references
from known sources. As I have written before,
no one else cares about your product, and they
certainly don't have the time to understand it
in all its 360° glory. You have to give them
a frame of reference and a compelling reason to
find out more.
Why it's heavy lifting
Developing a proposition and a positioning is
hard work. When you do the heavy lifting, you
find yourself moving between "marketing fluff"
and "deep tech specification". You need to be
memorable while also being accurate. You need
to be meaningful and specific. You need to be
short, while being truthful.
The worst outcome is one of two extremes. Either
: they loved the slide deck, the pitch was great,
they get the concepts and we nailed their problem.
All we need now is a product that actually delivers
what we talked about. Or : for the first two hours
we gave them details of the functions and features.
We told them exactly what it can and can't do,
right down to the sub-routine level. Unlike our
competitors, we didn't pull the wool over their
eyes – just the lids.
A well-articulated proposition and position are
invaluable in business development. They provide
common focus for the team, a quick understanding
for the customer, and give everyone a clear view
of 'why we're in the room'.
Finding ways to uncover the real value of your
product can benefit from a new perspective. At
Saffron House we'd be delighted to take a look
with you. Contact us at enquiry@saffronhouse.net
or call 01285 644425.
Go ahead. We might make your day. |
