What is your process for creating a sound competitive position? What tools do you use?

I don't believe in overcomplicating it with 50-page decks. I focus on three main pillars First, is the ‘So What?’ or identifying customer pain point. I start by interviewing sales and looking at that closed-lost data. What are they actually losing to? It's usually not a feature, it's often a feeling or a workflow gap. Second, I will look for ‘Only Us’ statement. I will list out, let's say 3 competitors, and find the one thing that we do that they literally cannot claim without lying. Those will ...Read More

Creating strong competitive positioning is part art, part science, with a bit of detective work. The key is to understand your customers, your competitors, and your unique strengths - then translate those insights into a compelling story that sets you apart. Heres how I do it: Start with customer insights - The best competitive positioning starts with understanding your customers, not just your competitors. I dig into win/loss analysis, customer interviews, and sales calls to understand what rea ...Read More

At the foundation of a sound competitive position is 2 things: Keeping up with how your competitors (and adjacent or related companies) are evolving over time. Having a consistent pulse on how things shift in the external landscape is critical. Focusing on brand differentiation - what makes your brand unique and special? What is your brand's role in the world, and why does it matter? By staying current as others' strategies evolve and consistently focusing on why your brand and product are uniqu ...Read More

Olesia's framing around the "Only Us" statement is exactly right, and I'd add one layer: that statement has to be something your buyers already care about, not just something you claim matters. My process starts with win/loss data, but I go deeper than the reasons Sales gives. I actually call lost customers. Not "why did you choose them" but "what would have made you pick us instead?" The gap between those two answers is where the real competitive position lives. At UiPath, some of our sharpest ...Read More