Lawson Abinanti

The positioning framework I use was developed by my partner and co-founder when he was at Microsoft in the mid-80s. After he became a consultant I engaged him extensively over a two-year period during which we positioned more than 15 B2B software products, fine-tuned the framework and continued to do so once we founded Messages that Matter in early 2001. The framework is simple, logical and helps you create the ideal positioning statement for your B2B product. All you do is answer seven question ...Read More

I use and teach a positioning framework that was developed by my partner while he was at Microsoft. We have evolved and enhanced it over time, and I have taught the framework to more than 1,000 marketers and product marketers worldwide. The positioning framework addresses several problems commonly found in B2B software and technology marketing. Here are some of them: • Failure to differentiate; • Long sales cycles due to market confusion; i.e., copycat positioning; • Multiple benefit claims that ...Read More

I have a process rather than a "message house" that my clients use to get key stakeholders in their company telling the same story based on the approved product positioning and messaging. An inclusive approach to your message creation process is the best way to get buy-in and develop consensus for your positioning and messaging. It should include informal and formal input and feedback loops with key stakeholders in sales, marketing, analyst relations, public relations, consulting, product manage ...Read More

The mistake product marketers make is revising existing positioning and messaging when it's not necessary. You can't claim a position when you change it all the time. If your position differentiates and expresses a benefit that solves a pressing target problem why change it? The only reason to change a position is if customer problems change and they rarely do. For example "spreadsheet hell" has been a problem in the budgeting and planning market for more than 30 years, and guess what, it's stil ...Read More

The positioning framework I teach, and use was created by my partner (now retired) when he was at Microsoft in the late 80s. He created the framework because none existed at the time. It was used to position and launch Windows 3.0, SQL Server, Visual Basic, C++ and Word for Windows. I engaged my partner several times after he became an independent consultant including when I was director of product marketing at Navision (now owned by Microsoft) in Denmark. We used the framework to position 12 so ...Read More

The most important aspects of product positioning are to have a thorough understanding the customer and the competition. Your positioning statement expresses a benefit that solves a pressing customer problem, and needs to be unique – you are making a claim no other competitor is making. The most effective way to get the rest of the company aligned behind your positioning is to involve as many stakeholders as possible through the process. Start by creating a team of four to six key stakeholders w ...Read More