Our products compete in markets that are frightfully crowded and competitive. Competition comes in different forms including "The Hordes" (me-too copycats that claim to do what you do), "The Giants" (established market leaders who are a "safe" choice) and "The Ghosts" (the invisible but very real option of choosing nothing and sticking to the status quo). In this session, I will teach you how smart positioning can ensure you outrun the Hordes, use the strength of the Giants against them, and banish the Ghosts.

1. Positioning Jujitsu
How to compete and win against powerful competitors
April Dunford aprildunford.com @aprildunford

2. We are Startups and We Have Competition

3. At Each Step We are Up Against
a Different Type of Competitor
Startups Customers
Get Known and
Considered
Get Selected
Narrow down a
Shortlist
Get the Sale Switch
Pick a Winner
Competition
The Hordes
The Ghost
The Giant

4. PART 1: THE HORDES

5. We’ve got a LOT of
Competitors

6. In Every Market

7. Even in New Markets

8. Even “Obscure”
Markets

9. How to Beat
the Hordes (Part 1)
Only Fight Where
You Can Win

10. Are you Unintentionally Positioned
For a Fight you Can’t Win?

11. Example: Cake Innovation

12. Cake Not Cake
Positioning in a Category
Determines how you are Evaluated

13. LOLLIPOP
LOLLIPOP
MADE OUT OF CAKE

14. Lollipop Cakepop
Your Best Category
Puts Your Strengths in the Center

15. What if I told you…..
Nobody Wants a New Spreadsheet

16. How do we Find our Best Market Category?

17. MARKET CATEGORY IS ONE
COMPONENT OF POSITIONING
Positioning
Alternatives
Unique
Attributes
Value
Cust.
Segments
Market
Category
@aprildunford

18. Follow a Process
@aprildunford

19. MORE DETAILS HERE
@aprildunford

20. How to Beat
the Hordes (Part 2)
Teach Prospects
How to Buy

21. Most Customers Have
Never Purchased a
Solution Like Yours
Before

22. This was Not Built to
Help Customers BUY

23. Is this Helpful to
Prospects?

24. Should lead
generator sites own
the definition of your
market?

25. Your (Biased but Honest)
Point of View on a Market
Can be Hugely Helpful for Prospects

26. Instead of this…

27. You could
create this…

29. PART 2: THE GIANT

30. You can Position Your Competitors, Just like You
Position Yourself – Including the Big Ones

31. How to Beat
the Giant
(Part 1)
Use Their Strength
Against Them

32. Every Competitive Strength is a Weakness
(for Certain Buyers)
“Established” “Legacy”
“Market-Leading”
“Feature-Rich”
“Unspecialized”
”Trusted by many” “Slow to innovate”
“Complex”

33. Example: Canvas vs. D2L

34. Example: Canvas vs. D2L

35. How to Beat the Giant (Part 2)
Let them Win (But NEVER on Your Turf)

36. Example – Janna vs. Siebel

37. PART 3: THE GHOST

38. For Buyers – Change is Hard
For Sellers – the Status Quo is Deadly
Richardson’s Selling Challenges Research Survey 2019
22%
21%
19%
Building a Case
for Change
Combating the
Status Quo
Comparing their
Options
Top 3 Challenges for Buyers
20%
Deals lost to
“No Decision”
CSO insights 2017 World- Class Sales Practices Report

39. How to Beat the Ghost
Find a Train and Jump Onboard

40. Example – Creating Urgency
by Focusing on a Trend

41. The Hordes
The Ghost
The Giant
How to Win Against Strong Competitors
Position Deliberately
Leverage Trends
Turn Strength to Weakness

42. THANKS!!
AprilDunford.com
April@AprilDunford.com
@aprildunford