You’ve built a great product. Your technology is impressive, your UX is polished, and your team is driven. But for some reason, it’s not selling.
If you’re like most founders, your first instinct is to blame the marketing.
Maybe the ads aren’t optimized.
Maybe your sales team isn’t aggressive enough.
Maybe you just need more exposure.
But here’s a hard truth:
The problem isn’t always about reach or execution. It’s about positioning.
What Is Market Positioning and Why Does It Matter?
Market positioning is the mental space your product occupies in your customer’s mind. It’s not just what your product does, but how it is perceived relative to competitors and alternatives.
You can have the most sophisticated, innovative solution in your industry, but if your market positioning is off, you might as well be selling a generic commodity.
Poor positioning is like trying to sell a luxury car to people who only want a reliable, cheap ride. No matter how good your car is, it simply won’t matter to the wrong audience.
The Most Common Positioning Mistakes
- Trying to Appeal to Everyone
When you try to be everything to everyone, you end up being nothing to anyone.
Broad messaging is the enemy of effective positioning.
Instead of defining your market narrowly and owning a particular segment, you water down your messaging to be palatable to the largest possible audience.
And that’s the problem. You dilute your value proposition to the point where it feels generic.
Example:
If you say your software is “for all businesses,” you’ve just put yourself up against every solution imaginable.
Instead, try “Sales automation for B2B SaaS companies with complex sales cycles.” That’s clear. That’s specific. And most importantly, it resonates.
- Focusing on Features Instead of Benefits
Founders often fall in love with their product’s features. They want to showcase every detail, every technological breakthrough, every special function.
But your market doesn’t care about your features. They care about the results your product delivers.
Example:
Instead of saying, “Our software uses AI to automate workflows,” try, “Our software cuts your workflow time in half, giving your team more hours back every week.”
The second statement speaks to outcomes. It solves a problem, rather than just presenting a feature.
- Misunderstanding Your Competition
Many companies make the mistake of defining their competition as other companies that do exactly what they do.
But often, the most dangerous competitors aren’t the ones that look like you. They’re the ones that solve the same problem differently.
Example:
Netflix didn’t just compete against Blockbuster. It competed against other forms of entertainment: TV, games, social media.
When you define your competition too narrowly, you miss the bigger picture.
- Ignoring Perception Gaps
You might know what makes your product unique. But if your market doesn’t, it doesn’t matter.
Positioning isn’t about what you say. It’s about what your audience hears.
If you’re not actively measuring how your audience perceives your product, you’re making assumptions that can cost you growth.
Example:
You might think your software is seen as innovative. But if your customers see it as complicated and difficult to use, your positioning is off.
How To Fix Your Positioning Problem
If your product isn’t selling, it’s time to take a hard look at your positioning. Here’s how:
- Identify Your Real Competition
Make a list of all the solutions your target market might consider.
This includes direct competitors, alternative solutions, DIY methods, and even the choice to do nothing. - Narrow Your Target Market
Define your ideal customer as specifically as possible.
What industry are they in? What pain points do they face? What solutions are they currently using?
The narrower your focus, the sharper your message. - Shift From Features to Benefits
Go through your marketing materials and replace every feature statement with a benefit statement.
Focus on outcomes, not processes. - Gather Feedback From Your Audience
Run surveys, conduct interviews, or even ask your current customers directly.
How do they describe your product? What words do they use?
Compare those findings to the words you’re using in your marketing. - Adjust, Test, Repeat
Positioning is not a one-time effort. It’s a constant process of learning, adjusting, and refining.
Test new messaging. Try targeting different audience segments. Track what resonates and what falls flat.
The Bottom Line
Your product isn’t selling because people don’t understand its value. And that’s almost always a positioning problem.
You can have the best marketing tactics in the world, but if your positioning is off, you’ll be spinning your wheels.
Instead of obsessing over reach, focus on resonance.
Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, become indispensable to the right ones.
