There's always a way

Positioning in a tough economy

Hi all —

Here’s the thing I love about GTM: You can describe your product however you want.

Which means you can win in any environment… just by changing how you describe your product.

And this renders conventional advice about marketing & sales dumb:

• “Are you selling a vitamin or painkiller?” I’m selling whatever buyers will buy.

• “Are you selling a must-have product?” I’m describing a must-have product.

• “What pain points do you solve?” Whichever one is most important right now.

• “What’s the buyer’s WTP?” Depends on how I describe the product.

Two examples:

Example 1: The PMF Playbook

Last week, I shared my new course, the Product-Market Fit Playbook. (PS - you still have early adopter access HERE)

Why would anyone pay hundreds of dollars for a slide deck and some videos & templates? In THIS economy?!

This is a challenge and an opportunity.

How do I position it as a must-have? I can frame the course as “your key to product-market fit and efficient growth.” Who DOESN’T need efficient growth in the current funding environment?

How do I justify pricing? I can compare the pricing to a seed-stage startup’s monthly burn. Which is probably $50k-100k+. If this course gives them an idea that saves their business EXACTLY ONE WORKING HOUR, they’ve got 10x+ ROI. (And I am quite certain the course will save them months.)

This changes my thinking about the course’s value and pricing, and should do the same for founders too!

Example 2: SaaS QA Automation

A friend’s company does QA testing automation for software companies. They charge a couple thousand dollars per company per month (not cheap), and previously emphasized speed to automation.

Given the current economy, they might consider shifting the conversation from speed to price. But how do they do that, given they’re a premium option?

It’s all about positioning:

• They can compare themselves to the cost of hiring a QA team (in which case, they’re 10x cheaper)

• And they can compare themselves to the cost of contractors (in which case, they’re STILL 10x cheaper)

Their customers will thank them for their premium price, if they do this well.

What about cheaper software competition? That’s the fun part - they can position the cheaper software competition as more expensive because all software options require you to hire a QA team.

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If you’re worried about whether you’re a vitamin or painkiller, or whether you’re a must-have in this economy, don’t worry. There’s always a way.