Positioning & Competitive Advantage

Why most positioning statements fail before the first slide

Positioning is not a paragraph in a deck. It is the reason a buyer picks you over the alternative — and most companies have never written that down.

By David Symington··4 min read

Example draft — replace with real content in the admin.

The paragraph nobody reads

Every company has a positioning statement. Almost none of them are used by sales, product, or marketing to make a real decision. That is the tell.

What positioning actually is

Positioning is the argument for why a specific buyer, with a specific problem, should choose you over the specific alternative they are currently considering. If any of those three specifics is missing, it is not positioning — it is a mood board.

If your positioning cannot lose you a deal, it cannot win you one either.

Where to start

Write the sentence a customer would say to a peer to justify choosing you. If you cannot, that is the work.

#positioning#strategy
David Symington
About the author

David Symington

Fractional CMO & AI Architect

19 years inside the world's biggest brands. Turning marketing departments from cost burdens into proven profit generators.

Work with David →
Commercial Clarity

Occasional, practical perspectives.

Occasional, practical perspectives on positioning, go-to-market strategy, AI and revenue growth. No generic marketing news.

By submitting, you agree to receive occasional emails from David Symington. Unsubscribe any time.

Work with David

Ready to turn marketing into a profit generator?

Start a conversation →