My 7-point Positioning Audit: A Checklist to Identify and Fix Positioning Weaknesses

In the fast-paced world of startups, positioning your product or service is a make-or-break proposition. Get it right, and you'll resonate with your target audience, differentiate from competitors, and unlock growth. Get it wrong, and you'll struggle to gain traction, no matter how innovative your offering may be.

This is why I take positioning so seriously. Over the years, I've developed a systematic approach to auditing and refining positioning – a process that has served me well across multiple startups and product launches. Today, I want to share my 7-point positioning audit checklist with you.

1. Clearly Define Your Target Audience

The first step in any positioning exercise is to clearly define your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? What are their pain points, goals, and motivations? Without a deep understanding of your audience, it's impossible to craft a compelling positioning statement that resonates with them.

I like to think of it as painting a vivid picture of your ideal customer persona. The more specific and detailed you can be, the better. This exercise often reveals surprising insights that can inform your positioning strategy.

2. Articulate Your Value Proposition

Once you've nailed down your target audience, it's time to articulate your value proposition. What unique value do you offer? How do you solve your customers' problems or help them achieve their goals in a way that competitors can't match?

This is where you need to get crystal clear on your positioning. I find it helpful to distill your value proposition into a concise, easy-to-understand statement that captures the essence of what you do and why it matters.

3. Identify Your Competitive Landscape

No product or service exists in a vacuum. To position yourself effectively, you need to understand your competitive landscape. Who are your direct and indirect competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses? How do they position themselves in the market?

I like to create a competitive matrix that maps out each competitor's positioning, value proposition, and target audience. This exercise often reveals opportunities to differentiate and carve out a unique positioning for your offering.

4. Evaluate Your Messaging Consistency

Consistent messaging is crucial for effective positioning. If your messaging is inconsistent or contradictory across different channels (website, sales collateral, social media, etc.), it can undermine your positioning efforts and confuse your audience.

During my positioning audits, I carefully review all customer-facing messaging to ensure consistency and alignment with our positioning strategy. Any inconsistencies or mixed messages are flagged for resolution.

5. Assess Your Product-Market Fit

Even if your positioning is on point, it won't matter if your product or service doesn't truly solve a problem for your target audience. That's why it's essential to assess your product-market fit as part of your positioning audit.

I like to gather feedback from customers, prospects, and industry experts to gauge whether our offering is truly addressing a real need in the market. If there are gaps or misalignments, it may be time to adjust our positioning or even pivot our product strategy.

6. Analyze Your Competitive Differentiation

In a crowded market, differentiating your offering from competitors is crucial. During my positioning audits, I take a close look at how we're positioning ourselves relative to our competitors. Are we truly highlighting our unique value proposition and competitive advantages?

If our differentiation isn't clear or compelling enough, it's time to revisit our positioning strategy and messaging to ensure we're standing out from the crowd.

7. Test and Iterate

Positioning is an iterative process, not a one-time exercise. As your product evolves, your market shifts, and your competitors adapt, you'll need to continuously test and refine your positioning.

I like to incorporate feedback loops into my positioning strategy, regularly gathering input from customers, prospects, and internal stakeholders. This allows me to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven adjustments to our positioning over time.

By following this 7-point positioning audit checklist, you can identify and address weaknesses in your positioning strategy, ensuring that your product or service resonates with your target audience and stands out in a crowded market. Remember, effective positioning is an ongoing process – one that requires vigilance, iteration, and a deep understanding of your customers' needs and the competitive landscape.