Understanding the Distinction Between Competitors and Competing Alternatives (And Why It Matters)
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Description
In today’s episode, you’ll learn why understanding your competition is critical for positioning and how many people get it wrong. I share a story about the deceptive nature of data and why you need to carefully evaluate bad-fit customers. I talk about how to discover your true competitors and recount a story of a failed sales pitch that taught me the importance of clearly understanding your value from the customer’s point of view. I also dive into the story of Segway, why they failed initially, and why avoiding market categorization is a huge mistake. — In This Episode, I Cover: (00:00) Defining positioning (00:53) A story about how data can lie to us (05:25) Lessons on “bad fit customers” (06:52) How to think about competition (09:26) How to discover who your real competitors are (11:50) The question all customers ask (13:24) The benefits of great positioning (13:49) A failed sales pitch, and what it taught me about the importance of understanding your product’s value (20:45) Why avoiding categorization is a massive mistake (21:49) A story about Segway and why you need to position your product in a market category (25:37) Thanks for listening — Where To Find Me: Podcast Website: https://www.positioning.show/ Personal Website: https://www.aprildunford.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprildunford/ — Production and marketing by https://penname.co/
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