Discipline 01 · Strategy & Positioning
Strategy & Positioning: turning strategy into commercial decisions.
Many companies have a corporate strategy but no binding answer to which customers they want to win, with which offering and through which routes. We close that gap with a market position, a clear ideal customer profile and a go-to-market plan that gives marketing and sales the same direction.
In short
Strategy & Positioning turns business goals into concrete commercial decisions: which markets and segments take priority, which companies and roles you target, how you stand apart from competitors and in which order budget is deployed. A strategy project takes two to four weeks. On request we support delivery as a fractional growth advisor.
Definition
An ideal customer profile (ICP) is a precise description of the companies for which your offering creates the most value and where you can win with reasonable effort. It covers industry, size, technical situation, typical triggers and the buying committee. An ICP is a selection decision: companies outside the profile are deliberately given lower priority.
01 · Starting point
Where growth in technical B2B really gets stuck.
In almost every first conversation someone says: “We need to be more visible.” Visibility is rarely the actual problem.
Companies with 50 to several hundred employees usually have a good product, satisfied customers and a sales team that knows its craft. What is missing is a convincing answer to why a prospect should buy here rather than from the established supplier they already know.
Without that answer, every later measure becomes more expensive. The website has to justify on every page what the company stands for. Ads compensate for the missing message with reach. Sales explains from scratch in every meeting what marketing could have prepared.
A strategy project starts right here. It is deliberately short so that it forces a decision and does not hold up delivery for months.
Typical triggers
- Competitors win tenders although your product is technically better.
- The portfolio has grown and can no longer be explained in one sentence.
- A new market, segment or country is to be developed.
- An investor or board expects a robust growth plan.
- Marketing budget flows into channels without the pipeline responding.
- Marketing and sales work with different target groups.
02 · Scope
From corporate strategy to go-to-market.
The modules build on one another. Depending on your situation we start at a different point and keep existing results.
- Module 01
Market and competitive analysis
Market strategy, market and customer analysis and a structured competitive comparison, based on quote and order data, lost tenders and interviews with sales and customers.
- Module 02
ICP and buying committee
Ideal customer profile with firmographics, triggers and exclusion criteria, plus an analysis of the buying committee: who researches, who evaluates, who decides and who blocks.
- Module 03
Positioning and value proposition
Positioning, messaging and value proposition per segment. The message has to hold up in a sales conversation and must not be equally true for any competitor.
- Module 04
Offering and portfolio architecture
Offering architecture, portfolio strategy and pricing narrative: which services lead, which complement, and how the price is justified to procurement.
- Module 05
Go-to-market and market entry
Go-to-market strategy, sales and marketing strategy, market entry and internationalisation, with sales and marketing alignment so both sides use the same goals and definitions.
- Module 06
Growth roadmap and budget
A growth roadmap over twelve to 24 months, budget and channel strategy, metrics and stop criteria. Optionally with fractional growth advisory for delivery.
03 · Approach
Five steps in two to four weeks.
The project is designed to force a decision. It is therefore short and ends with a prioritised roadmap.
-
01
Analysis
Review of quote statistics, lost tenders and customer structure. Interviews with sales, management and two to three customers.
In parallel, a structured competitive comparison: how do the five most relevant suppliers position themselves, and where do their messages overlap?
- Competitive matrix with messages and gaps
- Analysis of won and lost enquiries
- First draft of the ideal customer profile
-
02
Positioning
Deciding for which customer type the offering is the best available choice and which alternative it competes against. This includes the uncomfortable decision about which enquiries will no longer be actively pursued.
The test for the result: the positioning statement must become false if a competitor adopts it.
- Positioning document (8 to 12 pages)
- Differentiation from the three closest competitors
- Definition of the non-target group
-
03
Growth thesis
A testable assumption about where growth over the next twelve to 24 months should come from: more enquiries in the core market, a new segment, a new country or a shift in the offering mix.
The thesis includes how you would know it is wrong.
- Growth thesis with assumptions and counter-check
- Size of the addressable market
- Stop criteria
-
04
Go-to-market
Translating the position into a plan: which segments first, through which channels, with which messages and in which order.
Includes the buying committee logic per segment and alignment with sales on handover, definitions and targets.
- Twelve-month go-to-market plan
- Buying committee map per segment
- Messages per role in the buying process
-
05
Roadmap and budget
Final prioritisation: which measures pay off most in the next two quarters, which come later and which are dropped?
With an honest effort and budget estimate per measure.
- Growth roadmap
- Budget and channel plan
- Recommendation for the next phase
04 · Buying committee
Who decides on the customer side.
| Role | Typical question | What convinces |
|---|---|---|
| Management | Does it pay off, and what risk are we taking? | Economics, references, stability of the supplier |
| Technical lead | Does it fit our plant, architecture or standard? | Specifications, design guidance, integration know-how |
| Business unit and users | Does it make our daily work easier? | Use cases, demonstrations, training |
| Procurement | Is the offer comparable and fairly priced? | Clear scope, terms, delivery capability |
| IT and information security | Is it secure and can it be integrated? | Data protection, interfaces, operating model |
| Controlling | What does it cost over its entire lifetime? | Total cost of ownership, payback, service |
Four to seven people are typically involved. The composition and weight of the roles vary by industry and order size.
05 · Deliverables
What you have in hand after the project.
| Deliverable | Format | What it is used for day to day |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning document | PDF, 8 to 12 pages | Basis for website, proposals, trade fair presence and job ads |
| Ideal customer profile | Profile with criteria | Account selection, campaign audiences, lead scoring |
| Buying committee map | Diagram per segment | Content per role instead of one message for everyone |
| Competitive matrix | Table | Arguments for sales conversations |
| Go-to-market plan | Twelve-month timeline | Sequence of measures and budget planning |
| Growth roadmap | Prioritised list of measures | Alignment with management, board or investor |
All deliverables become your property and may be used without restriction, including with other providers.
06 · Services in detail
Individual services within this discipline.
These services have their own page because clients often ask for them specifically.
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions about Strategy & Positioning.
How long does a strategy project take?
What does a strategy project cost?
Do we need this if we already have a positioning?
What is fractional growth advisory?
Who needs to be involved on your side?
What if the positioning is disputed internally?
Further reading
Relevant next steps.
Working together
Let's talk about where you stand.
In a 30-minute first conversation we identify where your growth is stuck and whether working together makes sense. You then get an honest view of a realistic scope.