Download the Messaging and Positioning Planning Template at http://www.fourquadrant.com/product/messaging-positioning-planning-template/ Messaging & Positioning Planning Template Leverage the Messaging & Positioning Planning Template to develop a compelling and unique selling proposition that can be leveraged in all internal and external communications venues. The Messaging & Positioning Planning Template has been developed from numerous messaging, positioning and repositioning projects for start-ups and public companies to create unique selling propositions and go-to-market messaging. Download go to market planning templates at http://www.fourquadrant.com/products/

1. Messaging and Positioning
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2. Outline
1 Project Objectives, Strategy, Process & Timeline
2 Target Audience
3 Market Landscape
4 Competitive Landscape
5 Internal Analysis
Organizing Information
6
7 Differentiation
8 Messaging Framework & Positioning Components
An Example
9
10 Next Steps

3. Positioning Process
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Phase 6 Phase 7
Competitor Customer Company Launch
Draft & Testing Refinement
Market Analysis Analysis Analysis Analysis Internal Draft competitive
Draft competitive Competitive
External analysis Analysis of Analysis of analysis of positioning and
positioning and positioning and
of market forces communications customers communications, market messages
market messages market messages
and influencers and products of perceptions and content, people are externally
are tested are adjusted
key competitors actions and product communicated
An iterative, agile, parallel, living process

4. Who Are You Selling To?
Is there a specifc industry or
industries that are best suited for the
offering?
Industry Is there a specific size (revenue,
assets, employees) of organization
Is this a complete solution or a
Product or Size of that is being targeted?
point product?
Solution Organization
Is this a complex sale that
Target
Is this a new market where the
involves an approver, decision Market focus is on early adopters or a
maker, recommender and Buying Technology mature market?
influencer? Process Adoption
Distribution
Price Point
Model
Will this be sold by a direct sales, What is the average selling price
insides sales, online sales, or indirect and the average sales cycle?
channel?

5. Market Landscape
Mega Trends (placeholders included)
 Directional trends
 Size, share and growth
 In-house vs outsource Market Waves
 Build vs buy
 Where are VC’s investing
Current Year Trends and Priorities
 Priorities for a particular industry
 Priorities for a particular LOB
 Budget growthor decline
 Priority for allocating budget
 Where are there massive job posts
Market
Market Landscape Mega Trends
Landscape
Current Trends
Market Waves
 What are influencers talking about
 What topics have comeptitors adopted
 What is the hot technology topic
Customers  What webcast topics draw the most
 What are customers asking about on Customer
sales calls Perspective
 What are the major conference themes
 What are the blog post topics being read
 What are the most popular white papers

6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Visual interface & graphic based reporting
Database interface and Visual interface and
reports reports
ERP SAP
Peregrine
Asset
management Aperture
FIS
CAFM / CIFM Archibus
Application
Complexity &
Drawbase Strategem
integration Maximo
CMMS
Workplace IQ
Site seer Deal Mover
Famis
CREMS Atlas
AutoCAD
CAD Visio
APPLICATION WORKGROUP ENTERPRISE
Functional Departmental directors C-level
managers executives
Management use of application reports

7. Internal Interviews
Based on an individual‘s role and
expertise they will have insight into
different areas, i.e., the VP Sales
Who are the key stakeholders that will
spend more time in front of customers
need to buy off, be consumers of the
vs the VP Development who may
information and/or have a vested
have more technology insight.
interest or domain knowledge?
Internal
interviews
This should be thought out at the Start with your final deliverable and
time you set your objective in an if revers engineer the information
then format. There are basically requirments to ensure you are capturing
3 scenarios: 1) your org is in the How will you present the right information and not simply
best position possible; 2) your org the findings? capturing data. Closed-end questions
is stuck in the middle of the pack, are the easiest to summarize but open-
or; 3) your org is bringing up the ended questions provide more depth.
rear. Is it a product issue, a Start with the objective first and cascade
training issue, a messaging down from there with an org chart
issue? framework. Show the process and use as
many quotes and videos as possible to add
credibility to the findings.

8. What Content Should be Covered
 What are the benefits for the user  What are the key mega trends
 What are the benefits or IT  What are the issues for the year
 What are the benefits to the business  Are organizations focused on revenue
 What are the benefits for the decision growth, decreasing expenses, productivity
maker or customer satisfaction this year
Trends,  What is our value proposition
End user
opportunities,  Does the VP communicate value
benefits
issues  Does the VP communicate benefits
 What is the day in the life of the person with
 Does the VP communicate costs
the problem
 Has the VP been communicated in the
 Who else is impacted by the issue
market
 Is it limited to a function or business unit
 Is the VP resonating
 What is the frequency and duration of the Offering Market
Use Value  Is the VP differentiated
problem
Case Prop  Can employees communicate the VP
 Who would gain from the solution
 How visible is this in the organization
Questions
To Ask  What are the inefficiencies of the
Business Messaging current solution or the choice of of not
How is Economic dealing with the problem
the Problem
impact  Who is impacted
 What is the business problem we are trying problem  How much time is lost
to solve solved  What is the OTE cost of each head
 How is that problem solved today today Competitive  What part of the problem don’t we
 What happens if the problem was not solve?
solved  What part of the problem do our
 Can the problem be solved with personnel competitors not solve
 How long has the problem persisted
Who else Differentiation
 What is the level of awareness of the solves this
problem problem
 Who else solves this problem  What part of the problem don’t we
 How do we solve the problem solve?
 Who solves the problem better  What part of the problem do our
 Is this understood by the market competitors not solve?
place? Why not?  Do we have IP that no one else has
 What do customers care most about
 What can customers live without

9. Positioning Components
Component Description Example
For • For... defines who the customer is in  Exchange of data is necessary; possibly own
terms they can identify with data needs to be exposed
 Competitor has extended information
Who  Who ... describes the customers’ problem,
the compelling reason to buy your org’s
solution
Provides  Provides ... describes what you bring to  Application of results to the own company is
market to solve the customers’ problems difficult
 Research and exchange of data (data transfer) is
complex and time-consuming
Unlike  Unlike ... contrasts what competitors do
and credibly positions them relative to
your organization
Only your organization Only your organization ... highlights the key  Application of results to the own company is
differentiators of your company’s solution difficult
relative to other market players  Research and exchange of data (data transfer) is
complex and time-consuming

10. Value Proposition
Which market is Value experience Which products or What are the What alternative What prrof or
the value or customer services are being benefits the options does the evidence is there
proposition being experience: what offered? market will derive market have to to substantiate
created? does the market from the product the product or your value
value most? or service? Alternatives proposition?
Review and analysis of the benefits, costs and value
that an organization can deliver to its customers,
prospective customers within and outside the
organization.
The value proposition is a promise of value to be delivered and a belief
from the customer that value will be experienced.

11. GTM Messaging
THEME
Clarity
ISSUES
Complexity, Change,
Service Levels, Costs
SOLUTION
Data Center Infrastructure Management
= Configuration + Change
BENEFITS – STRATEGIC
Improve Service Levels | Increase Operating Efficiency
Make Better Decisions | Reduce Risk | Reduce Disruptions
BENEFITS – FUNCTIONAL
Comply With Regulations & Audits | Manage Consolidations
& Moves | Reduce Costs
ROI
Change Management | Asset Management
Availability Management | Capacity/Utilization Management

12. Next Steps
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