About Differentiate or Die: Secrets of Silicon Valley
Bite-sized advice and practical tips from B2B positioning experts Bob Wright and Robert Macdonald of Firebrick. The world does not need more boring “me too” geek-speak. Instead learn how your company can accelerate revenue growth through game-changing positioning strategies.
Differentiate or Die: Compete to Win in a Commodity B2B Tech Market
What is the most effective positioning strategy for winning in a commodity market? How do you compete when pricing wars are common, the buying criteria is based on feature checklists, and every vendor sounds the same?
From our experience positioning over 300 B2B tech companies, Firebrick has unlocked the secrets to successful positioning in a commodity market. Bob Wright and Bob Macdonald share their insights and a proven strategy for separating from the pack, including how to:
* Win the hearts of executive buyers
* Shape new buying criteria in your favor
* Redefine the category to set you up for new growth
Also available in this series,The World’s Best B2B Tech Presentations (https://firebrickconsulting.com/bestb2btechpresentation/), Three Keys for Successful Positioning (https://firebrickconsulting.com/3_keys_successful_positioning/), Not for the faint of heart (https://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-or-die-not-for-the-faint-of-heart/), Symptoms you have a positioning problem (http://firebrickconsulting.com/symptoms_you_have_a_positioning_problem/), Positioning vs. Branding: Clearing up the confusion (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-positioning-vs-branding-b2b-difference/), B2B Positioning, CEO or CMO agenda? (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-b2b-positioning-ceo-cmo-agenda/), Is your positioning winning or losing? (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-positioning-winning-losing/), Stop the geek speak (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-stop-geek-speak/), Setting the foundation for successful positioning (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-setting-foundation-successful-positioning/), B2B Positioning with and agency or in-house (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-or-die-agency-or-inhouse/), When positioning expires (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-or-die-when-positioning-expires/), and The best product rarely wins (http://firebrickconsulting.com/the-best-product-rarely-wins/).
31 Oct 2020
Michael Nevins: Landing the US Market, a European perspective
Good positioning has deep transformative impact.
That’s what we heard from Michael Nevins, CMO of Smart Adserver, a Paris-based ad tech company.
In this Q&A, Mike shares how Smart’s recent positioning initiative delivered a compelling narrative for entering the US market. Unexpectedly, the new positioning also drove extremely valuable side effects that are changing the way the company operates – beyond marketing and sales, to operations, R&D, and every employee around the world.
22 Sept 2020
Differentiate or Die: The World’s Best B2B Tech Presentation
How do you create B2B tech presentations that your sales team actually uses and that inspire customers to say ‘yes’?
Over the last decade, Firebrick has developed transformational Positioning stories for more than 400 B2B tech clients. Masterful storytellers, Bob Wright and Bob Macdonald share their insights, truths and experience on how to make the world’s best presentations, including:
* The 5 cardinal sins: why most tech sales decks suck
* Getting it right – the storyline arc
* The fundamentals of great positioning storylines
Also available in this series, Three Keys for Successful Positioning (https://firebrickconsulting.com/3_keys_successful_positioning/), Not for the faint of heart (https://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-or-die-not-for-the-faint-of-heart/), Symptoms you have a positioning problem (http://firebrickconsulting.com/symptoms_you_have_a_positioning_problem/), Positioning vs. Branding: Clearing up the confusion (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-positioning-vs-branding-b2b-difference/), B2B Positioning, CEO or CMO agenda? (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-b2b-positioning-ceo-cmo-agenda/), Is your positioning winning or losing? (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-positioning-winning-losing/), Stop the geek speak (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-stop-geek-speak/), Setting the foundation for successful positioning (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-setting-foundation-successful-positioning/), B2B Positioning with and agency or in-house (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-or-die-agency-or-inhouse/), When positioning expires (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-or-die-when-positioning-expires/), and The best product rarely wins (http://firebrickconsulting.com/the-best-product-rarely-wins/).
14 Sept 2020
Katey Mokelke: Hitting the bullseye with Positioning
You made a big bet with your new positioning, how do you make sure it hits the mark when rolling it out?
Katey Mokelke knows what it takes to successfully navigate the “last mile” of a strategic positioning initiative. Based on her leadership of more than 50 engagements in the past seven years as a Firebrick positioning consultant, Katey discusses the keys to activating a new positioning for maximum impact, including:
* Getting it right – launching a new positioning strategy
* Best practices for sales enablement of a new sales pitch
* Positioning vs. Messaging – what’s the difference?
24 Aug 2020
Laura Dunbar: Positioning to recapture market leadership
How does a company retake its rightful position in the market?
In this pre-COVID conversation, Laura Dunbar, SVP of Marketing at GHX – the leading digital trading network for the healthcare industry – shares her experience taking on a new SVPM post, and the strategic role Positioning played in transforming the company to retake a category leadership position while changing the perception of the marketing organization. In this Q&A Laura shares:
* When’s the right time for Positioning?
* How can Positioning be used to get a company’s “mojo” back?
* What are the advantages of hiring an outside firm to run the process?
14 Aug 2020
Differentiate or Die: Category creation?
Creating a category is not for the faint of heart.
Over the past 20 years, Firebrick has been at ground-zero of the formation of multiple B2B tech categories: CRM/MA, SaaS, Big Data, CX, DevOps, Edge and more. Positioning veterans Bob Wright and Bob Macdonald share their insights on category creation, including:
* The #1 challenge of creating a new category
* How to decide whether to create a category or extend an existing one
* The top 3 reasons we’ve seen category creators fail
Also available in this series, 3 Keys to run successful positioning (https://firebrickconsulting.com/3_keys_successful_positioning/), Not for the faint of heart (https://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-or-die-not-for-the-faint-of-heart/), Symptoms you have a positioning problem (http://firebrickconsulting.com/symptoms_you_have_a_positioning_problem/), Positioning vs. Branding: Clearing up the confusion (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-positioning-vs-branding-b2b-difference/), B2B Positioning, CEO or CMO agenda? (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-b2b-positioning-ceo-cmo-agenda/), Is your positioning winning or losing? (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-positioning-winning-losing/), Stop the geek speak (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-stop-geek-speak/), Setting the foundation for successful positioning (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-setting-foundation-successful-positioning/), B2B Positioning with and agency or in-house (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-or-die-agency-or-inhouse/), When positioning expires (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-or-die-when-positioning-expires/), and The best product rarely wins (http://firebrickconsulting.com/the-best-product-rarely-wins/).
11 Aug 2020
Differentiate or Die: 3 Keys to Run Successful Positioning
After working with more than 400 B2B tech companies, Firebrick Partner Bob Wright has a strong point of view about positioning success. In this Q&A, Bob shares his experience on what it takes, including:
* The biggest mistake tech companies make: why do so many positioning initiatives fail?
* Why all successful positioning efforts begin with the CEO
* When is the right time? Are there telltale symptoms when your positioning needs to change?
Also available in this series, Not for the faint of heart (https://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-or-die-not-for-the-faint-of-heart/), Symptoms you have a positioning problem (http://firebrickconsulting.com/symptoms_you_have_a_positioning_problem/), Positioning vs. Branding: Clearing up the confusion (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-positioning-vs-branding-b2b-difference/), B2B Positioning, CEO or CMO agenda? (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-b2b-positioning-ceo-cmo-agenda/), Is your positioning winning or losing? (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-positioning-winning-losing/), Stop the geek speak (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-stop-geek-speak/), Setting the foundation for successful positioning (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-die-setting-foundation-successful-positioning/), B2B Positioning with and agency or in-house (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-or-die-agency-or-inhouse/), When positioning expires (http://firebrickconsulting.com/differentiate-or-die-when-positioning-expires/), and The best product rarely wins (http://firebrickconsulting.com/the-best-product-rarely-wins/).
21 Jul 2020
Heidi Melin: The Power of Positioning, Why hire an outside agency
Think positioning is just a marketing exercise? Think again.
Heidi Melin, Chief Marketing Officer at Workfront – and one of the tech industry’s best CMOs – has deep experience and a stellar track record positioning companies for success. In this Q&A, Heidi shares her perspective on:
* The biggest mistake people make when it comes to positioning
* How to get CEO buy-in for a strategic positioning initiative
* The advantages of using a third party positioning partner, and what to look for when choosing one
7 Jul 2020
David Hughes: The Power of Positioning, a CEO Perspective
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What does it take to create a new market category?
We asked David Hughes, founder and CEO of SD-WAN pioneer Silver Peak. David has taken Silver Peak from concept to market leadership and 75% YOY growth. In this Q&A, David shares his experience on:
* The role of positioning in fueling category leadership
* Why positioning is an important CEO/Founder strategy
* Knowing when the time is right to undertake a positioning initiative
1 Jul 2020
Jason Hoffman: The Power of Positioning, a CEO Perspective
Jason Hoffman is one of B2B tech industry’s leading futurists and pioneers of today’s mobile edge and distributed cloud infrastructure technologies. Over his career as founder of Joyent, CTO for Digital Services at Ericsson and current CEO of MobileEdgX, he knows first-hand the power of positioning to support technology innovation. In this Q&A, learn:
* How can strong positioning motivate customers to act, now?
* Why it’s important to “use external help and a process” to drive positioning?
* How does good positioning achieve alignment and create a rallying cry?
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