Positioning workshop 2015.01.14

©2017 MICHAEL TROIANO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Telling your storyJANUARY 12, 2017

©2017 MICHAEL TROIANO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.©2017 MICHAEL TROIANO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 2

questionsideas

frameworkworkshop

@miketrap


humans for two million years

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H. Rudolfensis

Homo Ergaster

H. Neanderthalensis Homo Sapiens

Homo ErectusHomo Denisova

Homo Naledi

Homo Floresiensis

H. Heidelbergensis

Homo Habilas

SOURCE:Sapiens:ABriefHistoryofHumankind


Why did Homo Sapiens win?

Not strength.Not brain size.Not language.

SOURCE:Sapiens:ABriefHistoryofHumankind


stories.• Unlike all other species, we tell stories– All: “There’s a lion!”

– Sapiens: “The lion is the spirit animal of our tribe.”

• We use them to share ideas, to create “myths”– Star Wars. Religion. Nation States. Money.

• Stories bind us together, enable collective action at a scale unmatched in natural world

4SOURCE:Sapiens:ABriefHistoryofHumankind


tell your story

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The business you’re trying to build is a kind of “collective action”

What story will power it?

You need to decide. Write it down.Tell it the same way, every time. And evolve.


who wants…

“…an intuitive but powerful approach that allows UML diagramming to be code-centric instead of model-centric by giving users an interactive exploratory visualization platform.”

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who wants…

“…a nutrition-based, gluten-free food company that uses ancient grains to provide innovative products that are both convenient and delicious.”

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who wants…

“…an innovative, patent pending hand hygiene solution to help hospitals improve hand hygiene compliance.”

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some people.bad stories.


who wants…

• maps that make code easier to understand, work on, and improve.

• ancient food for a better life today.

• clean hands that save lives.

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more people.better stories.


What makes a good positioning story?

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questionsideas

frameworkworkshop

@miketrap


*

keep it simple

*

15

15 seconds

15 minutes


What

start with “why”

How

Why“We make great

computers. They’re beautiful and simple to use, because we

think different.”

“We think different. We make products beautiful and simple to use. We make great computers.”

Based on the work of Simon Sinek. 14


start with “why”

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They won’t care what it isuntil they know why it matters to them.


lead with emotion

• Antonio Damasio, Neuroscientist• Studied seemingly normal people

with brain damage that made them unable to feel emotions.

• Something peculiar in common: they couldn’t make decisions.

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Fascinating.


If you want to change what someone does, you need to change what they feel,

and not just what they think.

lead with emotion

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"If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."

Antoine de Saint-Exupery


questionsideas

frameworkworkshop

@miketrap


elements of positioning

• target – actionable universe of buyers• segment – key, predisposing attribute• brand – a name you call yourself• category – a competitive frame for the buyer• distinction – what makes you unique• proof – perceived evidence of truth

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tell your story

for target who are segment, brand provides the category with

distinction because of proof.

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good stories

• For drivers who value automotive performance, BMW provides luxury vehicles that deliver joy through German engineering.

• For people around the world, Coca-Cola is the soft drink that is the real thing since 1886.

• For industrial manufacturers who are challenged to differentiate, BASF is the raw materials supplier that makes products better through engineering depth.

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questionsideas

frameworkworkshop

@miketrap


session objectives

• begin a conversation with your team• capture your current hypothesis– start with formal structure– get aligned on an answer

• bonus: refine to something catchy

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start of a process

• tell your story.• watch your audience.• polish what works.• discard what doesn’t.• repeat. repeat. repeat.

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rules

• follow the structure, Hemingway• speak in plain English• must be able to hold it in your head• why it matters to those who buy• work toward an emotional benefit

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exercise

• Get with your team• Create your positioning hypothesis• Volunteer 1 Pitch & Refine – 1:30• Volunteer 2 Pitch & Refine – 1:40• Volunteer 3 Pitch & Refine – 1:50

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• target – actionable universe of buyers• segment – key, predisposing attribute• brand – a name you call yourself• category – a competitive frame for the buyer• distinction – what makes you unique• proof – perceived evidence of truth

26


declare your hypothesis

for target who are segment, brand provides the category with

distinction because of proof.

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For hiring managers under pressure, Brav is the recruiting site with works best because it taps subject matters experts to

find the right person right now.

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• target – People• segment – interested in DNA analysis• brand – GeneTenk• category – genetic testing service• distinction – that does testing FREE• proof – only you know its you.

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For hiring managers under pressure, Brav is the recruiting site with works best because it taps subject matters experts to

find the right person right now.

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thank you.

@miketrap @Actifio@G20Ventures

Check out my weekly podcast How Hard Can It Be?Up close and personal with the real people behind the hits and misses in Boston's venture capital big time. On Soundcloud, iTunes, Pocket Casts and your favorite podcast app.

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Positioning workshop 2015.01.14