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Standing Out Where It Matters Most
Most sales problems don’t start in sales.
They start in positioning – the lack of clarity about what makes you valuable and different in the eyes of the customer.
In every market, there’s noise.
Competitors with similar products, similar claims, and similar pitches.
When everything sounds the same, buyers default to price.
The goal of Competitive Positioning is to make that impossible.
It’s about defining and defending your space – not by shouting louder, but by being unmistakably clear about why you’re worth more.
This is where we install three key tools in the Sales Velocity OS™:
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The High Value, High Unique Matrix
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The Market Map
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Competitor Cheatsheets
Together, they form your positioning backbone – the foundation of a USP that’s both credible and defensible.
Why Positioning Breaks Most Sales Teams
Most businesses don’t struggle because their product isn’t good – they struggle because the market doesn’t understand why it matters.
When your value is vague, your messaging fragments. Marketing says one thing, sales says another, and customers hear confusion.
The result?
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Price sensitivity.
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Long sales cycles.
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Inconsistent wins.
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Team frustration.
Positioning fixes that. It defines the narrative before the market defines it for you.
The Role of Competitive Positioning in the Sales Velocity OS™
Inside the Positioning pillar, we use competitive positioning to give your business three things:
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Clarity – a defined space in the market you can own.
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Confidence – a consistent story every team member can tell.
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Control – the ability to influence perception, not react to it.
When positioning is installed, every conversation – from marketing campaign to cold call – flows from the same centre of gravity.
The High Value, High Unique Matrix
The first step is defining what actually makes you different – in the eyes of your customer, not in your own.
That’s where we use the High Value, High Unique Matrix.
It’s a simple grid that helps you test every message, feature, and claim through two critical filters:
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Is it valuable to the customer?
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Is it unique to you?
The Four Quadrants
Quadrant | Description | Action |
Low Value / Low Unique | Generic claims that mean nothing (e.g. “We care about our customers”). | Delete it. Adds no differentiation. |
High Value / Low Unique | Table stakes – important to buyers but everyone claims it (e.g. “Great service”). | Keep it but don’t lead with it. |
Low Value / High Unique | Something only you offer but nobody wants. | Reframe or remove it. |
High Value / High Unique | The sweet spot - truly valuable to customers and distinct to you. | Build your USP around it. |
The goal is to build your message portfolio from the top-right quadrant – High Value, High Unique.
That’s where your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) lives.
Turning the Matrix into a USP
Once you’ve mapped your value points, we ask two questions:
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Why does this matter to the customer?
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Why can’t they get it anywhere else?
This combination creates a USP that’s not marketing fluff – it’s a commercial truth your sales team can defend in any conversation.
Example:
“We help growth-stage companies running EOS extend the same operational discipline into their sales department – creating predictable, scalable revenue through the Sales Velocity OS™.”
That’s not generic. It’s specific, high-value, and high-unique.
The Market Map
Once your message is clear, the next challenge is where to compete.
Positioning isn’t static – it’s context. It depends on who else is playing the game, and how the terrain is shifting.
That’s where we use the Market Map – a visual tool that shows your commercial landscape at a glance.
What the Market Map Includes
The Market Map is a living document that your leadership team reviews and signs off every quarter.
It includes:
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Competitors – direct and indirect.
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Customers – segmented by group, including any key accounts.
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Partners – strategic collaborators or referrers.
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Sales Motions – how deals move through your ecosystem.
Why It Matters
Most companies think they know their market. Few have ever mapped it.
When you can see it visually, you understand:
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Where you’re strong and weak.
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Which competitors overlap your ICP.
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Where new opportunities are emerging.
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How your partnerships influence reach.
It’s not a static slide – it’s a dashboard for strategy.
We reference Metronomics here because their rhythm-based operating model mirrors ours: leadership alignment through consistent review.
Your Market Map is your compass – ensuring your strategy evolves as the market does.
Competitor Cheatsheets
You’re not selling in a vacuum.
Competitors exist – and pretending they don’t doesn’t make them go away.
The key is to understand them without becoming obsessed by them.
That’s where Competitor Cheatsheets come in.
They give your team confidence in the field – clarity on who else your buyers are talking to, and how to position your offer effectively.
What to Include in a Competitor Cheatsheet
Each cheatsheet covers:
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Who they are – company overview.
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Description of their business – how they position themselves.
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Strengths – what they do well (acknowledge it).
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Weaknesses – where they fall short.
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How to position us vs. them – clear comparison points.
The aim isn’t to criticise. It’s to prepare.
Your reps should never be surprised when a prospect says, “We’re also talking to [competitor].”
They should know exactly how to respond – calmly, credibly, and confidently.
Why Cheatsheets Work
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They reduce hesitation in live sales conversations.
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They align messaging across the team.
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They build confidence – especially in new hires.
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They prevent race-to-the-bottom pricing by reinforcing differentiated value.
When every rep knows the landscape, your business sells from a position of strength.
How These Tools Fit Together
The Matrix, Map, and Cheatsheets each serve a different purpose – but together they form the complete Positioning Engine of your Sales Velocity OS™.
Tool | Purpose | Outcome |
High Value, High Unique Matrix | Identify true differentiators. | Create a defendable USP. |
The Market Map | Understand the playing field. | Prioritise focus and opportunity. |
Competitor Cheatsheets | Equip the team to sell confidently. | Win more deals with less friction. |
Every piece of your positioning becomes intentional – not instinctive.
Installing Competitive Positioning
In the Sales Velocity Fundamentals phase, Competitive Positioning is installed as part of your first Positioning workshop.
Session flow (2 hours):
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Audit existing messaging – what’s working, what’s vague.
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Run the High Value, High Unique Matrix – test every claim.
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Map competitors and customers – create your first Market Map.
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Build Competitor Cheatsheets – define your positioning response.
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Document your USP – capture the narrative that drives every conversation.
The result?
A concise, credible messaging system that aligns your leadership, sales, and marketing around the same truth.
Common Mistakes in Competitive Positioning
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Copying Competitors
Many companies benchmark instead of differentiate. They copy language that already saturates the market.
– You can’t win by echoing the crowd. -
Confusing Features with Value
Features tell what you do. Value explains why it matters.
– Customers buy outcomes, not attributes. -
Failing to Evolve
Positioning isn’t permanent – it’s a reflection of the market’s perception today.
– Revisit quarterly; adjust deliberately.
How Competitive Positioning Feeds the Rest of the OS
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Process: Messaging informs every touchpoint in your sales stages.
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People: Reps gain confidence through clarity.
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Performance: Metrics like win rate and margin improve.
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Planning: Strategy meetings become sharper and evidence-based.
Positioning isn’t a marketing exercise – it’s a system input that influences every output.
Example: How It Looks in Practice
When a new client starts with Sales Velocity, we often see this:
Before:
“We help businesses grow by improving their sales process.”
Generic. Forgettable. Impossible to defend.
After running the Positioning tools:
“We help growth-stage companies running EOS install the missing operating system for sales – giving them the same rhythm, accountability, and structure they already have in operations.”
That message lands.
It’s rooted in reality, valuable to the audience, and unique to us.
That’s the power of proper positioning.
The Payoff
When your Competitive Positioning is live and aligned:
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You stop competing on price.
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Prospects know exactly why you’re different.
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Your team speaks with one voice.
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Marketing and sales finally move in sync.
Every conversation compounds clarity. And clarity, as always, compounds velocity.
Summary
Your competitive advantage isn’t what you sell – it’s how clearly you can prove its value and difference in the eyes of your customer.
- The High Value, High Unique Matrix reveals it.
- The Market Map visualises it.
- The Competitor Cheatsheets operationalise it.
Together, they turn positioning from marketing theory into a sales advantage that wins in every conversation.
This is how we build Competitive Positioning inside the Sales Operating System – so you’re not just another option in the market.
You’re the obvious choice.
Competitive Positioning & USP FAQ's
What is Competitive Positioning?
Competitive Positioning defines how your business stands out in the market – the clear reason why customers should choose you over alternatives.
What is a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?
A USP is a simple, credible statement that captures what makes your business both valuable and different in the eyes of your customer.
Why is positioning important in sales?
Because without clear positioning, every deal turns into a price war. Strong positioning lets you sell on value, not cost.
How does Sales Velocity help define positioning?
We use three tools – the High Value, High Unique Matrix, Market Map, and Competitor Cheatsheets – to identify your strengths and build a defendable USP.
What is the High Value, High Unique Matrix?
It’s a framework for testing your claims. If something isn’t valuable to customers and unique to you, it doesn’t belong in your message.
What is a Market Map?
A visual snapshot of your competitive landscape – showing competitors, customers, partners, and sales motions – reviewed quarterly to guide strategy.
What are Competitor Cheatsheets?
Simple, practical one-pagers that help your team understand each competitor’s strengths, weaknesses, and how to position your offer against theirs.
How often should positioning be reviewed?
Quarterly. Markets move fast, and regular reviews ensure your message, competitors, and differentiation stay aligned with reality.
How does positioning impact win rates?
When your value is clear and consistent, prospects understand why you’re worth more – increasing conversion rates and protecting margins.
What’s the outcome of defining a clear USP?
Your business becomes the obvious choice. You stop competing on price, your team sells with confidence, and every message reinforces your advantage.
