---
name: competitive-positioning
description: Use when a strategy, offer, pitch, or account plan needs sharper differentiation. Use when applying the Competitive Positioning consulting method and when a user asks for Competitive Positioning, method execution, structured diagnosis, or action planning.
license: Apache-2.0
---

# Competitive Positioning

Use this skill to run `Competitive Positioning` as a practical consulting method, not as a generic framework explanation.

## Method Notes

- Compare against direct competitors, substitutes, and the status quo.
- A differentiator must matter to the buyer and be credible to prove.

## Required Inputs

Collect or infer these inputs before execution:

- offering
- target customer
- competitors or alternatives
- proof points

If an input is missing, do not block automatically. Mark it as `missing`, state the assumption used, and add a validation action.

## When Not To Use

Do not use without a target segment, relevant alternatives, buying criteria, and evidence of why customers choose. Positioning is a defensible choice, not a slogan or feature inventory.

## Adjacent Methods

- `pestel-analysis`: macro environment.
- `porter-five-forces`: industry economics.

## Step-by-Step Execution

| Step | Required input | How to execute | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Define target buyer | Segment, buying trigger, use case, decision criteria. | State whose choice you are trying to win and against what alternatives. | Positioning frame. |
| Map alternatives | Direct competitors, substitutes, status quo. | List alternatives and the buyer reason to choose each. | Competitive alternative map. |
| Compare value dimensions | Customer criteria, proof, features, outcomes, price, risk. | Compare each option on buyer-relevant dimensions. | Positioning comparison. |
| Test differentiators | Comparison and evidence. | Keep only differentiators that matter, are credible, and are hard to dismiss. | Defensible differentiators. |
| Write position and proof | Differentiators, objections, sales/channel context. | Create positioning statement, proof points, and objection responses. | Positioning package. |

## Output Template

```markdown
### 1. Buyer And Choice Frame
Target buyer:
Decision situation:
Alternatives considered:
Evidence base:

### 2. Comparison
| Buyer criterion | Us | Alternative | Evidence | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |

### 3. Defensible Differentiation
| Differentiator | Why buyer cares | Proof | Competitor response risk |
|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |

### 4. Position And Validation
Positioning statement:
Proof needed next:
Buyer test:
Decision threshold:

### Evidence And Next Decision
- Confirmed facts:
- Assumptions:
- Missing evidence:
- Next action, owner, and timing:
- Expected signal and decision threshold:
```

## Quality Gate

- Produce the method-specific outputs for Buyer And Choice Frame, Comparison, Defensible Differentiation; do not substitute a generic framework summary.
- Tie every material score, causal claim, or stakeholder judgment to evidence or label it as an assumption.
- Include at least one disconfirming check, sensitivity, alternative explanation, or failure condition appropriate to the method.
- Convert the result into a named action or decision with an owner or stakeholder, timing, and observable signal.
- State missing inputs and the smallest validation action instead of inventing precision.
- Keep wording professional and plain enough that a smart non-specialist can use the output directly.