B2B Positioning Lessons from the World of Dating Apps
Let’s be honest: if B2B positioning were a dating app, most startups would be the overeager user who swipes right on every profile, hoping someone—anyone—will match. “We’re perfect for everyone!” they say, as their inbox remains suspiciously empty. Meanwhile, the savvy players pick a niche, craft a killer bio, and end up with a calendar full of quality dates. In the world of B2B, as in dating, trying to be everything to everyone is a surefire way to end up alone at the punch bowl, wondering why nobody’s biting.
So, what’s the news? The marketing world is finally waking up to the fact that mastering B2B positioning isn’t a one-and-done PowerPoint slide—it’s a living, breathing strategy that evolves at every stage of growth. The days of “let’s just say we’re an AI-powered, cloud-native, synergy-driven solution for all industries” are (mercifully) numbered. The winners? They’re the ones who know when to go narrow, when to go broad, and—crucially—when to say “no thanks” to the wrong customers.
Let’s break it down, minus the jargon and with just enough sarcasm to keep your coffee from going cold.
Mastering B2B Positioning at Every Stage of Growth
Stage One: The “Who Are We, Really?” Phase
Every B2B company starts here. You’ve got a product, a dream, and a vague sense that your solution could help…well, someone. So you cast a wide net. You take meetings with anyone who’ll listen—startups, enterprises, your cousin’s dog-walking business. This isn’t a sin; it’s a rite of passage. You’re not “unfocused,” you’re gathering data. But here’s the catch: if you stay in this phase too long, you end up with a bloated product, a marketing team writing copy for twelve different personas, and a sales team that needs therapy.
The trick? Use this phase to learn, not to linger. Track who’s easiest to sell to, who sticks around, and who actually gets value. Spoiler: it’s rarely the ones who needed the most convincing.
Stage Two: The “Niche or Die” Moment
Now comes the hard part: picking a lane. This is where most founders get cold feet. “But what if our market is too small?” they ask, clutching their TAM spreadsheets like security blankets. Here’s the truth: dominating a small market beats being ignored in a big one. The best B2B brands didn’t start as “the everything platform”—they started as “the best tool for X, for Y type of company.” Only after they owned that space did they earn the right to expand.
This is also the stage where you learn the power of “no.” Saying no to bad-fit customers isn’t just healthy—it’s a sign your positioning is working. If you’re still trying to please everyone, you’re not really pleasing anyone.
Stage Three: The “Now We Get to Go Broad” Expansion
Congratulations, you’ve conquered your niche. Now—and only now—do you get to broaden your horizons. This isn’t a license to go full “synergy” again. It’s about leveraging your credibility, your case studies, and your momentum to win adjacent markets. But beware: expansion is a team sport. Sales needs new decks, product needs new messaging, and customer success needs to onboard a different breed of customer. If you skip the prep, you’ll trip over your own shoelaces.
And please, for the love of all that is holy, don’t slap “AI-powered” on your homepage just because it’s trendy. Unless your audience genuinely cares about the tech, lead with the problem you solve, not the buzzword du jour. AI is a feature, not a positioning strategy—unless you’re selling to the kind of people who get excited about model architectures at dinner parties.
Why This Matters (and Why You Should Care Even If You’re Not a Startup)
Here’s the kicker: B2B buyers are savvier than ever. According to recent studies, 8 out of 10 buyers have already shortlisted their vendors before they even hit Google. If your positioning isn’t razor-sharp, you’re not even in the conversation. And in a world where every SaaS company claims to “drive transformation,” the only way to stand out is to be specific, relevant, and—dare I say—human.
Positioning isn’t just a marketing exercise. It’s the foundation of your go-to-market, your sales pitch, your product roadmap, and your customer experience. Get it right, and you’ll shorten sales cycles, boost win rates, and make your competitors look like they’re selling rotary phones in a 5G world. Get it wrong, and you’ll spend your days explaining what you do to confused prospects who never call back.
Jon’s Take: The CMO’s Confession Booth
Look, I’ve been in those boardrooms. I’ve seen the PowerPoints with more arrows than a Marvel movie. I’ve watched founders try to “pivot” their way out of a positioning crisis by adding more features, more verticals, more…stuff. It never works. The brands that win are the ones with the guts to be clear, the discipline to stay focused, and the humility to listen to their customers.
Here’s my advice, from one marketer to another: treat positioning like your company’s GPS. If you don’t know where you’re going, every road looks tempting—and most of them lead to dead ends. Be brave enough to pick a direction. Be smart enough to course-correct when the data tells you to. And be relentless about communicating your value in a way that makes your ideal customer say, “Finally, someone gets it.”
The Punchline: Don’t Be the Swiss Army Knife Nobody Uses
In B2B, the graveyard is full of companies that tried to be the Swiss Army knife—lots of features, no clear use case, and ultimately forgotten at the bottom of the drawer. The winners? They’re the ones who started as the world’s best bottle opener, earned their place, and only then added the corkscrew.
Mastering B2B Positioning at Every Stage of Growth
So, next time you’re tempted to broaden your positioning “just in case,” remember: in a world of infinite choice, clarity is your competitive edge. Be the brand that knows exactly who it’s for, why it matters, and isn’t afraid to say “no” to the rest.
Because in B2B, as in dating, the best matches happen when you know exactly what you want—and you’re not afraid to swipe left.