The sales team is increasingly asked why the company is more expensive than a competitor. During conversations, customers mention companies that were barely on the radar just a few years ago. Quotes are increasingly compared based on price rather than content. Competitors are now using similar claims and language, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish our company from others on websites. Existing customers may stay, but attracting new ones is no longer a given. Internally, a debate has arisen: should we adjust our prices, communicate more, or perhaps change our offering?
We investigate where the pressure is actually coming from and what that says about the organization’s position. We look at customers, competitors, the organization’s offerings, and the story it’s currently telling. This helps clarify whether the problem lies primarily in how the organization presents itself, or whether substantive changes are needed.
From there, we work together to determine where the difference still lies or where it can be created anew. This can lead to a sharper positioning, a different narrative, or different choices in marketing and sales. But sometimes the most important conclusion is that communication isn’t the primary issue. That, too, must be clarified before new campaigns, content, or resources are created.
Market pressure reveals which aspects of a position are truly strong and which have simply been taken for granted for a long time. If customers are less clear on why they should choose the organization, more marketing isn't automatically the answer.
Sometimes the distinction still exists, but it isn’t made sufficiently clear. Sometimes competitors have closed the gap, and the difference has actually become smaller. And sometimes customer expectations have changed so much that the product or service offering—or the way the organization operates—must change as well. That distinction must first be clear before an organization decides what to do.
