Why "Feature/Function, Good Enough" Positioning Won't Cut It Anymore
The B2B tech landscape is evolving rapidly, and if you’re still relying on "feature/function, good enough" positioning, you’re setting yourself up to lose. The executive buyers you’re targeting are navigating a noisy, overcrowded market, and standing out requires more than just listing product features. Here's why your approach needs a radical overhaul to succeed in today’s B2B environment.
1. Executive Buyers Hold the Budget
Gone are the days when IT departments controlled the tech budget. Today, executive buyers—CEOs, CFOs, and COOs—are the gatekeepers. They’re making the final call on tech purchases because these decisions are no longer just about improving IT infrastructure—they’re about driving business outcomes. To get their attention, your messaging needs to reflect their priorities: solving high-level business challenges, increasing profitability, and future-proofing the organization. If you’re still leading with features, you’re missing the mark.
2. Executive Buyers Don't Want Another Tech Vendor
Executives are inundated with pitches from tech vendors every day. What they don’t want is another vendor pushing yet another solution. They’re looking for strategic partners who understand their business and can contribute to their long-term goals. This means shifting your positioning from "Here’s what we offer" to "Here’s how we help you achieve what you care about."
3. Executive Buyers Are Being Inundated by Tech Vendor Noise
Let’s face it: the tech space is noisy. Thousands of companies are pushing new AI tools, cloud solutions, and software upgrades. Standing out in this crowded field requires cutting through the noise with a message that resonates on a deeper level. This isn’t about being louder—it’s about being clearer. If your messaging sounds like every other tech vendor, your prospects will tune you out before you can finish your pitch.
4. Your "AI Messaging" Is More Blah, Blah
AI is the buzzword of the moment, and nearly every tech company is touting its AI capabilities. But here’s the truth: executive buyers are tired of hearing about AI. They don’t care if your solution uses machine learning, natural language processing, or predictive algorithms—they want to know how it helps them solve specific business problems. If your AI pitch doesn’t make their life easier or their business better, it’s just more noise. They don’t care about your algorithms—just how you solve their problems. In Switzerland, we say: 'Less talk, more action.'
5. Executive Buyers Don’t Care How Your Product Works
Tech buyers of the past might have cared about the specs, but executive buyers today are less concerned with how your product works and more focused on what it can do for their business. They’re looking for outcomes, not technical details. You need to speak in terms of results: improved efficiency, cost savings, increased revenue. Skip the geek speak and focus on the business value your solution delivers.
6. Executive Buyers Prefer Straightforward, Plain Language—And Brevity
Brevity is your new best friend. Executive buyers don’t have time for long-winded explanations or overly technical jargon. They want clear, concise, and straight-to-the-point messaging. If you can’t articulate your value in a few sentences, you’ve already lost them. And if your pitch requires a dictionary to understand, it’s not going to resonate. Keep it simple, keep it direct, and above all, keep it relevant.
The Shift: From Vendor to Partner
What does this all mean for your positioning? It’s simple: stop being a vendor and start being a partner. Executive buyers want to feel like you’re there to help them navigate their challenges, not just sell them a product. They need to know that you understand their industry, their pain points, and their goals—and that you have the expertise to help them succeed.
The modern B2B tech landscape is about outcomes, clarity, and strategic partnership. If your messaging is still stuck in the feature/function world, it’s time for a rethink. You’re not just selling technology—you’re selling solutions to high-level business problems. And that’s how you’ll win.
In today's competitive market, “good enough” isn’t good enough anymore. It's time to elevate your game.
One more thing: The Changing B2B Buyer Journey
The Internet, and the way B2B buyers make decisions, is evolving fast. To stay ahead, businesses must adopt a new mindset that goes beyond traditional sales tactics. Executive buyers don’t just want features and functions—they want unique experiences, meaningful partnerships, and community-driven solutions.
Learn more: In "B2B Marketers, You Desperately Need A New Mindset And A Revised Manifesto," we dive into how the B2B buyer journey is changing and why leading companies are building online communities and leveraging collaborative ecosystems to drive growth.
Read the full article on B2BmodernSelling.com and learn how to reshape your sales and marketing approach to align with the new era of B2B selling!
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