7 DEADLY POSITIONING MISTAKES COSTING B2B BRANDS MILLIONS (AND HOW TO AVOID THEM)
Are you unknowingly sabotaging your B2B brand's success?
Today, let’s flip the script.
Instead of discussing how brands win, let’s uncover how they lose - and what you can do to avoid the same fate.
Here are seven deadly positioning mistakes that cost B2B brands millions (and how to fix them):
1. PLAYING THE ME-TOO GAME
Most brands obsess over competitors - especially the big ones.
They copy their strategies, tweak a few things, and claim, “We’re better/faster/cheaper.”
🚨 Big mistake.
📌 Result? Your brand becomes just another commodity while customers gravitate toward established market leaders.
Customers see through it and pick the safer, well-known option instead.
Remember this golden rule: You can't dethrone market leaders by imitating them!
✅ How to avoid it: Study your competitors - not to imitate them but to find what they’re missing. Identify gaps in the market and differentiate where it matters.
2. TRYING TO SERVE EVERYBODY & DO EVERYTHING
Many brands fear narrowing their audience.
They cast a wide net, trying to attract everyone, but end up resonating with no one.
❌ If customers don’t know exactly who you serve and what problem you solve best, they’ll ignore you.
✅ How to avoid it: Make strategic choices. Define the one problem you solve better than anyone else and the one audience that benefits the most. Specialization = Authority.
💡 Pro tip: If your "who" is extremely specific, your "what" can remain somewhat flexible (or vice versa). For example, a consultancy in a small city can offer diverse services due to limited competition, while the same firm operating globally needs to specialize in both target audience and solutions.
3. BEING UNAWARE OF WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT
Ask a B2B executive what makes their brand unique.
Most will mumble something about quality and customer service - things that are expected, not differentiators.
📉 Without clear differentiation, your brand becomes a directionless commodity.
This positioning sin creates:
Lack of clear business direction
Confused employees with no understanding of how to win
Incoherent strategies pulling the organization in multiple directions
✅ How to avoid it: Identify your core strengths and make a clear, bold decision on how you stand out. Then, build everything - messaging, services, and strategy - around that.
4. NOT UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMERS’ REAL NEEDS
Some brands look, but they don’t see.
They listen, but they don’t hear.
They’re so focused on internal processes that they forget what actually matters - the customer.
This disconnect makes growth nearly impossible because:
You can't deliver or frame value properly when you don't understand needs
Potential customers fail to see how you'll help them achieve goals
Purchase decisions stall or go to competitors
❌ This leads to unclear value propositions, lost sales, and a frustrating buying experience.
✅ How to avoid it: Dive deep into your customers' world:
What pain points do they have?
What do they truly want beyond functional needs?
What objections keep them from buying?
Remember: B2B buyers are often MORE emotional than consumers!
The better you understand them, the easier it is to win them over.
5. BELIEVING UNDERPRICING BOOSTS SALES
💰 “Want more sales? Cut prices.”
This is one of the biggest traps brands fall into.
Your brand becomes synonymous with "cheap"
Perceived quality diminishes regardless of actual quality
Profit margins shrink as competitors force you into a race to zero
You find yourself trapped in a business model you never wanted
🚨 Instead of boosting demand, low pricing positions you as cheap and low-quality.
It also forces constant price wars you can’t win.
✅ How to avoid it: Instead of competing on price, compete on value. Strong positioning allows you to charge premium rates because customers associate high prices with high quality.
Remember: The ultimate positioning victory isn't increasing sales by cutting prices, but increasing sales WHILE raising prices. This creates a virtuous cycle where higher prices signal higher quality, attracting more customers who value quality over cost.
6. HAVING WEAK MESSAGING
Ever visited a website and had no clue what the brand actually does? 🙄
❌ Vague slogans.
Generic phrases.
Jargon-packed nonsense.
This sin occurs because:
Businesses lack clarity about their value proposition and hide behind generic phrases
They focus messaging on themselves rather than customer problems
They try to communicate too many capabilities, diluting their core message
If your messaging isn’t crystal clear, customers won’t take the time to figure it out.
✅ How to avoid it:
Clarify your value proposition.
Make your messaging customer-focused.
Cut the fluff.
Your audience doesn’t care about your mission statement.
They care about how you can solve their problem - fast.
7. IGNORING BRAND PERCEPTION
Your brand isn’t what you say it is - it’s what customers believe it is.
If your messaging, pricing, and customer experience don’t align, you create distrust and confusion.
✅ How to avoid it: Ensure every touchpoint - website, social media, sales calls - reinforces the same clear, consistent positioning.
Remember: While competitors battle over similar capabilities, win through a distinctive perspective that resonates with your ideal clients.
🛠️ HOW YOU CAN APPLY THIS
Conduct an honest audit: Which of these sins is your organization committing?
Prioritize addressing the most damaging sin first—usually either lack of differentiation or customer blindness
Create a 90-day action plan to realign your positioning strategy
Involve key stakeholders to ensure buy-in and consistent execution
Measure results by tracking changes in customer perception, sales cycle length, and profit margins
🎯 TAKEAWAY:
The most dangerous positioning sin isn't committing these mistakes - it's recognizing them and doing nothing.
Your brand's success hinges not on perfection but on the continuous refinement of your positioning strategy.
Positioning isn’t about competing - it’s about owning a category.
The brands that do this don’t chase customers.
Customers chase them.
Start today by addressing just one positioning sin.
The millions you save (and earn) will make it worthwhile.
🔔 Follow for More: Don't miss out on future articles packed with practical tips and inspiring ideas.
Visit my website Kamaleonte Marketing.
Subscribe to my newsletter AI Sapiens.
Stay informed, stay adaptable, and keep thriving