Haven’t you heard?
- "Go narrower!!"
- "Don’t serve everybody."
- "Don’t speak to all personas."
Someone recently shared...
Industry veterans are advising B2B SaaS founders to slice the market ultra thin.
Like CRM for devops...
What’s next?
CRM for people with six anklets on their left foot???
That’s what I call a positioning cage.
And it’s built by people who are either amateur or insecure...
Amateur because...
They simply don’t know how to craft a story that cuts across.....verticals, use cases, company sizes, and buyer personas.
Insecure because...
They have a zero-sum view of the world. And they feel new tools cannot make space in an already crowded market...
Don’t believe them blindly! Don’t lock yourself into a cage (thinking it is a niche). Don’t start believing you are a kitten when you might actually be a cub.
There is a difference...between a niche and a cage!
Let me explain with two examples...
(Real client cases, but anonymized.)
Example 1: Conversational messaging SaaS
Sells to and retains customers in multiple verticals:
- ✅ Healthcare
- ✅ Finance
- ✅ Real estate
- ✅ Education
"Conversational messaging for HEALTHCARE"
This would be a cage
So we connected the dots of pain:
- 💡 Healthcare: Patient-doctor relationship
- 💡 Finance: Relationship managers
- 💡 Real estate: Broker-buyer relationship
- 💡 Education: Teacher-student relationship
And connected the pain to USP:
- PAIN = Trying to build and nurture lifelong relationship in a digital world
- USP = Messaging solution that never forgets the context from first touch to lifelong.
"Messaging for RELATIONSHIP-DRIVEN SERVICES"
That revealed their niche
Example 2: D2C logistics solution
Sells to and retains customers in many sizes & verticals:
- ✅ Start-ups
- ✅ Mid-sized
- ✅ Enterprises
- ✅ Electronics
- ✅ Fashion
- ✅ Beauty
- ✅ Etc...
"D2C logistics for ENTERPRISE"
This would be a cage
So we connected the dots of pain:
- 💡 Electronics: Utility + preference
- 💡 Fashion: Comfort + style
- 💡 Beauty: Skin compatibility + choice
And connected the pain to USP:
- PAIN = Customer loyalty amidst competition
- USP = Controlling the fulfilment experience on the road, not just on the screen
"D2C logistics platform for LIFESTYLE BRANDS"
That revealed their niche
This is not witchcraft.
It’s positioning by insights instead of “best practices”.
Takeaway
B2B SaaS positioning becomes a cage when it is based on formulas instead of insights.
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About Author: Silky Agarwal
I work as a positioning and messaging success partner for post-PMF B2B SaaS businesses. And have advised Freshworks, Zycus, RippleHire, NextBillion, Jumper, SMS-Magic, Simplicontract, and Netcore, among others. I believe B2B SaaS companies should focus less on positioning the product, and more on positioning the customer.
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