Our positioning philosophy
Capabilities-focused structure over feature laundry lists - Oratory prioritizes explaining what customers can accomplish rather than listing technical features, with 3-4 features organized under each major capability.We structure messaging around business outcomes and customer capabilities, not technical specifications. This approach helps your audience understand value rather than getting lost in feature details.
Strategic partnerships and process
Fletch collaboration (preferred)
For comprehensive positioning work, we partner with Fletch PMM, a positioning specialist:- Positioning specialist: See Fletch PMM’s site for full details or ask us for an intro
- Parallel execution: Positioning work runs alongside design sprints
- Deliverables: Wireframes, messaging strategy, and copy foundation
- Timeline: Mid-January typical completion for comprehensive positioning
Team-led messaging (when Fletch not involved)
For projects without dedicated positioning work, our team creates copy directly:- Copy creation: Our team writes copy for projects without dedicated positioning work
- Wireframe workshops: 15-minute calls with clients to build messaging structure
- Focus areas: Problem/solution clarity, differentiation, and use case prioritization
Whether working with Fletch or directly, we ensure messaging aligns with your brand voice, market position, and sales conversations.
Messaging structure approaches
Our messaging follows three core structural approaches, chosen based on your product and market:Problem/Solution Foundation
Standard structure for most B2B SaaS products
- Problem identification → solution explanation → step-by-step capabilities
- Use case prioritization: Focus on primary customer workflows
- Before/after positioning: Explain value through transformation stories
- Avoid comprehensive feature coverage in favor of key workflows
Differentiation Strategy
Competitive positioning that highlights unique advantages
- Unique mechanisms: Identify and highlight proprietary approaches
- Direct comparison when advantageous (e.g., local vs cloud AI)
- Anti-establishment messaging: Challenge industry norms for disruptive brands
- Clear competitive advantages over feature parity
Customer Segment Targeting
Audience-specific messaging for different customer types
- Dual audience handling: Separate messaging tracks for different customer types
- Decision-maker focus: Prioritize business owner messaging over end-user features
- Revenue-based segmentation: Tailor complexity based on deal size and customer sophistication
- Right message for the right audience
Industry-specific approaches
Our positioning adapts to different business types and industries:B2B SaaS/Software
Capabilities over features
- Group features under business outcomes
- Integration messaging: “Table stakes” expectations around connectivity
- Technical credibility: Balance sophistication with accessibility
- Workflow focus: Explain step-by-step process improvements
- 3-4 features organized under each major capability
Professional Services
Authority positioning
- Establish credibility without over-marketing
- Process visualization: Make invisible frameworks tangible
- Consultation approach: Guide/mentor voice rather than hero positioning
- Framework and methodology emphasis
Technical/Developer Products
Technical noir aesthetic
- Anti-pattern messaging that questions status quo
- Privacy/ethics angles: Environmental and data sovereignty positioning
- Performance claims: Concrete technical advantages (speed, cost, security)
- Developer-focused value propositions
Content strategy and voice
Tone guidelines
- Conversational evolution: Move away from all-caps corporate speak toward natural language
- Confidence without hype: Mature presentation as industry leader
- Minimal text approach: Focus on essential messaging over verbose explanations
Headline strategy
- Single headline format: Avoid bullet points in key positioning statements
- Tagline extensions: Longer taglines with prominent product integration
- Typography hierarchy: Serif + sans serif combinations for sophistication
Messaging validation and refinement
Client feedback integration
- Stakeholder alignment: Ensure messaging resonates with all decision-makers
- Market positioning: Validate against competitive landscape and customer expectations
- Sales process alignment: Match messaging to actual sales conversations
Content iteration process
- Wireframe refinement: Update content based on client revisions during design phase
- Copy consolidation: Reduce verbose content for better user experience
- A/B messaging: Present multiple approaches for client selection
Messaging evolves throughout our process. We refine based on your feedback, market validation, and alignment with your sales conversations.
Specialized positioning scenarios
Funding announcements
- Partnership emphasis: Logos more important than funding amounts
- Institutional credibility: Highlight prestigious investors and collaborators
- Minimal approach: Simple messaging that lets partnerships speak
Market repositioning
- Focus narrowing: Shift from “all-in-one” to specific use case leadership
- Competitive differentiation: Identify unique advantages vs established players
- Timeline positioning: Clarify where product fits in customer workflow
Technical complexity management
- Abstraction levels: Balance technical depth with business value communication
- Audience splitting: Different messaging depth for technical vs business audiences
- Proof points: Use concrete examples and metrics over theoretical benefits
Quality standards and deliverables
Messaging consistency
- Brand voice maintenance: Ensure messaging aligns with existing brand personality while allowing evolution
- Cross-page coherence: Maintain consistent value proposition across all website sections
- Template scalability: Create messaging frameworks for future page creation
Deliverables
When working with Fletch PMM:- Wireframes with messaging structure
- Messaging strategy document
- Copy foundation for key pages
- Proven partnership: We’ve done many projects together, and our processes align well
- Wireframe workshops (15-minute calls)
- Copy for all pages in scope
- Messaging structure aligned with design
All messaging work is designed to be scalable. We create frameworks and templates that make it easy to extend messaging to new pages post-launch.
How this fits into our process
Positioning and messaging work happens throughout our design and development process:-
Week 1 (Design Direction):
- If working with Fletch: Positioning work runs in parallel
- If working directly: Wireframe workshops to build messaging structure
- Problem/solution clarity and differentiation strategy established
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Week 2 (Homepage Design):
- Copy creation and refinement
- Messaging validation with stakeholders
- Content iteration based on feedback
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Week 3-4 (Development):
- Final copy refinement
- Cross-page messaging consistency
- Content consolidation and optimization
Working with Fletch PMM
For companies wanting comprehensive positioning work, we recommend partnering with Fletch PMM:- Timeline: Typically completes mid-January for comprehensive positioning
- Deliverables: Strategic positioning, wireframes, messaging strategy, copy foundation
- Proven partnership: We’ve done many projects together, and our processes align well
We’ve worked with Fletch PMM on many projects, and our processes align seamlessly. If you’re interested in comprehensive positioning work, we can make an introduction or you can visit their site directly.
Learn more about Fletch PMM
Visit Fletch PMM’s site to learn more about their positioning approach.
Ready to discuss your positioning needs?
Book a call to discuss how we’ll approach messaging and positioning for your specific product and market.Book a free intro call
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