skills/run-b2b-messaging-workshop/references/template-and-guidance.md

# Canonical messaging framework template and guidance

## Contents

- Source and integrity rules
- Document header
- Phase 0: Company snapshot
- Phase 1: Product marketing strategy
- Phase 2: Positioning
- Phase 3: Pressure test
- Copyright

## Source and integrity rules

This is the bundled Markdown representation of **Messaging framework template (copy for a new company)**, canonical Notion page ID `a71d860597c24d5ea7574b933e4d6fee`, verified 2026-08-04.

- Use the guidance and prompts below while facilitating and validating the workshop, but do not copy them into a finished customer document.
- In the final Markdown and Notion outputs, preserve the phase order, content section names, field order, tables, owner/version metadata, changelog, and copyright notice.
- Strip instructional `NOTE` and `TIP` callouts, “What to write here” text, template prompts, placeholder explanations, and facilitator directions from both final formats.
- Render owner/version metadata and the changelog as ordinary document content, not a quote block or callout.
- Preserve approved customer quotes and substantive quoted evidence; they are content, not template instructions.
- Replace placeholders only with approved content or clearly labeled hypotheses.
- Keep required unknowns as `Open question: ...`.
- Omit an optional section only when the user explicitly skips it.
- Never update the canonical page ID. Create or populate a separate page only after explicit confirmation.

---

# Messaging framework template

> [!NOTE]
> **Owner:** \<name\> · **Participants:** \<founder + sales + product — positioning is a team sport, not a marketing deliverable\> · **Version:** v1 · **Last reviewed:** \<date\> · **Next review:** \<date, ~6 months out\>
>
> **Changelog** — newest first, one line each: what changed and why.
> - v1 — \<date\> — First version.

> [!TIP]
> Use this as a reusable messaging framework for any company.
> - Duplicate this page (or copy sections) per company.
> - Replace the placeholders and delete any sections you don’t need.
> - Work top to bottom: **Phase 0** (company snapshot) → **Phase 1** (strategy) → **Phase 2** (positioning) → **Phase 3** (pressure test). Don’t skip the test.

# Phase 0: Company snapshot

> [!NOTE]
> **Five lines, no more.** The sales motion line decides how the whole framework gets used:
> - **Self-serve** — the website closes the deal. Message the person who'll use the product, promise a small win they can verify today, and let the CTA start right now ("Start free").
> - **Sales-led** — a person closes the deal. Message the person who signs off, promise the bigger outcome, and let the CTA book the conversation ("Book a call").
>
> The bigger the promise and the price, the more you need a human to carry it.

- **What the company sells:** \<one plain line\>
- **Sales motion:** \<self-serve — the website closes / sales-led — a person closes\>
- **Typical deal:** \<price range + time to close\>
- **How buyers find you:** \<search / referrals / communities / outbound / events\>
- **Conversion action:** \<book a call / start free trial / watch a demo\>

---

# Phase 1: Product marketing strategy

## Background

> [!NOTE]
> **What to write here**
> - 3–6 sentences on the market context your company operates in.
> - Include the “why now” and the shift or constraint creating urgency.
> - Avoid company-specific features. Keep it about the world your buyer lives in.
>
> **Prompt**
> - “In the last \<time period\>, \<industry\> has shifted from \<old\> to \<new\> because \<drivers\>.”

**[Insert background paragraph here]**

## Industry problems the company solves

> [!NOTE]
> **What to write here**
> - Bullet the pains that made this product necessary.
> - Focus on symptoms buyers recognize, not internal causes.
> - Include raw customer language where available: exact phrases from sales calls, emails, reviews, support tickets, or interviews.
>
> **Prompt**
> - “When \<buyer\> tries to \<job to be done\>, they struggle with…”

- **Problem 1:** \<describe\>
- **Problem 2:** \<describe\>
- **Problem 3:** \<describe\>

## Customer language (optional — keep short)

> [!TIP]
> Only fill this if you have real quotes. Max 3 each. Skip rather than invent.

### Phrases they use

- \<exact phrase\>
- \<exact phrase\>
- \<exact phrase\>

### Words to avoid

- \<word or phrase\>
- \<word or phrase\>
- \<word or phrase\>

## Map pains to needs

> [!TIP]
> For each pain above, write the underlying need (what the buyer is trying to achieve).

| Pains | Needs |
|---|---|
| \<pain\> | \<need\> |
| \<pain\> | \<need\> |
| \<pain\> | \<need\> |

## Competitive alternatives

> [!NOTE]
> **What to write here**
> - If your company didn’t exist, what would customers do instead?
> - This is also where you choose the primary comparator: the alternative the positioning should be anchored against.
> - Comparators can be direct competitors, incumbents, horizontal tools, internal builds, manual workflows, agencies, consultants, spreadsheets, or “do nothing.”
> - Include internal workarounds, incumbents, and “do nothing.”
>
> **Prompt**
> - “Today, our buyers typically solve this by…”

| Alternative (what they’d do instead) | Where it falls short | What we can do that it can’t |
|---|---|---|
| \<DIY / manual workaround\> | \<the specific failure, in the customer’s words\> | \<the capability that closes that gap\> |
| \<Incumbent / vendor category\> | \<where it falls short\> | \<what we do that it can’t\> |
| \<Direct competitor\> | \<where it falls short\> | \<what we do that it can’t\> |
| \<Indirect competitor\> | \<where it falls short\> | \<what we do that it can’t\> |
| Do nothing / tolerate the pain | \<what staying put costs them\> | \<why acting now beats waiting\> |

- 👉 The “Unique attributes” section below should summarize the third column — not start a fresh brainstorm.
- **Primary comparator:** \<the one alternative positioning is anchored against — not “other solutions”\>

## Product type

> [!NOTE]
> **Pick one.** This locks what you compare against in positioning and messaging.

| Product type | What it replaces |
|---|---|
| **Clear upgrade** | Existing software in the category |
| **New Way** | Combo of workflows, tools, services, or processes |
| **Vertical Solution** | A horizontal tool not built for your audience |
| **Buy vs. Build** | Building and managing it in-house |

- **Product type:** \<Clear upgrade / New Way / Vertical Solution / Buy vs. Build\>
- **What it replaces:** \<one specific line — named incumbent, workflow, horizontal tool, or “build it ourselves”\>
- **Check:** your Primary comparator (in Competitive alternatives above) should be the same thing as “what it replaces.” If they don’t match, fix one of them.

## Switching dynamics

> [!NOTE]
> Use the JTBD Four Forces to understand what makes buyers move or stay stuck.
> - **Push:** What frustration drives them away from the current approach?
> - **Pull:** What makes this company’s solution attractive now?
> - **Habit:** What keeps them using the old workflow?
> - **Anxiety:** What worries them about switching?

- **Push:** \<frustration with current approach\>
- **Pull:** \<appeal of new solution\>
- **Habit:** \<existing behavior or process inertia\>
- **Anxiety:** \<risk, uncertainty, or switching concern\>

## Unique attributes (capabilities)

> [!NOTE]
> **What to write here**
> - Capabilities you have that alternatives don’t.
> - Keep it as “what the product can do,” not the benefit yet.
>
> **Prompt**
> - “Unlike alternatives, we can…”

- \<Unique capability 1\>
- \<Unique capability 2\>
- \<Unique capability 3\>

## Value and proof

> [!NOTE]
> **What to write here**
> - Quantifiable outcomes (even if ranges or directional at first).
> - Add proof points: customer quotes, benchmarks, internal data, pilots.
>
> **Prompt**
> - “Customers should expect to see \<metric\> improve by \<range\> because…”

- **Outcome 1:** \<metric + improvement\> — proof: \<source\>
- **Outcome 2:** \<metric + improvement\> — proof: \<source\>
- **Outcome 3:** \<metric + improvement\> — proof: \<source\>

## Target customers

> [!NOTE]
> **What to write here**
> - Define who has the pain intensely and frequently.
> - Include firmographics (size, stage, industry) and triggering events.
>
> **Prompt**
> - “This is for \<type of company\> who are trying to \<goal\> and are blocked by \<pain\>.”

- **Best-fit customer profile:** \<describe\>
- **Trigger events:** \<e.g., scale, audit, migration, acquisition\>
- **Not a fit when:** \<describe\>

## Personas (who you message to)

> [!NOTE]
> List the 3–6 key roles. Prioritize the personas so messaging has a clear primary audience instead of trying to speak equally to everyone.
>
> For each: job-to-be-done, what they care about, objections, audience awareness level, and whether they are the focus audience for positioning.
> - **Problem-aware:** They know something is broken, but may not know the category or solution yet. Lead with pain, symptoms, and stakes.
> - **Solution-aware:** They know solutions exist and are comparing approaches. Lead with category, differentiation, and why this approach is better than the comparator.
> - **Product-aware:** They already know the company or product. Lead with proof, use case, urgency, or conversion action.

| Persona | Priority | Focus audience for positioning? | Awareness level | Messaging implication | JTBD | Cares about | Objections |
|---|---:|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| \<role\> | 1 | Yes | \<problem-aware / solution-aware / product-aware\> | \<lead with problem / category + differentiation / proof + CTA\> | \<job\> | \<metrics/outcomes\> | \<concerns\> |
| \<role\> | 2 | No | \<problem-aware / solution-aware / product-aware\> | \<lead with problem / category + differentiation / proof + CTA\> | \<job\> | \<metrics/outcomes\> | \<concerns\> |

## Optional use cases by persona

> [!TIP]
> Write these as mini-stories: “As a \<persona\>, when \<scenario\>, I need \<need\> because \<reason\>.”

- **As a \<persona\>**, when \<scenario\>, I need \<need\> because \<reason\>.
- **As a \<persona\>**, when \<scenario\>, I need \<need\> because \<reason\>.

## Translate features into benefits

> [!NOTE]
> Pick your top 5–10 features and translate each into an outcome.
> - Feature: what it does
> - Benefit: why it matters
> - Value: how the business wins

- **Feature:** \<feature\> → **Benefit:** \<benefit\> → **Value:** \<value\>
- **Feature:** \<feature\> → **Benefit:** \<benefit\> → **Value:** \<value\>

## Market categories research

> [!NOTE]
> **Goal:** Choose a category that helps buyers understand you quickly.
>
> **Prompt**
> - “Buyers already budget for \<category\> solutions. We fit because \<reasons\>. We differ because \<differentiation\>.”

- **Category option 1:** \<name\>
  - Pro: \<pro\>
  - Con: \<con\>
  - Differentiation angle: \<angle\>
- **Category option 2:** \<name\>
  - Pro: \<pro\>
  - Con: \<con\>
  - Differentiation angle: \<angle\>

## Trends (optional)

> [!TIP]
> Only include trends if they *clarify* your message. Avoid trend-chasing.

- Trend: \<trend\>
  - Why it helps positioning: \<why\>
  - Risk: \<risk\>

---

# Phase 2: Positioning

## Messaging canvas

> [!NOTE]
> Fill this in with crisp sentences. Avoid jargon.

- **Product name:** \<name\>
- **Category:** \<category\>
- **Audience:** \<primary buyer + primary user\>
- **One-line:** \<Product\> is a \<category\> for \<audience\> that helps \<job\> by \<how\>.

## Messaging summary deliverables

> [!NOTE]
> Create two summary deliverables from the messaging work: a short form one-liner and a longer company paragraph.
> - The one-liner should be simple enough to use in a homepage hero, sales deck, or internal summary.
> - The long-form paragraph should explain what the company does, who it is for, why it matters, and why it is different.

### Short-form one-liner

\<Company\> helps \<audience\> \<achieve outcome\> by \<mechanism\>.

### Long-form company paragraph

\<Company\> is a \<category / product type\> for \<primary audience\>. It helps them \<achieve outcome\> when \<situation / pain\> by \<mechanism\>. Unlike \<primary comparator\>, \<Company\> \<primary differentiation\>, so \<audience\> can \<business result\>.

## Headline and sub-headline options

> [!TIP]
> Write 3–5 variations. One should be very simple and literal.

- **H1:** \<headline\>
  - **H2:** \<supporting line\>
- **H1:** \<headline\>
  - **H2:** \<supporting line\>
- **H1:** \<headline\>
  - **H2:** \<supporting line\>

## Core narrative blocks

> [!NOTE]
> These are the reusable chunks for website, sales deck, and outbound.

### What it is

**\<Company\> is** \<simple definition\>.

### What it does

**It helps** \<audience\> \<achieve outcome\> by \<mechanism\>.

### Who it is for

**It’s built for** \<ICP + personas\> who \<situation\>.

### Why it’s better

**Unlike** \<alternative\>, **it** \<unique advantage\>.

## Differentiators table

> [!TIP]
> Keep this concrete: benefit, supporting feature, and why it’s different.

| Benefit | Supporting feature | Why it’s different |
|---|---|---|
| \<benefit\> | \<feature\> | \<difference\> |
| \<benefit\> | \<feature\> | \<difference\> |
| \<benefit\> | \<feature\> | \<difference\> |

## Minimum branding exercise (optional)

> [!NOTE]
> Capture what you are, what you are not, and how you sound.

### What we are

- \<attribute\>
- \<attribute\>
- \<attribute\>

### What we are not

- \<attribute\>
- \<attribute\>
- \<attribute\>

### Mission

\<one sentence\>

### Vision

\<one sentence\>

### Voice & tone

- \<guideline\>
- \<guideline\>
- \<guideline\>

## Stand out (memorability)

> [!NOTE]
> **Different isn't enough — it has to be repeatable at lunch.** Write the quirky, concrete version of your difference.
> - **The retell test:** how would a happy customer describe you to a colleague, from memory, with no website open?
> - Memorable = specific, a little surprising, and easy to say. “Faster and easier” fails all three.
>
> Choose one or more of the options below — use it in sales pitch, one liners, conversations with humans.

- **The retell sentence:** \<the one sentence you want customers repeating — written the way a person would actually say it\>
- **The “only” claim:** The only \<category\> that \<thing competitors can't or won't say\>.
- **The enemy:** \<the named thing you're against — “the 47-tab spreadsheet,” “agency retainers,” “status meetings”\>
- **Signature assets (pick 1–3, repeat everywhere):** \<a named method, a number, a phrase, a visual, a mascot, a color\>
- **The proud flaw:** \<the trade-off you own out loud — “slower, because a human checks every one”\>

## Final positioning statement

> [!NOTE]
> Complete this last. You should only write the final positioning statement after working through the strategy, audience, product type, primary comparator, switching dynamics, messaging, and proof sections above.
>
> The **unlike** line should match your Primary comparator. The **is a** line should match your Product type / category.
>
> When it’s written, run the Phase 3 pressure test below before using it anywhere.

**For** \<primary audience\>\
**who** \<urgent problem / situation\>,\
**\<Company\> is a** \<product type / category\>\
**that helps** \<job / outcome\>\
**unlike** \<primary comparator\>,\
**we** \<primary differentiation / why better\>.

---

# Phase 3: Pressure test

> [!TIP]
> Run this as a separate step, ideally the next day or by someone who didn’t write it. If a check fails, go back and fix the section it points to.

| Check | Question | It fails when… |
|---|---|---|
| **Clarity** | Could a first-time visitor say what this is after 5 seconds? | They’d need a second read. |
| **Differentiation** | Could your primary comparator publish the same one-liner? | Yes — then it’s a description, not positioning. |
| **Memorability** | Would a customer retell it at lunch? Is there one quirky, concrete detail that sticks? | It’s all adjectives (“faster, easier, smarter”). |
| **Proof** | Does every value claim have a named source? | Any claim rests on “we believe.” |
| **Trace** | Can every blank in the final statement be traced back to a Phase 1 section? | Something was filled in from intuition. |
| **Their words** | Is the language from the customer-language section, or ours? | It reads like the industry, not the buyer. |

- **Result:** \<pass / list of sections to revisit\>

---

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