Name the Real Enemy in Your Go to Market
Learn how targeting a Total Relevant Market (TRM) instead of a broad TAM and naming an abstract enemy like complexity transforms B2B positioning and messaging.
About This Video
Executive Takeaways
- Targeting a broad market with multiple ICPs dilutes go-to-market effectiveness; companies succeed faster by identifying a focused beachhead customer within their Total Relevant Market (TRM).
- Naming a distinct enemy beyond direct competitors—such as operational complexity—provides a clearer, more compelling narrative for positioning and taglines.
- Customer discovery often invalidates product assumptions, revealing whether buyers prefer a fully managed service over self-serve DIY software.
- Leading with technology labels like 'AI-forward' often fails to resonate compared to addressing the core problem and establishing a clear category point of view.
Key Questions Answered in This Deep Dive
Why should B2B companies focus on a Total Relevant Market (TRM) rather than a broad TAM?
Focusing on a broad TAM often causes startups to target too many customer types simultaneously, diluting their message. A Total Relevant Market (TRM) approach enables companies to select a focused beachhead customer profile where they can achieve product-market fit faster.
What does it mean to 'name the enemy' in B2B positioning?
Naming the enemy means defining the underlying problem or friction that customers struggle against, which is often an abstract issue like operational complexity rather than a direct competitor. Positioning against this common enemy sharpens taglines and aligns marketing messaging.
Why might an AI-forward messaging strategy fail to win over customers?
Leading with 'AI' focuses on the underlying technology rather than the business outcome or problem being solved. As customer discovery demonstrated, buyers prioritized solving complexity through a fully managed service over buying AI software to manage themselves.
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