Competitive alternatives

What the customer would actually do if you didn’t exist. In B2B this comes in two sets: the status quo (whatever they’re doing now, even a spreadsheet, interns, or a limping website) and the short list of vendors they’d consider if they did decide to buy. It is the first component of Dunford’s positioning method because every later claim of differentiation is measured against this list — and the status quo alone ends 40–60% of B2B purchase processes in “no decision.”

Source: April Dunford, Obviously Awesome (2019). Dunford’s starting point for all positioning: what would your best customers actually do if you didn’t exist? (Usually: nothing, a spreadsheet, or the status quo — not your named competitor.)

First used in: 1.3 · Positioning mechanics