In most companies — especially SaaS, tech, or B2B — the product is always evolving. New features are added, roadmaps shift, priorities change. But while your product can and should evolve, your messaging to customers, investors, and even your internal team needs to remain consistent and clear.
The risk of constantly shifting messaging is simple: if you’re always talking about the latest feature, your audience struggles to understand what your product actually does, who it’s for, and why it matters.
So how do you create messaging that stays relevant even as your product changes? The answer is to anchor your message in value — not features.
Start with a Clear Positioning Statement
The foundation of any strong product message is a Positioning Statement. This is not a tagline or a piece of marketing copy. It’s a simple, internal declaration that keeps your story focused as the product evolves.
A good Positioning Statement answers three basic questions:
- Who is your target customer?
- What unique value do you deliver?
- How do you prove that value?
For example:
“We help mid-market SaaS companies prevent Microsoft 365 governance risks by giving IT teams full visibility, automation, and control — without adding admin overhead.”
That type of clarity gives you a reference point when you’re briefing the sales team, writing web copy, or speaking to investors. Features may change; the Positioning Statement keeps your message stable.
And of course, positioning isn’t necessarily permanent. As your market, product, or customer base evolves, you can refine it. But changes should reflect major shifts — not minor feature releases.
Define Your “One Simple Thing”
After positioning, refine your core message into your One Simple Thing (OST) — a short, memorable expression of the emotional power your product delivers.
Steve Jobs famously introduced the iPod as:
“1,000 songs in your pocket.”
He didn’t mention storage capacity, file formats, or syncing. The OST made the iPod instantly understandable and appealing.
Your One Simple Thing should aim for the same effect: immediate clarity, emotionally resonant, easy to share. This helps customers, prospects, and even your own team explain what you do.
Test, Refine, and Iterate
Early on — especially during customer discovery — your messaging will need active testing. Present your Positioning Statement and OST to real prospects. Watch what resonates. Pay attention to where they pause, what they repeat, and what confuses them.
Iterative messaging work often makes the difference between early traction and stalled growth. Strong product teams treat messaging as part of product development — not just something for marketing to handle after the product is built.
Use “Social Intents” for Early Conversations
In customer conversations, it can be helpful to use simplified “social intents” — very short, informal versions of your core message that you can test in early calls and pitches.
These are not formal pitch decks or marketing headlines. Instead, think of them as working hypotheses you test in real time:
“We help fast-growing companies stop Microsoft 365 permission sprawl before it becomes unmanageable.”
Social intents are particularly useful in discovery and early-stage sales, where you’re learning as much as you’re selling. Just be cautious where customer data or privacy regulations apply if you’re collecting feedback at scale.
Messaging Stability Is an Advantage
In fast-moving product organizations, stable messaging is a competitive asset. When your team knows how to describe the product simply and consistently, everything else gets easier: customer conversations, onboarding, sales enablement, investor pitches, even hiring.
The product will keep changing. The roadmap will keep evolving. But a clear message anchored in customer value can stay stable for years.
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