Position for acquisition, not retention

High churn is definitely a symptom of poor positioning… but does that mean you should position for retention?

No. Position for acquisition.

The reason poor positioning can lead to churn is that people make assumptions about what your product does that turn out to be incorrect. If they don’t figure out what reality looks like before making an initial purchase, they will churn.

Churn can kill businesses, but that doesn’t mean you should position for retention.

Once a prospect becomes a customer, they have many more touch points with your product. Hopefully, they actually use it regularly. They no longer have to make assumptions about the product at all, because they know it in and out.

If there’s a value that you provide but it’s something people only care — or only think about — after they’ve been using your product for some time, that’s probably not a value you want to highlight in your sales and marketing effort. Of course, make sure all of your customers are aware that you provide that value, but don’t position around it.

Position for the value that will make people buy. Don’t neglect customer relationship management, either — but you’ll have time for that if you have positioned correctly for the factors that make people want to buy, so they’re not initially disappointed.