# Positioning Messaging > Builds or audits positioning statements, messaging hierarchies, homepage copy, and persona cards using April Dunford's Obviously Awesome framework across five modes (build, audit, fletch, sales-enablement, homepage). Refuses to generate without a named primary persona and 3+ alternatives including status quo, and blocks output until a 7-point verification gate passes. - Skill: `stefanoskarakasis/positioning-messaging` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add stefanoskarakasis/positioning-messaging` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/stefanoskarakasis/positioning-messaging/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: stefanoskarakasis (https://skillmd.com/u/stefanoskarakasis) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/stefanoskarakasis/positioning-messaging --- # positioning-messaging Built on Dunford's Obviously Awesome framework. Delivers sharp, defensible positioning through a 6-phase discovery and stress-test process. --- ## Onboarding > Run this block once at the start of every new session. No output until > complete. One question at a time. This is the Settings screen — not discovery. **Step 1 — Check brain:** ```` Does /foundation/brain.md exist? YES → Load silently. Note ICP, alternatives, market context, voice guide, energy state. Proceed. NO → Surface once: "No brain found. You can still run this skill, but output will be less precise. Run product-marketing-context first for sharper results. Continuing." ```` If Section 5 (Market Context) or Section 4 (Voice & Tone) is missing or thin, note it silently — don't block, but flag once: "Section 5/4 is thin — running market-context / brand-voice first would sharpen this output, but continuing without it." **Step 2 — Select mode:** Ask: `"What are you trying to accomplish today?"` Present options (let user pick one — no typing required): - `[BUILD]` — New positioning from scratch - `[AUDIT]` — Review and score existing messaging - `[FLETCH]` — Internal positioning deck (6 slides) - `[SALES-ENABLEMENT]` — Persona cards + competitive playbook - `[HOMEPAGE]` — Production-ready hero, pillars, and CTAs **Step 3 — Confirm persona focus:** Ask: `"Which persona are we positioning for today?"` - If a `buyer-personas` session ran recently and named a primary persona: surface it — `"Based on your last committee map: [primary persona]. Use this?"` - Else if brain has ICP: surface it — `"Based on your brain: [ICP]. Is this correct?"` - If neither: ask for title, company type, and triggering situation **Step 4 — Confirm alternatives:** Ask: `"What are buyers comparing you against?"` - Minimum 3 required (direct, status quo, do-nothing) - If brain has alternatives: surface and confirm **Step 5 — Surface any attached images:** Parse all attached images before reading user text. Extract claims, flags, and implied category. Report as: `"Your current materials say: [findings]"` > After Steps 1–5: state the session setup back to the user in one paragraph. > Await confirmation. Then proceed to Phase 1. --- ## Trigger - **When:** Positioning, messaging, value prop, sales copy, competitive messaging, homepage copy, messaging audit, or any request involving how a product should be described to buyers - **Not for:** Product specification → use `prd`. Building the ICP itself — demographics, behaviors, JTBD, needs — before positioning work → `ideal-customer-profile`, run first if Section 2 is still firmographic-only. Mapping the buying committee or building persona cards → `buyer-personas`, run first for a real primary-persona pick instead of guessing. The "why now" narrative → `market-context`, run first if Section 5 is thin. How the brand should sound → `brand-voice`, run first if Section 4 is thin. - **Example prompts:** - "Build positioning for [product]" - "Our messaging sounds like everyone else" - "Help me position against [competitor]" - "Write our homepage headline and pillars" - "Audit this messaging for coherence" - "We can't explain what we do to sales" - "Is this positioning working?" --- ## Inputs - **Args:** Product/market context, target persona (required), alternatives (3+ minimum, must include status quo + do-nothing), customer evidence or win/loss signals - **Defaults:** If no persona named, surface from brain or ask. If fewer than 3 alternatives, block and ask before proceeding. - **Context keys:** - `/foundation/brain.md` — preferred. Sections 1 (product), 2 (ICP), 3 (alternatives), 4 (voice) if available --- ## Pre-flight - Load `/foundation/brain.md` if it exists. Extract Section 1 (Product Context), Section 2 (ICP), and Section 3 (Alternatives & Positioning) silently. - If `/context/meta-patterns.md` exists in the user's workspace: if a pattern has actually fired 2+ times in prior positioning runs logged there, surface it now. If it doesn't exist, skip this step silently. - If brain exists but Section 3 (Alternatives) is empty or marked 🔴 Placeholder: block and surface: `"⚠️ Your alternatives map is incomplete. Complete Section 3 (Alternatives & Positioning) of your brain via product-marketing-context - If fewer than 3 alternatives provided by user and not found in brain: block intake and ask for status quo + do-nothing before proceeding. Hard stop. - If no brain found: surface once, non-blocking. Continue. --- ## Steps > All modes run all 6 phases unless noted. Shortcuts produce weak output. ### Phase 1: Discovery Run as a conversation. One question at a time. Never generate on the first message. **Hard floor — all four required before Phase 2:** - [ ] Product: what it does today (not roadmap) - [ ] Buyer: one primary (title, company type, triggering situation) - [ ] Alternatives: 3+ including status quo and do-nothing - [ ] Outcome: single most important buyer result in one sentence **Ideal additions:** T1 customer quotes · win/loss transcripts · sales objections · win reasons · pricing model · company stage **Evidence tier on input:** - Verbatim quotes, win/loss transcripts, NPS verbatims → **T1** (anchor a pillar) - Usage data, churn rates, win rates, A/B results → **T2** (support a pillar claim) - Product descriptions, PMM assertions, founder hypotheses → **T3** (must carry `[T3 — NEEDS VALIDATION]`; cannot headline a pillar) **Exit:** Summarise all four hard-floor items back to user. Await confirmation. --- ### Phase 2A: Market Energy Check Identify primary segment energy state before mapping competitors. | State | Buyer situation | Messaging job | |---|---|---| | **M1 — Potential** | No solution; desire blocked by barriers | Remove barriers; unlock demand | | **M2 — Kinetic** | Doing it badly (spreadsheets, manual) | Redirect effort to the better path | | **M3 — Captured** | Already using a solution of this type | Win share on one specific dimension | Confirm with user. Primary positioning serves one state only. Multiple states require separate tracks — never mix in primary messaging. --- ### Phase 2B: Competitive Mapping Map all five alternative types honestly: 1. Direct competitors (same category) 2. Adjacent competitors (overlapping use case) 3. Status quo (spreadsheets, legacy tools, manual process) 4. Build in-house 5. Do nothing For each: what it does well / what it fails / what the buyer must believe to choose it. **Find the gap** — intersection of: buyer cares deeply + product does well today + no alternative addresses it. **Exit — cannot proceed without completing this sentence:** > "For buyers who need [outcome], alternatives fail because [gap], and we address > this with [specific capability today]." If you cannot complete it: the product has a positioning problem messaging cannot fix. Stop and surface this to the user. --- ### Phase 2C: Options-First Generate 3–4 distinct positioning bets before committing to one direction. Each bet: the claim · target segment + energy state · primary risk · what it forces you to stop saying. Present to user. Await selection. Do not proceed to Phase 3 without a chosen direction. --- ### Phase 3: Positioning Development Follow the Dunford sequence: 1. Competitive alternatives (from Phase 2B) 2. Unique attributes — specific only ("3-click onboarding" not "better UX") 3. Value translation — "So what?" × 3 levels; Level 3 belongs in messaging 4. Who cares most — narrow to trigger-event segment, not demographic 5. Market category — frame that makes strengths obvious, not odd 6. Positioning statement × 3 versions: > "For [segment] who [situation], [product] is the [category] that > [differentiator], unlike [alternative] which [limitation]." Pick sharpest version. **Exit:** Statement cannot be said honestly by any named competitor. If it can, rewrite. --- ### Phase 4: Messaging Hierarchy Build top-down. Layer 3 claims must trace to Layer 1. Cannot trace → remove. **Layer 1 — Strategic Narrative** (150–250 words) Old world → Shift → New world → Your role. Product appears after the problem is fully established. **Layer 2 — Core Positioning** Tagline 5–8 words · One-liner 15–25 · Elevator pitch 50–75 · Boilerplate 75–100 **Layer 3 — Key Message Pillars** (exactly 3–4, MECE) Each: headline claim + 2–3 sentence explanation + 2–3 proof points **Layer 4 — Persona Cards** (1–3 max) Each: pain in their language · promise tied to their metric · 3 proof points · one objection pre-handled verbatim · stage-appropriate CTA **Exit:** All layers complete. Persona CTAs match actual sales motion. --- ### Phase 5: Differentiation Stress-Test 4-question test per differentiator. YES or NO only: 1. **TRUE?** — Provable with evidence a skeptical buyer accepts 2. **RELEVANT?** — Buyer cares enough to switch or pay more 3. **UNIQUE?** — 2+ competitors cannot honestly claim the same 4. **SUSTAINABLE?** — Still true in 12–18 months Scoring (no exceptions): - 4/4 → Layer 3 pillar headline - 3/4 → supporting proof point only - ≤ 2/4 → removed entirely --- ### Phase 6: Output Packaging **Self-Verification Gate** — binary pass/fail, 7 checks. Re-enter named phase on any failure. Do not deliver with a caveat instead of a fix. | Check | Pass condition | Fail → | |---|---|---| | Proof coverage | Every claim has T1/T2 or carries `[T3]` flag | Phase 4 | | Narrative coherence | Layers 1→4 read as one story | Phase 4 | | Competitor specificity | Statement cannot be said by any named competitor | Phase 3 | | Stress-test integrity | All pillar headlines 4/4 | Phase 5 | | Persona count | ≤ 3 | Phase 4 | | Jargon | Zero: leverage, seamless, best-in-class, robust, turnkey, holistic, enterprise-grade, disruptive, synergy, game-changing, "powered by AI" as standalone claim | Fix inline | | Vision flags | All `[VISION FLAG]` items addressed or documented as rejected | Positioning Traps section | Before delivering, state: `"Self-verification passed. [N]/7 checks clear."` **Mode outputs:** `BUILD` — All 4 layers + stress-test table + approved/forbidden language + channel usage guide + positioning traps rejected + validation plan `AUDIT` — 5-dimension score (specificity / differentiation / coherence / proof / buyer language) + P1/P2/P3 rewrite queue + before/after for P1 items `FLETCH` — 6 slides: segment + trigger · alternatives map · gap · positioning statement · pillars + proof · homepage wireframe with copy `SALES-ENABLEMENT` — Persona cards (pain / promise / proof / objection / CTA) + competitive playbook with "never say" column `HOMEPAGE` — Hero headline <8 words · subhead <20 words · 3 pillar headlines + 1-sentence descriptions · primary + secondary CTA · 2 proof strip options. No placeholders. **All modes include:** Approved language · Forbidden language + reason · Version + review date · Next steps --- ### Phase 7: Learning Close End every completed session by appending one row to `/context/skill-sessions.md` (create the file with a header row if it doesn't exist yet): ````yaml skill: positioning-messaging session_date: [YYYY-MM-DD] pattern: [one falsifiable statement about what happened this session, or "none"] source: [surprised / wrong / missing / n.v.t.] ```` Write this row directly — do not ask the user for permission. This is an observational log entry, separate from the mode output above, which still requires the user's go-ahead on where to save it. If nothing notable happened this session, still write the row with `pattern: none`. --- ## Outputs - **Files written:** `/context/skill-sessions.md` — one appended row per session, per Phase 7. Mode output itself is delivered in chat only; if the user wants that saved anywhere, ask where — this skill doesn't write mode output to any file on its own. - **Chat output format:** Mode-specific (BUILD / AUDIT / FLETCH / SALES-ENABLEMENT / HOMEPAGE). All modes include approved/forbidden language list, version, review date, and next steps - **External side effects:** n.v.t. - **Next skill:** After BUILD or FLETCH mode delivers output, check `next-skill-map.md` for "After positioning-messaging (BUILD or FLETCH mode)" and surface that prompt. AUDIT mode does not trigger a next-skill suggestion — it's a checkpoint, not a chain step. --- ## Verification - Positioning statement cannot be said by any named competitor - All pillar headlines scored 4/4 on stress-test (true, relevant, unique, sustainable) - Self-verification gate passed all 7 checks before delivery - Mode-specific output matches expected format - Evidence tier respected: T1/T2 claims anchor content; T3 claims flagged - Onboarding confirmed mode, persona, and alternatives before Phase 1 started --- ## Do Not Use For - **ideal-customer-profile** — when the task is building the ICP itself (demographics, behaviors, JTBD, needs) rather than producing positioning output. Run that skill first, then this one. - **product-marketing-context** — when the task is the full brain build from zero, or mapping competitive alternatives (Section 3) rather than producing positioning output - **buyer-personas** — when the task is mapping the buying committee or building persona cards, not producing the positioning statement or messaging hierarchy itself. Run that skill first, then this one. - **market-context** — when the task is building the "why now" narrative itself, not the positioning statement it feeds. Run that skill first if Section 5 is thin, then this one. - **brand-voice** — when the task is building the voice and tone guide itself, not applying it to a positioning statement. Run that skill first if Section 4 is thin, then this one. - **value-prop-statements** (pmm-growth) — when the task is fast, segment- or channel-specific copy variants of a positioning that's already set, not building or revising the canonical positioning statement itself. Send the user there once this skill's output is confirmed. - **(no dedicated skill yet)** — sales competitive response cards; handle within this skill's SALES-ENABLEMENT mode instead - **experiment-doc** — when testing messaging assumptions; this skill builds messaging, not validates it experimentally --- ## Commands ### /build [product name or context] Run full BUILD mode: Onboarding → all 6 phases → 4-layer messaging document. ### /audit [existing copy or landing page] Run AUDIT mode: score existing messaging + rewrite queue. ### /fletch [product name] Run FLETCH mode: 6-slide internal deck + homepage wireframe. ### /sales [product name] Run SALES-ENABLEMENT mode: persona cards + competitive playbook. ### /homepage [product name] Run HOMEPAGE mode: production-ready hero + subhead + pillars + CTA. ### /settings Re-run the Onboarding block. Use to change mode, persona, or alternatives mid-session without losing prior work. --- ## Operating Rules 1. **Run Onboarding before everything.** Mode, persona, and alternatives must be confirmed before Phase 1 starts. No exceptions. 2. **Load brain first.** Context changes which energy state (M1/M2/M3) applies. 3. **Parse attached images before asking discovery questions.** Every explicit claim and visual signal tells you something. 4. **No positioning without 3+ alternatives — status quo mandatory.** If you can't name it, you don't understand the choice. 5. **Never skip phases.** All 6 phases run for every mode. Shortcuts produce weak output. 6. **Primary persona must be ranked.** Ask: who has this problem worst, right now? 7. **Stress-test all pillars before delivery.** 4/4 or remove. No exceptions. 8. **Layer 3 claims must trace to Layer 1.** Cannot trace = doesn't belong. 9. **Evidence tier is binding.** T3 claims must be flagged. Don't hide assumptions. 10. **`/settings` resets Onboarding only.** Prior session work is preserved. --- ## Quality Gate Runs after output generation, before delivery. Surface failures — do not deliver incomplete output. | Check | Standard | Pass = | |---|---|---| | Onboarding complete | Mode, persona, alternatives confirmed | Yes | | Proof coverage | Every claim has T1/T2 or carries `[T3]` flag | Yes | | Narrative coherence | Layers 1→4 read as one story | Yes | | Competitor specificity | Statement cannot be said by any named competitor | Yes | | Stress-test integrity | All pillar headlines 4/4 | Yes | | Persona count | ≤ 3 | Yes | | Jargon free | Zero forbidden terms | Yes | | Vision flags resolved | All `[VISION FLAG]` items addressed or rejected | Yes | | Mode format correct | Output matches expected format for selected mode | Yes | | Learning Close ran | `/context/skill-sessions.md` has a new row for this session | Yes |