Positioning: The Invisible Strategy That Makes or Breaks Your Business

Imagine this—you’ve invested thousands into marketing. Your team is hustling to win more bids. But time after time, customers walk away confused, uninterested, or worse—they choose your competitor.

Sound familiar?

In the pavement and construction industry, it’s easy to assume you’re losing on price. But more often than not, the real problem is positioning.

If customers don’t understand what makes you the best choice, price becomes their only filter. That’s how you end up in a race to the bottom—and nobody wins that race.

The truth is: Positioning can make or break your business.

What Is Positioning (And Why Does It Matter)?

Positioning isn’t just a marketing buzzword—it’s the foundation of how your business is perceived in the market.

It’s not what you do—it’s what you’re known for and who actually cares about that.

Think of it like paving a road:
You don’t just throw down asphalt and hope for the best.
Every layer is deliberate, aligned, and built with the end goal in mind.

Positioning is the same.
Every sales call, every bid, every marketing message sits on top of your positioning.
If your positioning is weak—everything crumbles.

💡 Strong positioning makes it easy for the right customers to say “Yes, you’re exactly what we need.”

What Happens When Positioning Goes Wrong?

Businesses with weak positioning feel the pain everywhere:

📊 80% of companies think they offer superior value—only 10% of customers agree.
📉 Misaligned positioning can reduce your revenue by up to 50%.

🚧 The Signs Your Positioning Is Broken:
❌ Customers constantly push back on price.
❌ Sales cycles drag on with no decisions.
❌ Customers compare you to companies that aren’t like you.
❌ Prospects say, “We’re not sure you’re the right fit.”

Does this sound familiar?
It’s not a sales problem—it’s a positioning problem.

How to Build Positioning That Wins More Bids

Positioning isn’t guesswork—it’s a strategic process that aligns your strengths with what the market actually cares about.

Here’s a proven framework (inspired by positioning expert April Dunford) that we use with construction and pavement businesses to get their positioning right:

1️⃣ Start with Competitive Alternatives

Ask yourself:

• What would my customer do if we didn’t exist?
• Who are they comparing us to?
• What other choices do they have?

Hint: It’s not always your biggest competitor—it could be “I’ll just wait” or “I’ll patch it myself.”

Understanding your real competition is the first step to positioning yourself as the better choice.

2️⃣ Identify What Makes You Different

What are you the absolute best at?

• Do you deliver faster than anyone else?
• Do you specialize in multi-location paving projects?
• Do you help property managers avoid downtime headaches?

If you can’t answer this clearly—neither can your customer.

🚧 Being “great at paving” isn’t positioning.
💡 Being the go-to partner for retail lots that can’t afford downtime? That’s positioning.

3️⃣ Connect Your Strengths to Customer Pain (Value Proposition)

Customers don’t care about your capabilities—they care about what those capabilities do for them.

✅ Faster paving → Reduces tenant complaints
✅ Specialty coatings → Extends the life of their investment
✅ Multi-site coordination → Less headache for property managers

Stop selling services. Start solving problems.

4️⃣ Define Who Cares Most (Your Target Market)

Positioning is about being the best for a specific type of customer—not being everything to everyone.

Ask:

• Who benefits the most from what we do best?
• Who values speed, precision, or minimal disruption?

🚧 “Everyone with a parking lot” isn’t a target market.
💡 “National property managers who need fast, consistent work” is.

5️⃣ Position Yourself in the Right Market Category

Customers need to know what box to put you in—fast.

Ask yourself:

• Are we the premium paving partner?
• The fastest resurfacing company?
• The one-stop pavement maintenance provider?

Make it easy for customers to understand your value—without over-explaining.

6️⃣ Anchor to Industry Trends

Tie your positioning to what’s happening in the market right now:

• Inflation? We help reduce long-term maintenance costs.
• Staffing shortages? We get projects done on time with less hassle.
• Property managers under pressure? We prevent costly complaints.

Be the solution to their current problems.

How Strong Positioning Transforms Your Business

When you get positioning right, you’ll notice the difference fast:
✅ Your bids hit home because they solve the right problems.
✅ Sales cycles shorten because customers “get it” immediately.
✅ You attract the right customers—the ones willing to pay for what you do best.

🚧 Positioning isn’t about being the cheapest. It’s about being the obvious best choice.

Is Your Positioning Working for You—or Against You?

Positioning problems don’t fix themselves.

💡 If you’re constantly justifying your price…
💡 If you’re getting compared to companies that “aren’t even in your league”…
💡 If your bids are getting rejected when you know you’re the best…

🚧 It’s time to revisit your positioning.

Let’s Fix It Together

📌 Want to position your business as the go-to choice—and stop competing on price?