Stand out in commodity markets by competing on outcomes, service models, and switching costs. Design proofs, guarantees, and ecosystem plays that rivals struggle to copy.
Which differentiator is hardest to copy in a commodity market?
Seasonal slogans
Generic loyalty points
Proprietary data or workflow integration that compounds value
A new color palette
Which value prop reframes parity features into outcomes?
Guarantees tied to uptime, response time, or defect rate
Anecdotes with no SLA
Feature lists on a long table
Quotes from influencers
Which go‑to‑market motion supports defensibility?
One‑off resellers with no rules
Blind affiliate links
Partner ecosystem with standards, training, and certified add‑ons
Unvetted open listings
Pricing can differentiate even with similar features by ______.
Hiding surcharges
Aligning price with value moments (usage, outcomes, risk transfer)
Copying competitor price exactly
Adding random fees
Which sales proof cuts through parity claims?
Press quotes
Independent benchmarks or RCTs on critical outcomes
Internal demos only
Self‑scored reports
What avoids a race to the bottom?
Deep discounts indefinitely
Add obscure settings
Design services and onboarding that reduce time‑to‑value
Raise friction in setup
Which customer success metric proves differentiation?
Number of SKUs
Lower churn or higher NRR versus peers in the segment
Email list size
Total website hits
A rival copies your features. What sustains advantage?
One‑time ad burst
Static PDFs
Logo refresh
Community, data network, and continuous improvement loops
Which message architecture fits commodity spaces?
Lead with brand story only
Bury the proof
Lead with outcome metrics, then mechanisms, then proof and risk reversal
Overload with technical jargon first
What’s a smart expansion move once differentiated?
Unrelated categories for PR
Enter adjacent use cases where your moat transfers
Price hikes with no value
Retire support to cut cost
Starter
You grasp differentiation; now anchor it in outcomes and credible proofs.
Solid
Solid—pair service design, data moats, and guarantees with pricing logic.
Expert!
Outstanding—you build hard‑to‑copy value via ecosystem, data, and experience.
