Is it real differentiation or just empty slogans?

This question is often encountered by Sinh Vũ in positioning projects: the founder already has a brand description, but when placed next to a competitor's website, that description is almost identical. The issue is not that you lack differentiation, but that you do not have the tools to check whether what you think is different is truly different.

Three tests to check for real differences

Sinh Vũ uses these three questions in every project before finalizing any positioning statement:

• Exclusion test: Replace your brand name with that of a specific competitor. Is the positioning statement still accurate? If it is, then it is not differentiated.
• Concern test: Do target customers really care about this point when making a purchase decision? Differentiation is only valuable when it addresses something customers are genuinely considering.
• Proof test: Can you prove this with something customers can verify, such as a specific process, actual figures, customer feedback, or a unique method?

Real differentiation must pass all three tests. Missing one means there is still work to do.

Mandatory point and advantage point

One of the most common misconceptions is trying to make everything unique, even things that are merely the minimum requirements of the industry. Kevin Lane Keller clearly distinguishes between two types:

• Points of parity: Things that the entire industry must have to be considered a valid choice by customers. For example: timely delivery, after-sales support, products meeting basic standards. Lacking these points is a reason for immediate exclusion.
• Points of difference: Unique attributes that provide reasons for customers to choose you over competitors.

You do not need to try to turn similarities into differences. Some points only need to be sufficient, not outstanding. Energy should be focused on finding and proving real differences.

Why generic adjectives are not enough

Words like "reputable," "high quality," "dedicated," and "professional" appear on almost every website in any industry. The issue is not that these words are wrong, but that they are empty without supporting evidence. Any competitor can easily say the same.

If you want to use these adjectives, the next question must be: what is the specific evidence? What is the process? What numbers? Which customers have said that? Is that evidence something competitors also have?

Common mistakes when self-assessing differences

• Self-praising based on internal feelings without asking real customers if they care about that point.
• Comparing yourself to the weakest competitor or an unrelated competitor, instead of to the actual options that customers are considering.
• Choose differentiation because it sounds good, not because it solves the customer's existing problem.
• Announce differentiation to the market before having proof to back it up.

Place alongside the options the customer will use if you are not there, then list what is unique. That is the true starting point of differentiation.

April Dunford, Obviously Awesome

The viewpoint of Sinh Vũ

In the S1 process, Sinh Vũ allocates a separate step to research 5 to 10 competitors, not to see what they do beautifully, but to compile a list of phrases, adjectives, and claims that the entire industry is using. This map helps clarify where the similarities lie and where the real gaps are.

Then, Sinh Vũ conducts direct interviews with real customers of the business to confirm: is the point you think is unique something that customers care about when making decisions? This step is crucial because founders often view uniqueness from a product perspective, while customers view it from their own problem perspective. These two viewpoints do not always align.

The result is that every positioning statement included in the documents must survive being replaced with a competitor's name. Any statement that does not pass this test cannot be used, no matter how appealing it sounds.