Test positioning with real customers before committing budget

A brand positioning developed in a meeting room and then directly launched to the market with the entire budget is an unnecessary gamble. Not because the idea is bad, but because people within the company cannot objectively assess their own positioning. A more cost-effective approach is to test first, test with real customers, and clearly understand what you are measuring.

You are looking for real feedback, not just compliments.

This is a point many people overlook. When asking family, colleagues, or friends about positioning, the responses are almost always positive because they do not want to discourage you. When asking potential customers with leading questions like "Do you find this point appealing?", you will also only receive polite nods.

A genuine response takes on a different shape: customers immediately understand how you differ without needing further explanation. Customers associate it with a problem they are actually facing. They ask follow-up questions, inquire about pricing, or suggest a follow-up meeting. That is a signal that positioning has hit the mark, not just a comment like "sounds good."

Three low-cost ways to test before making a big commitment

• In-depth interviews based on jobs to be done: Before presenting any positioning, ask a non-leading question about what customers remember about the business, and record their responses verbatim. Then ask about the last time they made a decision in this area: what they were trying to solve, what made them hesitate, and what they had tried before. This questioning method by Christensen reveals the true motivations behind behavior. Choose recent buyers mixed with infrequent or long-absent buyers, and avoid the business owner's close customers.
• Test landing page: Write a simple page presenting the positioning in straightforward language, without embellishments. Then measure the rate of customers leaving their contact information or clicking for more. This page doesn’t need to be beautiful; it needs to be clear. If the page invites orders for something not yet available, make it clear that this is an expression of interest and no payment is taken, to avoid it becoming a misleading sales pitch. If the positioning is right, customers will see themselves in it and take action.
• Small ad templates: Run two to three different message versions with a small budget to measure which one captures customer attention. No need to conclude the entire strategy from this; just understand which messaging resonates more with customers.

Sufficient samples to see the pattern, not concluding from just a few people.

An impressive interview is not evidence. Two people praising is not a trend. What you need is enough interviews to start hearing the same things again, which is the information saturation point. A point mentioned by three or more people is worth considering as a signal.

The research by Guest, Bunce, and Johnson (2006) on qualitative interviews often cites around 12 interviews. However, the authors emphasize that this number varies based on the homogeneity of the customer group. About 10 to 15 in-depth interviews for each target customer group is a practical starting point. The real principle is to stop when you cease to hear new information, not when you reach a certain number.

When recording or taking notes, you should ask for customer consent beforehand and keep the recordings without names or phone numbers. The information customers leave on the test landing page is also personal data, so you need to clearly state the purpose and ask for consent right at the contact information field, using it only for that purpose and not retaining it longer than necessary for the test (Personal Data Protection Law No. 91/2025/QH15).

Common mistakes when testing positioning

• Only ask family and colleagues: they are not target customers and will not speak honestly even if they want to.
• Ask leading questions: "Do you find this point noteworthy?" is a question that invites nodding, not one that elicits genuine feedback.
• Words spoken instead of measuring actions: A customer saying "I will consider it" and a customer clicking to leave their phone number are two completely different levels of confirmation.
• Concluding too early: Three interviews with good responses are not enough to commit. Wait until the pattern repeats clearly.

This article is for reference. The scope, pricing, and specific commitments of Sinh Vũ are detailed in the proposal and signed contract.