Positioning when moving upmarket
Moving upmarket means selling to a larger buyer than the one you already win. That buyer brings a different alternative, often a suite they already pay for, and more people who can say no. A new frame, in April Dunford’s account, changes the buyer, the alternatives and the price they expect.
On this page
A larger buyer is a different frame
Dunford’s framing essay uses a baker who can sell the same batter as cake or as muffins. The product does not change. The buyer, the alternatives, the price people expect and the features that matter all change with the frame. Moving from the team that buys you now to a larger company is that kind of change. The spreadsheet or the small tool stops being the comparison. A suite they already run, a security review and a person who did not use the product can all enter the deal.
Do not announce a market you have not won
Dunford’s quickstart describes a team that lost the “better than the category leader” comparison, then won by narrowing to the buyers who cared about one difference. She writes that they planned to widen the category later, and did not get to test that step. Treat a larger segment the same way. It is a later test. It is not a word you add to the homepage because the round was meant to get you there.
Steps
Split recent deals by who signed
The team you already win, and any larger company that actually bought.
Write the larger buyer’s alternative
The suite, the incumbent, the team they would hire. From those deals, or say you do not have the deals yet.
List who can block it
The user, the budget owner, security, procurement. Each can need a line.
Cut value only the small team felt
If the larger buyer does not care, it is not the upmarket position.
Keep the current page pointed at the win
Change it when the new frame is true in deals, not when the plan says it should be.
What changes
| Piece | The buyer you win now | A larger buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Alternative | A spreadsheet, a small tool, doing it by hand | A suite or a vendor they already pay |
| Who decides | Often the user | A user, plus people who can stop it |
| What they assume about price | The price of the tool they replace | The price of the category you just claimed |
| Proof | Their own trial, a peer they know | A reference like them, and answers to the review |
FAQs
Should we put “enterprise” in the headline?
When enterprise buyers are the ones choosing you, and they use that word. Before that, it is a frame you have not earned.
Is a higher price the same as moving upmarket?
A higher price without a new buyer and a new alternative is a pricing change. Dunford’s point is that the frame sets what price feels normal.
Do we throw out the position that got us here?
No. Keep it while it still wins. Widen only when the larger buyer’s deals support a new frame.