It is rare to find a B2B market space where competition is not fierce and markets are not crowded.
A maturing market that has this level of competition will be full of businesses that find themselves adopting similar strategies in the race to stay competitive and not fall behind the perceived curve of that market.
This phenomenon is known as strategic convergence. It happens when companies in the same industry begin to mirror each other’s approaches, leading to a lack of differentiation. In a B2B setting, where markets are more finite, and choices more limited for the buyer, it is particularly problematic as it pushes businesses toward commoditisation, where price becomes the only differentiator.
But why does strategic convergence happen in B2B markets, and how can companies break free from this trap? Enter Fried Egg Marketing—a targeted, client-focused strategy designed to help businesses regain their competitive edge by focusing on what really matters: their Ideal Client Profile (ICP).
Let’s explore why strategic convergence happens in B2B, provide real-world examples, and show how Fried Egg Marketing can prevent your business from falling into the sameness trap.
What is Strategic Convergence?
Strategic convergence refers to the tendency of companies within the same industry to adopt increasingly similar strategies, processes, and approaches. Over time, this results in businesses becoming nearly indistinguishable from one another. In B2B markets, where client relationships and long sales cycles are vital, strategic convergence can erode a company’s value proposition, forcing it to compete primarily on price rather than quality or expertise.
Why Does It Happen in B2B?
B2B companies often look to industry leaders or competitors for cues on pricing, product features, or go-to-market strategies. When one firm adopts a strategy that works, others tend to follow, leading to a homogenisation of offerings.
This creates a pressure to adopt what are perceived as the industry "best practices", but what actually happens is it can lead B2B firms down the same path. What begins as an effort to improve efficiency or performance turns into an industry-wide standard, where businesses fail to differentiate themselves.
In fast-moving industries like SaaS or tech, companies often feel the need to innovate or launch new products quickly. This urgency can push them to follow existing models rather than take risks on new, differentiated strategies.
As suppliers erode differentiation, it creates a spiral of convergence as the buyers come to expect similar service levels, features, and pricing structures across vendors. In response, companies may adjust their offerings to meet these expectations, further contributing to strategic convergence, and creating homogenous offerings that actually move them away from the real individual needs of the buyer.
Everyone Starts Using the Same Language and Content
Another key driver of strategic convergence in B2B industries is the tendency for competitors to adopt the same language, acronyms, and messaging in their marketing and sales efforts. Over time, companies within the same sector begin to look and sound nearly identical, losing any sense of unique differentiation.
Industry buzzwords and terms that start out as fresh, exciting concepts eventually become overused and devoid of meaning. Take terms like “digital transformation,” “cloud-first,” or “AI-powered.” At first, these phrases help companies position themselves as innovative. But as more businesses adopt the same language, it loses impact. Soon, every company in the sector is talking about the same solutions using the same words, making it difficult for buyers to distinguish between them.
Acronyms like CRM, ERP, AI, and SaaS are often used as shorthand to explain complex services. While these acronyms are useful, they can lead to lazy marketing. Instead of focusing on the true value they bring to clients, businesses start relying on industry shorthand, creating a sea of sameness. Clients are left confused, seeing a bunch of initials rather than understanding how the product actually solves their problems.
As companies strive to keep up with competitors, their content marketing starts to blur. Blog posts, whitepapers, and webinars all begin to cover the same topics, using the same stats and citing the same trends. Without a unique perspective, content becomes generic, and companies fail to differentiate. Every business is saying, “We understand your pain points,” but none are going deeper into specific solutions tailored to the buyer's real needs.
The Result? Buyers Tune Out.
When every business sounds the same, buyers struggle to find real value in the messaging. This overload of similar language and content confuses rather than clarifies. As a result, buyers often default to choosing vendors based on price, commoditising the industry even further.
How Fried Egg Marketing Can Help You Avoid Strategic Convergence
Strategic convergence can spell trouble for B2B businesses, but Fried Egg Marketing offers a way out. At its core, Fried Egg Marketing emphasises focusing on your Ideal Client Profile (ICP). These are the customers who are the best fit for your business, driving the most value, profit and lifetime value. Instead of competing across the entire market, this approach enables companies to tailor their offerings and messaging specifically to their ICP, breaking away from the "one-size-fits-all" mentality that leads to convergence.
Refocusing on Your Ideal Client Profile (ICP)
At the heart of Fried Egg Marketing is the yolk, representing your ICP. By identifying and deeply understanding the needs, challenges, and pain points of your ideal clients, you avoid the temptation to compete with every other business in the industry. Instead, you focus on those clients who align most with your expertise and offerings, ensuring that your marketing and sales efforts are concentrated where they have the highest impact.
For example, rather than competing with all other CRM providers, a company using Fried Egg Marketing might focus exclusively on mid-market manufacturing firms that need tailored CRM solutions. This narrow focus allows the company to create a differentiated offering, avoiding the broader competition.
Tailoring Your Value Proposition and Messaging
When you align your marketing with your ICP, your messaging becomes highly specific and relevant to your ideal clients. This prevents you from adopting generic industry strategies that everyone else is following. By speaking directly to your ICP’s unique needs, you stand out in a crowded market.
For instance, instead of a cloud storage provider mimicking competitors by offering the same standard features, Fried Egg Marketing would encourage it to identify an ICP, such as legal firms needing high-security file storage. By tailoring features and messaging specifically for that ICP, the provider differentiates itself without relying on price cuts.
Aligning Marketing and Sales Teams Around the ICP
Strategic convergence often stems from misalignment between marketing and sales teams. Marketing teams may create broad campaigns aimed at the general market, while sales teams scramble to close deals with whoever responds. Fried Egg Marketing ensures that both teams are aligned around the same ICP, focusing on the most promising and profitable clients.
When marketing and sales are aligned, companies avoid spreading themselves too thin across every opportunity in the market. Instead, they focus on prospects that closely match their ICP, ensuring better lead quality and higher conversion rates. This leads to a more efficient use of resources and helps the business stay unique in its approach.
Avoiding the "Best Practice" Trap
One of the main drivers of strategic convergence is the over-reliance on industry best practices. Fried Egg Marketing encourages businesses to break away from copying what everyone else is doing. Instead, by focusing on the unique needs of your ICP, you can innovate around their specific challenges, offering customised solutions that stand out in the market.
For example, instead of adopting the same SaaS sales strategies as competitors, a company could use Fried Egg Marketing to identify a niche ICP—such as healthcare organisations with strict data compliance needs—and build custom features, messaging, and service packages for that audience. This focus ensures the company differentiates itself and avoids the industry-wide trend of feature and pricing convergence.
Differentiation Through Focus
Strategic convergence can quickly reduce your business to a commodity, where price becomes the only differentiator. Fried Egg Marketing offers a way to break free from this cycle by helping businesses refocus on what matters most: their Ideal Client.
Want to get started for your business? Reserve your spot on our Fried Egg Marketing webinar.
