Phase 1 surfaced six organic themes. Three emerged with strong, consistent signal. One was a surprise not in any prior framework. Five candidate territories are recommended for Phase 2.
All numbers in this document are illustrative. They show the shape and depth of the actual deliverable, not real findings.
How often each theme was raised unprompted across 350 conversations. Themes that surface organically — without any prompting — carry the strongest weight.
"I want to talk to a real person who knows my account" was the dominant organic theme at 64% — raised unprompted by nearly two-thirds of participants. The surprise: "I want a supplier that makes me look good to my boss" surfaced at 31% and wasn't in any prior framework. This theme is concentrated in roles where someone else controls the budget.
Where each theme is strongest — by vertical and by title group.
| Theme | Industrial | Prof Svcs | Retail | Education | Healthcare | Social Svcs | Gov't | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real person | 58% | 61% | 55% | 72% | 78% | 65% | 69% | 64% |
| Built for business | 62% | 48% | 43% | 38% | 52% | 41% | 58% | 51% |
| Savings proof | 41% | 52% | 48% | 39% | 35% | 44% | 42% | 44% |
| Makes you look good NEW | 22% | 35% | 28% | 42% | 38% | 30% | 25% | 31% |
| Rewards | 25% | 31% | 35% | 22% | 19% | 28% | 26% | 28% |
| Consolidation | 28% | 18% | 15% | 24% | 26% | 20% | 22% | 22% |
| Theme | Admin/EA | Finance | Office Mgr | Ops/Logistics | Owner/CEO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real person | 71% | 58% | 68% | 55% | 52% |
| Built for business | 42% | 61% | 45% | 65% | 48% |
| Makes you look good NEW | 40% | 28% | 35% | 18% | 12% |
| Savings proof | 38% | 55% | 42% | 40% | 51% |
"Real person" resonates most with admins (71%) and office managers (68%) — the people who interact with suppliers daily. "Built for business" is strongest with finance (61%) and ops (65%) — the people who care about process. "Makes you look good" is concentrated in admins (40%) and office managers (35%) — the people who don't control the budget but influence the vendor choice. Vertical mattered less than title group in this sample — Jeremy's hypothesis may be directionally correct.
What participants said unprompted about their current suppliers.
No participant described any current supplier as a genuine business partner. The language was consistently transactional — "where I order from," not "who I work with." This gap is the positioning opportunity.
The organic themes below are the raw material for building market positions. A market position answers: who are we for, what do we do better, and why should the market believe it? Some themes map to potential positions. Others are value props or RTBs that support a position. We've labeled them accordingly.
This is a market position candidate, not just a value prop. It answers: who are we for (businesses that need a real partner, not a vending machine), what do we do better (human expertise at the account level), and why believe it (250+ dedicated reps, phone-first model). It implies "we are NOT for buyers who just want the cheapest click." Strongest in healthcare (78%), education (72%), admins (71%), office managers (68%).
Also a market position candidate. It answers: who are we for (real businesses with real procurement needs), what do we do better (business-grade infrastructure that consumer platforms can't match), why believe it (Net 30, punchout, 100K+ SKUs). It implies "we are NOT a consumer site with a business tab bolted on." Strongest in industrial (62%), government (58%), finance (61%), ops/logistics (65%).
This could be a standalone market position (who are we for: the person who picks the vendor and needs to justify the choice) or a powerful emotional RTB underneath one of the positions above. Phase 2 will test both configurations. Concentrated in admins (40%), office managers (35%), education (42%), healthcare (38%).
This is a value proposition, not a market position. "Rewards on every order" doesn't answer who we're for or what we do better at a strategic level. It's a feature that supports a position. Recommend testing as an RTB beneath whichever market position wins.
This is a proof point that supports the "Built for Business" position (breadth of assortment demonstrates business-grade capability). It's not a market position on its own — "we carry a lot of stuff" doesn't differentiate when Amazon carries 350M products.
Carry three candidate market positions to Phase 2 for blind testing and competitive stress-testing against Amazon and Staples. Two additional themes (rewards, consolidation) carry forward as potential RTBs or proof points beneath whichever position wins.
Phase 2 methodology: Positions presented blind (not branded as Quill). Head-to-head forced choices between positions. Competitive stress-testing against Amazon and Staples. Win rates measured both ways: position vs. position AND position vs. competition. 700 respondents, n=100 per vertical.
All territories, data, and quotes above are illustrative. The actual Phase 1 deliverable will be built from real participant data.