Positioning

What it means

Positioning is the single place you hold in a buyer's mind. When someone hears your name, what is the one thing they think? If there is no clear answer, the buyer fills in the gap themselves, and usually the answer is "similar to the others".

You do not choose a position by saying it loudly. You choose it by deciding what you will be known for, and by deciding what you will not be. It is a promise you keep in the product, the service and the way you talk. Done well, buyers stop asking if you are cheaper and start asking if you are available.

Why it matters

Without a position, your only way to stand out is price. That is a slow road to thin margins. With a clear position, you are compared on the thing you chose to be best at, and you can charge for it.

• Referrals become easier because people know what to say about you.
• Your marketing gets sharper because you know who it is for.
• Your team makes better daily decisions because they know what you stand for.

How to use it

1. Write down the three reasons your best customers chose you over others. Use their words.
2. Find the one reason that is true, matters to buyers and is hard for rivals to copy.
3. Finish this sentence: "For [type of buyer], we are the [kind of business] that [one clear benefit]."
4. Check your website, brochure and sales talk. Remove anything that does not support that sentence.
5. Say no to one kind of work this month that does not

Common mistakes

• Trying to be the best at everything, which means being known for nothing.
• Choosing a position that sounds good but is not true in daily work.
• Changing the message every few months before it can settle in people's minds.
• Describing yourself with words every rival also uses, such as quality and trust.

Try this today