The Power of Positioning

Summer is here, and I am thinking, "Who wants to spend it working on positioning their business?”. But here is a more important question: Who SHOULD? If you ask me, a lot of us.

Why? Because without deliberate positioning, others will define your business however they want. And trust me, they might get it completely wrong. Positioning your business is too crucial to leave to chance.

By the way, what is positioning exactly? Positioning is the process of aligning your unique value proposition with your ideal market. It increases narrative power by differentiating your firm from others, highlighting its unique beliefs, and aligning them with your ideal clients.

Many people think positioning is all about crafting some fancy statement to slap on a marketing brand book or a website. They think it's about stringing together buzzwords that sound good. 

But that's missing the point. Real positioning isn't about appearance; it's about essence. It's not just a slogan or a tagline; it's a clear and courageous decision about what your business stands for and doesn't. It's about aligning everything you do with that core identity. It's about taking a hard look at what might be unnecessary in your business and having the courage to trim it down.

Remember Steve Jobs? When he returned to Apple, he slashed product lines from 15 to just 4. That's the spirit we're talking about here.

To be the best in the world at something, you've got to be bold. It's not about poetry; it's an act of fearless leadership. It's about envisioning what you can excel at and then relentlessly pursuing that vision.

As an entrepreneur, letting go can be tough. We’re wired to embrace all the options and opportunities we have. Great is the temptation to be all things to all people. But positioning is about allowing the best version of your business and yourself to emerge from all that clutter.

I love how Michelangelo said it: "The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material."

Think about it. Your business is like that piece of marble. It already exists. You just have to chisel away the unnecessary parts to reveal the focused value it can deliver.

So, are you ready to sculpt your business into something extraordinary?

If the answer is "YES!" then listen to my latest podcast with Deborah Zahn from Craft of Consulting

Take advantage of these insights to position your business for success.