Unique positioning: What is it and how to get it?

Here's what you'll find in this issue of ?????? ???????????????????? ?????????????? ????????????:

1. Simple definitions
2. The problem with Unique Positioning
3. Why it matters
4. My process to discover, craft & communicate Your Unique Positioning
5. Some examples

1. Simple definitions

Let’s start with the Cambridge dictionary:

“The way that customers think about a product in relation to similar products or to competitors’ products.”

This definition is based on “positioning” being a noun and I agree with this simple and clear definition. In my own words: “positioning is the perception that the customer has of your product as it relates to other options available to them for the same purpose.”

By contrast, Philip Kotler, often called the father of modern marketing, says:

“The act of designing a company’s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of your target market.”

This definition sees "positioning" as a verb and explains what companies do to get to the positioning they want.

And this distinction between positioning as a verb vs. a noun is where I begin to have a problem with the traditional view of positioning as we are taught by the marketing coaches around us.

But before we explore why I am unhappy with this, let’s look at the noun definition, the one I believe we can all agree on.

Positioning includes 2 components. One is the differentiation from other products available for the same purpose, and the other component is the perception the customer has.

It is the customers’ perception that creates positioning: If the product is not different at all but is perceived to be different, then we have a differentiated positioning, although I would argue that this is an artificial, inauthentic positioning. On the other hand, if the product is different but customers don’t see that difference, then the product’s positioning is undifferentiated.

So to achieve an authentic differentiated positioning, we need to first understand what our differentiation is and then communicate it so that our customers clearly see it.

2. The problem with Unique Positioning?

The problem I have is that we are taught to do positioning work starting from the outside. We are told to look at the market, analyze what customers want, study what competitors are offering, and choose a spot within that intersection that is not yet occupied. With that as our chosen positioning, marketing is then used to create an image that corresponds to that “position” and “occupy” that position in the customer’s mind.

Doing this work and focusing on this rather than the actual difference of your offering is what I believe leads to artificial positioning.

Of course, understanding the market and your competitors is always a good exercise and certainly something any entrepreneur must do regardless of their size.?However, this positioning process absolutely does not work for solopreneurs on a mission. It’s like twisting ourselves into a Pretzel and it won’t help.

It may work well for large corporations that can bring large teams with substantial budgets to bear to make consumers see their products in various ways. But for us, the process needs to be very different. Rather than start from outside, we need to start from deep inside ourselves.

We must rely on our intrinsic difference as human beings, explore that to discover our golden thread, our why and its story, and only then, bring it out in the open and communicate it so that our audience can connect with it.?

3. Why it matters

If you think you need to MAKE yourself different because others offer similar services and you don’t want to be generic, I invite you to think of it differently:

You already ARE different! Just because of who you are.

What you need to do is discover how you are different so that you can express it and lean into it in your communications, thus achieving your unique positioning.?

This is what allows us to do marketing that feels right and easeful because it is aligned with who we are. No need to invent stories or try to appear a certain way. And this is what will attract our truly ideal clients to us. They are our ideal clients not because of their demographics but based on their values and the emotional connection you have with them.

So the first step is to explore what it is that makes you different and the second step is to express that in a way that is compelling.

For mission-driven entrepreneurs, the way to be differentiated in the market is to show how your STORY has led you to be the BEST QUALIFIED PERSON to help your prospects.

Think of it as an equation: Differentiation = story + qualification

By story, I mean your specific story, the twists and turns of your life that have led you to where you are today.?In that story resides the gold that will make your differentiation shine for all to see.

As entrepreneurs, many of us have meandering paths and it can sometimes be hard to look at the path, with all its detours, and make any sense out of it.?

Clients often come to me with a long history of career changes, some intentional, some not. They have very different experiences in their past and they are too close to it to discern any useful pattern.

But there is actually a hidden path we have been following. With some carefully chosen questions, we can discover it!

Once you uncover your golden thread, you see the pattern that has been driving you all along, often unknowingly.

4. My process

Step 1: Find Your Differentiation

The first step to achieving an authentic differentiated positioning, is to understand what our differentiation is. Only then can we communicate it as a second step.

Differentiation = story + qualification

The first part of the equation: Your Story

Here are a few pointers to help you on the way to finding your golden thread.

? Write down the turning points of your life.?

• What were the options you had and what made you choose A vs. B???
• What was motivating you back then (regardless whether it turned out to be the “right” decision or not)?
• Did your decision come from wanting something, so going TOWARD it or from walking AWAY FROM something??
• Explore what you envisioned as the ultimate outcome of this decision. But do this through the lens of who you were then, not who you are now.

? Write down the straight lines of your life (between the turning points).?

• What gave you a thrill and what did you hate? Look for strong emotions and try to capture what specifically made those emotions so strong.?
• What were your greatest joys, professional achievements, and projects that brought you deep fulfillment? What was it about that work that gave you such feelings??

If you spend some time on these questions, you will see patterns emerge.

The second part of the equation: Qualification

By qualification I mean what makes you qualified to help your prospects.

Depending on the type or work you do, you may have formal qualifications or informal ones, or both, and ALL of them are key components of your differentiation.

Formal qualifications are the degrees and certifications you may have. They are an 'official' stamp of approval. But more compelling for your audience than the qualifications themselves is the story behind why you pursued them. So take some time to think about this and write it down:?

? How did your passion lead you to pursue these achievements??

? How do they support your current work with clients??

Informal qualifications, on the other hand, are born from your life experiences. These qualifications often provide a unique perspective and approach that formal education can't replicate. But they are less clear cut so you need to do a little digging work:?

? What was the set of circumstances that led you to gain that experience?

? What is the passion that led you to explore this so deeply??

Perhaps you have skills honed through a long-standing hobby, or expertise developed as an early adopter of a technology or practice (like my story with LinkedIn), or insights gained from personal life experiences like a health condition you learned to navigate and want to help others with.?

Sharing this with your audience will help you connect with them emotionally. They will identify with you and believe you when you say you can help them.

Your unique value proposition lies in how you weave together these formal and informal qualifications.?Consider how your diverse experiences and education combine to create a unique offering.?

Step 2: Communicate your differentiation

Once you combine your personal story and your qualifications, you will have crafted a truly unique position for yourself that no one else can claim. No matter the type of work you do, the type of solution you offer, or the mission you’re on, not a single person on the planet will have your specific personal story. This is your differentiation and your strength.

After you do the exercises above, write your answers and capture them into a few cogent statements. You will now have crafted your narrative and it's time to share it with the world. This story should be prominent - on your website, in your speaker bio, on your LinkedIn profile, and in your content.?

By doing this, you're not just stating who you help and how and adding your qualifications, you're showing how your unique journey makes you the best fit for your clients. THIS is your positioning.

Sharing your vision, your mission and your story will attract your ideal clients, a key element of success for mission-driven businesses.?

5. Some examples

Katherine

Headline:

From Money Stress to Money Power?? - Actress turned Accountant & Money Coach - I help business owners create the systems and skills they need to control their money and scale - Creator of the Money Storyteller Method?

Excerpt from About Section:

My husband and I skated the poverty line our first two married years. He was in grad school and I worked 3-4 jobs, stressed about money ALL THE TIME. When I learned that only 25% of Americans have enough saved for retirement, I knew something had to change. So I learned accounting, became a licensed tax preparer and started helping creative business owners. A year later I was a money expert with my own accounting firm.

Debra

Headline:?

Developing Trauma-Informed Leaders - When leaders and teams thrive they can bring excellent care to the clients they serve - Founder & CEO Silver Linings International

Excerpt of About Section:

As an LCSW and certified appreciative inquiry facilitator with 30+ years in the human services field, I have worked in all the major systems that serve youth/young adults including child welfare, mental health, juvenile justice, health and higher education. Over the years I have experienced the gaps in training and technical assistance and decided to launch SLI to offer solutions.

Stephanie

Headline:

Empowering STEM Women to Lead with Confidence | Communication + Leadership Skills Trainer for STEM Organizations

Excerpt of About Section:

My mission: To normalize women leaders in engineering and technology by helping them lead themselves, their teams, and their organizations.

My why: As an engineer with 15+ yrs experience and the author of She Engineers, I know how it feels to be the only woman in the room. I understand the pressure to put up a tough front, the feeling of being unable to fully be yourself, and the secret shame of leading a team while struggling with motivation and burnout.?

I hope this has inspired you to articulate and communicate your Unique Positioning broadly. Tag me when you post about it on LinkedIn or update your About section!

Be sure to subscribe to this newsletter, ?????? ???????????????????? ?????????????? ????????????, and sign up for my weekly emails to keep getting my thoughts and guidance on LinkedIn and marketing for mission-driven entrepreneurs.

I can't wait to see you embracing your Unique Positioning and gaining confidence and clients from it!

Sophie