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E-ssential
Message # 079:
Ditch your Pitch!
'We help (target group) achieve (obvious benefit) by (activity)
so that they can (not-so-obvious benefit).'
Positioning statements. Ugh. I cringe when people answer the question, 'What do you do?' with their positioning statement. After all, your positioning statement is -- like those dreaded elevator pitches and infomercials -- formula-based, rehearsed, contrived, boring and, well, everything your Essential Message is not.
You might as well have a loud, flashing neon sign above your head that screams, 'sales pitch, sales pitch, sales pitch!'
But the truth is, positioning statements hold crucial bits of information. In the tightest possible structure, your positioning statement says exactly who you are, what you do, who you do it for and why they should want to give you their hard-earned money.
That's why you should create your own positioning statement, whether you are building a career in a large corporation or building your own business.
So how do you come up with a great positioning statement? Here are three guidelines that will help:
1. Start with a target group. The rest of the sentence should flow from a single type of customer. Write a separate positioning statement for each distinct type of customer you interact with. (Yes, this means you'll end up with more than one.)
2. Be specific. It's tempting to be all encompassing because it means you will end up with fewer Positioning Statements, but 'all-encompassing' usually leads to 'generic', which leads to 'not compelling'.
3. Remember that your positioning statement will always be a work in progress. Review it regularly as you learn more about your true differentiation and what resonates most with the people you want to attract as clients and customers.
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In our office, we have our positioning statement posted on our wall. I read it before every meeting and before every speech and presentation. The simplicity and clarity of the statement give me confidence. I sometimes read it aloud to myself -- but it's never the first thing out of my mouth when someone asks me, 'what do you do?'
Why not?
Because my positioning statement is 'all about me' -- not about our clients.
If you really want to turn more people into prospects, and more prospects into sales, then turn your positioning statements into questions and conversations that put the focus on the other person's priorities, interests and needs!
That's what The Essential Message is all about.
P.S. Reading in a newsletter how to create a powerful positoning statement and turning it into a conversation starter ... and actually doing it is easier said than done. If you want to stop stumbling over your words and you're serious about building your business or career on a solid platform, click here for more information about our Ditch Your Pitch workshop and NEW eLearning tool! Hurry, the early-bird rate ends this week!
Who is Michel Neray and What's The Essential Message?
The Essential Message is about discovering your true differentiation and then learning how to communicate it in the most compelling way. But higher sales, greater alignment of sales and marketing and a stronger brand position aren't the only reasons why so many independent professionals, entrepreneurs and emerging companies rave about The Essential Message.
Clients also say that one of the biggest advantages of the Essential Message approach is how it helps them gain the confidence, momentum and resilience that can only come from being absolutely clear about their strengths and unique difference – as companies and as individuals.
The Essential Message was created by Michel Neray based on 25 years as an award-winning copywriter, an entrepreneur, a tradeshow pitchman and a senior sales and marketing executive. (He also rides motorcycles, does whitewater canoeing, and has his 2nd degree black belt in karate.)
For information about our corporate facilitation, copywriting and consulting services, or booking Michel to speak at your conference, please call 416 534-4766 or link to www.EssentialMessage.com.
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