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Developing your positioning statement and key marketing messages is essential to establishing your market perception. To do an effective job of developing your messages and positioning, you need to understand the difference between these two types of messages.
A positioning statement should express the way we want customers to think and feel about our products and services relative to the competition. It should only contain the one most salient aspect of your product or service that you wish to instill in your client’s mind. Its goal is to provide focus and direction for those communicating with the market.
The supporting key marketing messages contain all the important points about your product or service. Their goal is to gain attention and interest, generate a need, and elicit action. Having consistent, focused marketing messages allow you to respond to the needs of your audience and create a demand for your services.
Developing Your Positioning Statement
By developing your positioning statement prior to executing any marketing programs, you create clarity and consistency in the way you speak to the market. This ensures continuity throughout all of your marketing and makes all forms of communications less complex and easier to manage. Without a positioning statement to guide the marketing effort, a company is apt to waste time and resources wandering aimlessly without direction or focus.
Developing a positioning statement is challenging, but not daunting. By using the following positioning statement template, we create a two-sentence statement that tells people what your product or service is, how they will benefit and why your product is different than others.
For who , our product/service is a that . Unlike , our product
Target customer. Identifying your target audience enables you to develop more effective messages by appealing to their wants and needs. Delivering the same message to different audiences in the same manner risks missing all targets with watered-down messages. One size does not necessarily fit all.
Statement of problem and your solution. Clearly articulating your prospect’s issue and providing a credible solution shows that you understand the prospect's situation. Get their attention and they will listen to what you have to offer.
Key benefit your prospects will get if they engage your services. Benefits are not what you do, but how you do it. Entice your prospects with results, solutions and benefits to encourage them to make an emotion-based decision. Benefits included statements such as increase profits and revenue, improve communication, reduce expenses, improve customer satisfaction, or leverage a diverse workforce.
Unique Competitive Advantage. Your UCA is what separates you from your competition and provides your prospects with a clear advantage by doing business with you. Your UCA should reflect how you want to be positioned, as it will most likely determine how you get perceived in the market.
The following is an example of a positioning statement for a sales consultancy:
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