The first part sets the tone so the second part can heat up the interest. If you research your competitors Positioning Statements, you'll find that they all say the same thing. It's full of hyperbole and doesn't stimulate interest.
To get someone's attention, you have to accurately describe his or her problem. Agents will read anything that addresses a difficult problem that needs solving.
What if you can help agents who struggle producing client referrals consistently? Your statement would read, "John Smith, a mortgage professional with ABC Mortgage, helps million dollar producing agents who struggle capturing client referrals consistently.
Who are your primary competitors and how you're different?
Third, take a long look at your competition. Who directly competes with you for the same agents? What are they offering, and to whom? How are their offerings similar to yours, and how are they unique? Only by understanding your competition can you recognize and capitalize on the unique value of your own expertise. And then you can position it where it is most appealing to agents.
When you know your competition's weakness, you can position them to the side, so you become front and center. For example, if you're losing agents to agencies with in-house lenders, your statement might say, "John Smith, a consultant with ABC Mortgage, helps million dollar producing agents who struggle capturing client referrals consistently. Unlike in-house lenders who are limited in the customer care they render, John Smith specializes in client loyalty strategies...
Your Positioning Statement places the competition on the shelf so you can tell how you're different. While you're helping the prospect become aware of your competition's weakness, without it being derogatory, you can differentiate your expertise in the prospect's mind.
What unique benefit clients derive from your expertise?
Finally, make a list of the benefits of your expertise to your targeted audience- from their perspective. And be careful not to confuse features with benefits. Features are the defining elements of your services. Benefits are the tangible or intangible ways that Agents gain from experiencing those features. The benefit you describe should be a result of the problem solved.
If you solve the problem of client referrals, your Positioning Statement might sound like, "John Smith, a consultant with ABC Mortgage, helps million dollar producing agents who struggle capturing client referrals consistently. Unlike in-house lenders who are limited in the customer care they render, John Smith specializes in client loyalty strategies so his agents enjoy a steady stream of referrals."
Explaining the unique benefit Agents derive from your service is the same as describing your Unique Competitive Advantage (UCA). Like when you're in an elevator and only have moments to tell someone what you do, you use your UCA to generate interest. You can use an UCA by itself, like with business cards, a tagline on your website, or it can be the final component of your positioning statement.
The Core of your Marketing Strategy
The Positioning Statement is where you need to begin when planning the messages in any marketing communications campaign. Think about how it can help you improve your marketing materials, your sales presentations, and your website home page.
It's used as a lens through which all of your marketing materials will filter to make sure that they're communicating a consistent message about you. This is the key in establishing your brand identity, an identity that develops familiarity with Agents that they come to trust.
Here's an outline to follow when writing your positioning statement:
Who: Who are you?
What: What business are you in?
For whom: What people do you serve?
What need: What are the special needs of the people you serve?
Against whom: With whom are you competing?
What's different: What makes you different from those competitors?
So: What unique benefit does a client derive from your service?
Thanks for support,
Jeff Nelson
Salesachievers
Helping loan officers attract more clients
© 2004, 2005 by Jeff Nelson
All rights reserved
