Positioning statements are a short statement (typically 10 seconds or less) intended to capture the attention of potential customers and prompt further discussion.
Often referred to as your ‘elevator pitch’ or ‘BBQ pitch’ they are ideal to use at networking events where you only have a brief opportunity to create a first impression that motivates people to want to know more about your product or service.
Positioning statements are intended to position both you and your company in the eyes of your customer in a range of situations, for example:
- Prospecting when attempting to make appointment
- At the first introductory meeting
- In any situation that you want to introduce yourself and explain what you do in 10 seconds or less, such as at a networking event.
They are used to quickly differentiate your products and services to help you stand out and get noticed in today’s crowded market place.
Why they work:
- Grabs attention by hitting potential hot buttons
- Demonstrates credibility
- Directs conversation away from features and benefits
- Focuses attention on current or future pain or gain
- Differentiates you from the competition
- Provides a frame work for sales people to engage in conversation It starts with you knowing about where the prospective customer is likely to have business problems you help solve, and connecting with the personal (emotional) problems the prospect may have as a result of the business problems. If you can achieve this it is like hitting the HOT BUTTONS.
Unique selling proposition (USP)
Your USP is a statement describing what sets you and your company apart from the competition. Although it’s vitally important that you have the ability to differentiate yourself from your competitors, it’s also important to understand that your USP has little, or no impact, with customers that are satisfied with their current situation or supplier, or aren’t ready to make a purchasing decision.
Your USP is a statement describing what sets you apart from your competition. The primary value of your USP is to create competitive differentiation and is typically used in presentations and conversations with customers who are ready to buy.
Here are some examples:
- We have the exclusive rights for the world’s leading sales assessment tool – methodology.
- We specialise in recruitment for sales professionals only – speciality.
- We guarantee being on site within 2 hours or your money back – guarantee.
Where are you truly unique?
Now we need to develop the area that makes you unique and will make you stand out from the crowd. We need to take some time to understand what makes your solution a better choice than the alternative.
