How to Use a Positioning Statement to Convert Prospects into Buyers
If you want to succeed in marketing, you must get the right leads. And the best way to attract them is to create a positioning statement that attracts the right prospects.
That means you need to make sure that you have a clear goal. Then you must create a compelling marketing message that will draw prospects to your website.
Next, you need to develop a persuasive offer to convince people to buy from you. And the best way to do this is to create a compelling call to action that is very easy for them to understand and follow.
Once you’ve created all of those components, you can use them to get people to click on the link and join your marketing campaign so that you can build your list. It’s important to remember that this is all about building relationships with your audience and getting them to trust you. You need to provide value.
You’ve probably heard about the power of position statements. You may even have used one yourself to persuade potential clients. But it’s been proven time and again that the most effective positioning statement includes the following three elements:
- Who the customer is.
- What the customer needs.
- What the product does for the customer.
That’s why this is the most crucial paragraph in this article. But don’t worry—it’s not difficult to use a good position statement.
If you can combine the top two elements of a good position statement, you’ll be well to create a compelling copy that converts prospects into buyers.
There is a reason that some companies spend $200,000 per week on advertising, and others spend pennies on marketing. And it has everything to do with positioning, a powerful communication tool that determines whether prospects buy from you or not.
What is a Positioning Statement?
There are many definitions of a positioning statement, but I’d like to take a different approach than most. I think the positioning statement is not about stating your brand’s position.
Instead, it’s a statement showing the unique value proposition to your customers and the world. The most valuable brands are built on their positioning statements.
A positioning statement is a concise summary of who you are and what you do. It’s a short-form sales letter, and like any marketing material, it needs to be compelling to convert your audience into buyers.
Unlike traditional sales letters, however, positioning statements are usually written in the third person, and they focus on the needs, wants, and desires of your audience. For example, rather than a company stating, “We provide a fast, easy, and affordable way to send bulk email messages,” a positioning statement might read, “Every email campaign we send is 100% guaranteed to reach the inbox.”
According to Mark Roberge, president of the Cleveland Association of Black Entrepreneurs, many small businesses don’t realise they have a positioning statement until they’re told to by a potential investor.
He said a positioning statement is one of the most overlooked elements of a business marketing plan, but it’s one of the most critical pieces of any small business.
Why Use a Positioning Statement?
In recent years, there’s been much talk about positioning statements—the short sentence summarising your business or brand identity, explaining your vision, and setting up your marketing strategy.
One of the best uses for a positioning statement is in sales copy. For example, when a visitor lands on your website, you’d want to give them a reason to stay there.
In sales copy, that reason would be your positioning statement. A positioning statement can be very brief; in fact, one of the best things about it is that it doesn’t take up much space. It is just another marketing tool that helps sell your brand.
People make decisions based on emotion. And the best emotional persuader is a strong position statement. A strong position statement can overcome emotional resistance or scepticism that someone might feel towards a product or a brand. For example, if I had to choose between a red shirt and a blue one, I’d likely pick the red one because I associate the warmer colour with happiness.
Similarly, if I were looking for a new brand of toothpaste, I’d go for the blue-coloured toothpaste because I associate the colour blue with cleanliness and coolness.
The concept of positioning is relatively new to business owners. But there are two reasons why it is essential for any business:
- Positioning helps you to understand where you stand in your industry.
- By understanding your position in the market, you can figure out who your target audience is, what they need, and what marketing message you should be communicating to those people.
Who Should Create Positioning Statements?
The following is based on research conducted by Chris Lofdahl, PhD and a former professor of marketing at the University of San Diego. They found that most companies don’t even bother to create positioning statements.
So, if you’re one of those companies, why should you?
Here’s why: the positioning statement you create will act as a compass for your organisation. It will help guide all of your marketing efforts. It will also set the tone for your company. Your positioning statement can help shape your culture, and it can help your organisation succeed in the long run.
When creating a position statement, the most important thing to remember is to avoid ambiguity. Consumers tend to look at a company’s website and assume that the company’s message is consistent across every page.
If a company’s positioning statement only appears on the home page, the consumers may assume that its positioning is being communicated everywhere else on its website.
The Difference Between a Positioning Statement and a Benefit Statement
There is a big difference between what we call a positioning statement and a benefit statement. The former is designed to give you a high-level understanding of your brand.
It describes what it means to be the company. On the other hand, the benefit statement describes the attributes that make the brand stand out from its competitors.
Let’s take a look at an example. Consider a company called “Taste of Chicago”. The positioning statement would include words such as “Chicago’s First Taste”, “The Best Food in Town”, and “Famous and Popular”.
While the benefit statement would include words such as “fresh, delicious and delicious taste”, “unbeatable customer service”, “the best taste around”, and “people love us”.
In both cases, the positioning and benefit statements are equally crucial to the business’s marketing success.
But, there is a big difference between them. The positioning statement tells the market about the company. It defines the brand image. The benefit statement gives the consumer reasons to buy the product.
The Three Most Important Factors in A Positioning Statement
When building a positioning statement for your brand, you’ll need to consider three factors: (1) whom you’re trying to attract, (2) what you’re offering, and (3) why people should care.
The third factor is crucial. People don’t buy products or services because they want to be the first to own or use them. They buy them because of something else, like wanting to be part of a particular group or needing to solve a problem.
1 – Whom are you trying to Attract?
When it comes to your business, the person you want to attract will depend on what kind of business you have. For example, if you are in the real estate industry, the person you should target is a potential homeowner. If you are in the restaurant industry, your target should be customers.
You can narrow down the potential customers by looking at your goals. You should make sure that you’re targeting the right people. Otherwise, you’ll waste your time and money marketing to the wrong people.
2 – What are you offering?
Consumers’ perceptions and attitudes toward the company are significant factors in purchasing its products or services.
One study found that people who felt like they were being treated well and understood when visiting a retail store were twice as likely to come back as those who were either poorly treated or not fully understood.
People who visit a store without knowing what it sells or whom they are trying to sell are unlikely to purchase anything. So, if you’re unsure how to describe your business to potential customers, start by listing all the things your company provides.
3 – Why should people care?
A brand is a whole story. It is the full experience of the products or services your organisation provides.
It would be best to think about the stories your products or services create. For example, you get an exciting story when you buy a coffee. It starts with your first cup of coffee, which you purchase at the grocery store. Then, you drink your coffee while driving home. Finally, you drink your coffee while watching TV. All of these elements of your brand story are connected.
Your customers are interested in your brand story. They are looking to find out who your company is and what it represents. They are looking for answers to questions like, “What is my brand?” “Why should I use your brand?” “Who should I trust when buying your product or service?”
They are also looking for connections to the values your organisation embodies. Your brand story links all the things that your customers are experiencing.
Use a Positioning Statement to Build Brand Awareness
To have brand awareness, you need to tell your story and make sure that people care about it. You should be creative and memorable when you are telling your story. It would be best to make sure that the people who hear about your brand want to learn more about it.
You need to have a clear value proposition and a solid call to action in your marketing. You can’t just tell your brand’s story. You have to create a sales experience for your target audience.
Branding is the process of creating a story about your product or service. Branding is more than just slapping your logo on a product. Branding has a story to tell; it communicates who you are.
A brand story tells people what your products and services are about. The goal of your brand story is to engage and inspire the consumer to act.
The call-to-action is an action that allows the consumer to experience the story you’re telling. It’s crucial to develop a story that attracts consumers. Then, the consumer must find a way to connect with the brand.
Use a Positioning Statement to Attract Buyers
If you want to succeed in business, you need excellent communication skills. That is the first thing that you must learn.
People trust others who speak clearly and are clear about their intentions. Be sure to listen to what other people say and explain your point of view. Be clear and avoid being vague or unclear about what you mean.
An excellent way to gain trust is to be honest with others. Being honest and open helps you to build good relationships.
Use a Positioning Statement to Close Deals
Positioning is the key to closing deals and winning customers. Once you understand the company’s position and the message you’re trying to communicate, you need to build that into the sales process.
You ask the prospect to adopt your perspective (what position are you in?) and then tell them what to think about you (what’s in it for me?).
After that, you’ll need to help them see that your offer meets their needs (why should I buy from you?) and then help them see that your offer is better than what they were planning to do (why should I buy from you instead?).
Conclusion
To succeed, you must find the intersection between where your products fit in the marketplace and where your potential customers need your products.
If your prospects aren’t buying the way you think they should, it’s probably because you haven’t found the right niche. It’s all about where you place your product within that niche, how you position it, and why that positioning will benefit your prospects.
A position statement should be short, sweet, and to the point. It’s the equivalent of the elevator pitch. Your statement should only take a few minutes to read, and ideally, it should be in one or two sentences.
Once you have written a position statement, try it out on someone. It’s good to try it out on a friend or co-worker. You might want to use it in person or online.
Your position statement aims to help you communicate why you are the best solution to solve a particular problem for your prospects. It helps them understand who you are, what you can do for them, and why you are better than your competition. Remember, there is a fine line between selling and being a salesperson.
Your positioning statement should only focus on the benefits of working with you. The reason people buy from you is because you are an excellent solution to their problems. They are looking to hire someone to solve their problems.
Your position statement is the best opportunity to showcase your value to the table. The goal is to convert prospects into buyers.
The positioning statement is a fundamental concept in marketing that should be a part of any outreach campaign.
