Power positioning is presenting yourself to the right person, at the right time and place, in the right way, with the right message. If you can do that all day long, every day, you will be an incredibly successful professional. This applies to most every profession. We’re always trying to sell something whether it’s a product, a service, an image, you name it.
What separates the real pros from the amateurs is their ability to make whatever they are providing of vital importance to every prospect.
Such positioning is not something you can achieve quickly, or once for all time. It’s a continuous process of discovering new ways to take charge of the way your clients and prospects see you.
The better you plan your strategy for positioning yourself, the more successful your efforts are going to be. There are, in fact, ten crucial factors to consider as you think through your own positioning strategies and tactics.
(1) You position yourself first in your own mind. The way you see yourself will shape the way others see you. The way you think about yourself determines how you do everything. It affects the way you prospect, the way you interview, the way you present, the way you close, the way you manage your time – it shapes everything you do. As a result, people will see you the way you perceive yourself.
(2) You position yourself with your attitude. Some people walk into a room and say, “Here I am!” Other people walk into a room and say “Ah, there you are!” The difference is whether we are self-centered or client-centered…Whether we are ego-driven or value-driven. Our attitudes toward our clients and prospects will always show up in the way we treat people. And, more than any other single factor, the way we treat others will determine the way they respond to us.
(3) You position yourself with your appearance. First impressions get set in stone very quickly. And, like it or not, the way you look is the most important factor in shaping those first and lasting impressions. All you have to do to see how vital good appearance is, is to reflect upon your own reactions to people you meet. Don’t you pay more attention to people who look important than you do to people who look sloppy? Most crucial, your prospects judge your importance by the way you look.
(4) You position yourself with your actions. Your prospects determine your importance, your intentions, your reliability – and many other critical factors – by watching everything you do.
(5) You position yourself with your words. Every word you say positions you either as a person to be considered important or as someone to be dismissed as quickly as possible.
(6) You position yourself with your focus. The most pressing question on your prospect’s mind is always, “What’s in it for me?” The real pros position themselves as consultants and business partners to their clients. They always keep the focus precisely where it belongs – on the client, not on themselves or their products.
(7) You position yourself with your presentation. The way you go about setting up and making your presentation says a lot to prospects about how important it is to listen to you.
(8) You position yourself by the way you handle objections. Amateurs see objections as excuses for not buying or as invitations to do battle. But real pros recognize that objections show a prospect’s legitimate concerns – issues which must be cleared up before the prospect will make a decision to buy.
(9) You position yourself by the way you close. The way you ask for an assignment can position you as a true professional with an offer which provides value for the prospect. Or the way you close can make it look like you’re an amateur who’s trying to get a prospect to do you a favor. The difference is tremendous.
(10) You position yourself with the way you follow-up. One of the most vital factors in positioning yourself as a professional is what you do once a sale has been made. Professionalism involves developing a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship with every client. It’s turning one-time customers into clients who view you as a valuable resource in your area of expertise.
What really counts is not what you know or believe, but what your prospects think and feel. You make them believe in you by positioning yourself as a professional.
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Dr. Nido Qubein is an international speaker and accomplished author on sales, communication, and leadership. He is president of High Point University which has an enrollment of more than 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students. He is also chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company with 220 stores in 41 states.
