September 11, 2017
So... what exactly is a Laser-Focused Positioning Statement, anyway?
A new reader to the list wrote in to ask where they could find out more about this “laser-focused positioning statement” thing I’m always banging on about.
Here’s my official definition:
Laser-Focused Positioning Statement—A two sentence message that tells people what your business is, how they will benefit from it, and how it is different than others. It is typically not used verbatim in marketing materials, but rather as a guide for crafting various types of messaging (e.g., tagline, slogan, cocktail party answer, etc).
Got a minute? You can create your own LFPS right now...
Grab a pencil and paper and write this down:
I’m a BLANK who helps BLANK with BLANK. Unlike my competitors, BLANK.
Now, fill in the blanks to create your laser focused positioning statement.
Did you try it? Seriously... take out a piece of paper and fill in the blanks.
Seriously.
Paper.
Do it.
If you’re having trouble, don’t feel bad - almost everyone does. It’s brutal. I’ve had people actually start crying during this exercise.
If you didn’t have trouble with this exercise, you probably wrote something soggy like:
“I’m a UX professional who helps businesses with elegant solutions to complex problems. Unlike my competitors, I have 10+ years of experience adding value by building high quality software.”
This is not a laser focused positioning statement; it’s just clever wordsmithing that encompasses your vision of yourself, to yourself; it doesn’t communicate any value to anyone.
Here are a few good examples to get you started:
- I’m a Rails developer who helps dentists with older patients who forget appointments. Unlike my competitors, I use SMS reminders which work on both smart phones and dumb phones.
- I’m a Web designer who helps Fortune 500 retailers with abandoned shopping carts on their e-commerce sites. Unlike my competitors, I use A/B tests to focus on the bottom line instead of wasting time with arbitrary design changes.
- I’m a spider wrangler who helps horror movie producers with actors who are severely arachnophobic. Unlike my competitors, I once convinced Gwyneth Paltrow to attend a red carpet event with a live tarantula on her head.
See the pattern?
I’m a DISCIPLINE who helps TARGET MARKET with EXPENSIVE PROBLEM. Unlike my competitors, UNIQUE DIFFERENCE.
Nailing your laser focused positioning statement is the single best thing you can do to grow your business. It’s the foundation of everything.
Without a laser focused positioning statement, you’re wasting your time with marketing efforts like advertising, outreach, blogging, vlogging, podcasting, social media, webinars, etc.
Yours,
—J