Page 51 - Duct Tape Marketing

Duct Tape Marketing

 What would you Google to find a business like ours?
 What companies do you admire and refer the most?

When you do this kind of informal survey, you may hear the exact
positioning that your firm already owns. Many times your clients can
describe what you offer much better than you can. Asking your clients
for input is a great practice no matter what you are trying to learn.
Clients are more likely to refer business to you when they feel you
appreciate what they think and are interested in involving them in the
building of your business.

Look to the Competition for Clues

Many times you can find a unique position to claim by simply dis-
covering gaps that no one else is filling. Study your competition as
thoroughly as possible to see if you can find opportunities to stake
your claim. At the very least, visit the Web sites of your closest com-
petitors with an eye on discovering if anyone is really saying anything
that’s unique.

What You Really Sell

Another way to gain some insight into a unique positioning is to fig-
ure out what you really sell. As stated earlier, you don’t sell what it is
you claim to offer. You sell what the eventual buyers think they are
going to get from your product.

For instance, insurance sales folks don’t sell insurance; they sell
peace of mind. Chiropractors don’t sell neck adjustments; they sell
some form of relief. In some cases businesses have little idea what
they sell. If you can come to think in terms of how buyers of your

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