Imagine this… you’re scrolling through Facebook and see a post from someone looking for EXACTLY what you offer. And for a split second you get excited because you know you can help them. But, then you notice the 237 comments on the post from others offering similar services. 

Maybe you drop a comment of your own and 🤞 cross your fingers OR maybe you think the odds aren’t in your favor and you keep on scrolling.

What if instead you knew how to stand out – not just on Facebook posts – but in your industry and become your dream clients’ first choice?

Here how to position yourself as the ONLY option your dream clients should consider.

Understand Your Market

Before you can position yourself as number one you have to understand the market you are in. How long has the type of product/service you offer been around? How many competitors do you have? What is your audience’s perception of the industry?

Position Yourself According to the Stage of Market Sophistication

Stage 1 – Announce Yourself

If you are the very first of your type to market, then all you have to do is announce your arrival! You simply say “Hey market, I’m here!… I’m a _[what you do]_” and people buy from you. At this stage, marketing is super simple and direct, because there are no competitors. However, the market will likely evolve and your marketing will need to become more sophisticated as the market does. How can you innovate and become the first to market of your kind?

Stage 2 – Amplify Your Claim

At this stage, you need to communicate why your offer is better. You begin to share features and benefits, and how that makes what you offer faster, better, cheaper, etc. Are you clear on the problem you solve and the goals you help your audience achieve?

Stage 3 – Explain How

As your audience become more educated about your market and maybe even skeptical after hearing exaggerated claims that competitors didn’t deliver on, it’s key to start giving them a look at how you do what you do – aka your mechanism. Do you have signature process or framework?

Stage 4 – Escalate Your Claims

At this stage, you’ll communicate how your mechanism is different from others’ methods. So not only will you communicate how your offer is faster, better, etc., now you’ll also communicate the benefits of your method. How is your method easier, faster, better than your competitors’ methods?

Stage 5 – Become Iconic

At this stage, it’s all about going from just one option to THE one. You make an emotional connection to your audience and align your messaging with who your audience is/aspires to be. How can you SHOW your audience what is possible and relate at a deeper level based on common identity?

Which stage is your market currently in? Are you marketing at the same or a more advanced stage, or is your marketing falling short?