By Jack Perry
In the minds of most people, everyone is just a standard commodity. However, if you choose, by design , you can position yourself as much more than a common ordinary commodity….as a unique individual, as a special professional. Positioning sets you apart from everyone else and brings your unique qualities to the forefront.
Do you choose to be the highest price or the lowest price? Do you choose to work with anyone who walks through your door, or do you choose to work exclusively with a certain type of client?
You communicate the position you choose for yourself through your letterhead, your style of dress, your demeanor, attention to detail, spending habits etc. and your business practices. Essentially, your positioning filters through to the world everything you do. So how do you know what position you’re currently in, and whether it suits what you’re trying to do? Consider the following keys to positioning and image.
What Image Do You Project into the Marketplace?
Your image, or position in the marketplace, is a combination of everything you do. How you handle objections, how you follow up, and how you work through each phase of the sales process all contribute to your position. Plus, the way you dress, the way you shake a person’s hand, and the way you present your ideas influence your image as well.
You choose how others will perceive you. Subconsciously or consciously, like it or not, you decide what other people think about you. When you decide to put on your best suit, you decide that you want to be taken seriously. When you habitually show up late for appointments and social events you are positioning yourself as a person who disrespects other peoples time. And when you decide to sit in the back row and not say a word during a staff meeting, you decide to go unnoticed.
Communicating your position means managing the impressions you make on other people. And those impressions are managed by everything you do. You might handwrite personal notes or send holiday cards to clients to position yourself as more than a typical business associate. You might send your clients article clippings or books that you think they will find useful in order to position yourself as an expert resource.
To better understand what image you currently project into the marketplace, ask yourself whether your clients and prospects know your position and what they can expect from you. If you’re not sure, or you don’t think they can clearly your position , then your image might need some attention.
How Can You Define Your Image?
Most people don’t really think about their position and their image. They might not understand the value in it, or they might not understand the power an image can have. But image is so important, especially in today’s competitive marketplace, that it deserves some thought. You have to be realistic and ask yourself, “Do I want to achieve, by my definition, the ultimate success in life as possible? Do I want all the odds I can possibly have in my favor? Or am I willing to buck some of those odds? Swim up-stream?
Your chosen position must match you as a person. Your image is a combination of your values, brand, reputation, and mission statement. What do you stand for? What do you want people to say and know about you? What’s unique about you? How do you serve your prospects and clients? These factors are all interrelated to your image. Essentially, you have to decide where you want to go and what you want to be, and then make sure you are positioned as all those things. Choose a niche and own it. You want to position yourself in relation to the brand you’ve set up for yourself.
However, you can’t be all things to all people. While you don’t have to be a conformist, you can’t put yourself at a disadvantage. You might modify your outward appearance to avoid alienating a prospect, but when you get down to the core of what you do, you won’t change those aspects of your image. If you’re meeting with a client from a major corporation in New York, you’ll obviously wear one of your best tailored suits. And if you’re meeting with a client who owns a ranch in Sun Valley Idaho, you will probably leave your best suit in the closet. However, you wouldn’t change your approach, advice, or expertise in either situation.
How Can You Build Your Image?
Knowing how you want others to perceive you is the key to positioning yourself and building your image. If you’re just starting out in a company, you obviously want to position yourself positively within the company. You might want your supervisors and co-workers to know that you pay attention to details; therefore you might pay attention to details in the way you dress. People will think that if you put that much effort into your appearance, then you must pay attention to details in your work as well.
You can build your image by being consistent in your appearance, your approach, and your expertise. If you wear a tie to work everyday, then that tie will become a part of your image. And if you always come up with creative approaches to your clients’ problems, then innovation will become a part of your image.
If you want to position yourself as an expert in your field, then you need to be seen as a resource. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you take on every project or client that comes your way. If a client comes to you with an issue that doesn’t fit your expertise, you can try to help them and do a mediocre job. Or you can be forthright and say, “I am not the right person to help you. Let me see if I can help you find the right person to solve this problem.” The second approach communicates that you are an honest expert who operates in your clients’ best interests, rather than a person who tries to fit every situation.
Your Image in the Future
Your position and image are collages of everything you do, from the clothes you put on in the morning to the way you respond to your client. If you haven’t given your image much thought, then you could be positioning yourself inaccurately in the marketplace. Use these strategies to identify, define, and build your image, and you will position yourself right where you choose to be. People will know what to expect from you and they will perceive you as the successful person you choose to be.
Positioning from The Respect Factor® Series
THE RESPECT FACTOR® is a trademark of Jack Perry in the United States and other countries. Used with permission. ©2009 Jack Perry. All rights reserved
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