Positioning Your Services for the Win
When I started my business, I was having trouble articulating what I do and who my audience is. Relocation is inherently hard to describe and when you perform even more specialized functions within an already confusing business segment, it can be quite a challenge. I happened to hear April Dunford, a positioning expert, on a webinar and many things came clear. I was describing my business incorrectly. I read her book, Obviously Awesome, where she recounts several stories of her own and others that clearly identify where companies when wrong when they tried to position their products or services.
I think Relocation Divisions of real estate firms often have positioning problems. It is very difficult to describe what a relocation division does these days. It’s not just facilitating people moving from point A to point B. Every one of our target audience has a different interest and that makes the message hard to condense and convey. The agents want the referrals, the sources want high level of service, brokers want conversion and profit, transferees want help, corporations want their employees on the job. How do you position yourself with so many bosses?
It all comes down to features and benefits. What do you have that others do not? Who would they use if you weren’t around and what value do you bring that others do not? We all have lots of features: market share, industry awards and accreditations, trained agents, strong leadership, experienced staff. But what value do those features bring to the end user? What are the benefits? We have to make those we serve to see what all of our features mean to them.
People shouldn’t have to come to their own deduction as to why they should use us. We need to clearly tell them the bottom line benefit to them and back it up with stats, testimonials and stories. It’s all about positioning our company and our services in their mind as the only choice. And that may mean having multiple marketing pieces to reach our various audiences. Positioning is not a one size fits all dialog.
It’s ok brag, but just make sure what you are bragging about directly benefits the customer and that you have clearly laid out why you are the best and only choice. This book will teach you how to find your “secret sauce” and then sell that sauce to those who crave it. If you need assistance with positioning, I am here to help you formulate your secret sauce.
“Your own opinion of your own strengths is irrelevant without proof”, April Dunford, Author Obviously Awesome
Courtesy of April Dunford, Obviously Awesome, www.aprildunford.com