Level 3 · Organised · Revenue & Marketing
Playbook 3.5
Positioning
Positioning is how your customers think about you compared to everyone else they could choose.
What This Is
What It Looks Like
Urgent gaps — no reliable process
When this is broken
You compete mostly on price and find yourself saying "we are different because we care more." Prospects compare you to everyone else and you cannot explain why they should pay more for you. You win some and lose some, but you are not sure what makes the difference. Your sales conversations feel like negotiations where lower price is the main way to close deals.
Partial / inconsistent — works sometimes
When this is OK
You know you are different but struggle to explain it clearly to prospects. Sometimes your differentiation lands and people get it immediately. Other times you sound like everyone else. You have some happy customers who love what makes you special, but new prospects do not always see it. Your positioning works in person but gets lost in your marketing.
Reliable system — repeatable results
When this is working
Prospects understand immediately why they would choose you over the competition — not just because you are better, but because you are different in a way that matters to them. You rarely compete on price because your value is obvious. You attract customers who want specifically what you offer, not just anyone looking for your category of service. Your team can explain your positioning consistently without thinking about it.
Things to Think About
- What do you do that no credible competitor does? This is your unique mechanism — the specific thing that delivers the outcome your customers want. Not "we care more" but "we use this method" or "we focus on this aspect." If a good competitor could copy it tomorrow, it is not positioning.
- What category are you actually competing in? Are you a web designer competing against other web designers, or are you competing against doing nothing? Sometimes the real competition is not who you think it is. Sometimes you are competing against the status quo, not other providers.
- Who loses when you win? Every positioning choice means saying no to someone. If your positioning appeals to everyone, it compels no one. Being the cheapest loses you quality buyers. Being the premium loses you price buyers. What are you willing to lose to win bigger?
- Does your differentiation actually matter to buyers? Being different is not enough — being different in a way that customers care about is positioning. The best technical solution loses to the solution that solves the problem customers actually want solved.
- Can you prove your positioning is real? Anyone can claim to be "the experts" or "the innovators." Positioning that sticks comes with evidence: case studies, specific outcomes, named methods, clear proof that this difference exists and delivers value.
The Actions Inside This Playbook
When you open this playbook in the Profit System, you will find:
When you open this playbook in the Profit System, you will find:
---Action 1: Competitive Intelligence
Map your real competitive landscape so you understand exactly who you are up against and where the gaps are. Not just direct competitors, but alternative solutions your prospects might choose instead.
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What to Do
Map your real competitive landscape. Not just the obvious direct competitors, but every alternative solution a prospect might choose instead of working with you. This includes doing nothing, hiring internally, using software, reading a book, or choosing a completely different type of provider.
True competitive intelligence goes beyond listing company names. It means understanding why prospects choose each alternative, what those alternatives do well, and where they fall short.
Why It Matters
Most business owners either ignore competitors entirely ("I just focus on what I do") or obsess over the wrong ones (watching a direct competitor's social media while missing the real threat). Both approaches leave you blind.
Your prospect is always choosing between options. If you do not understand what those options are, you cannot explain why yours is better. You end up competing on price because you have not given them a reason to compare on anything else. Al Ries and Jack Trout built the entire discipline of positioning on this insight: your position exists relative to alternatives, not in isolation.
How to Use This
Work through each section systematically. You will not have all the information in one sitting. Start with what you know and identify gaps to research over the following weeks.
Map Direct Competitors
- [ ] List every business that offers a similar service to your primary audience - Same type of service, similar price range, targeting similar clients. These are the names prospects mention when they say "we are also looking at..."
- [ ] For each, document their positioning - What do they claim to do differently? What is their headline promise? How do they describe their ideal client?
- [ ] Identify their pricing model and approximate price point - You do not need exact figures. Ballpark is fine. Are they premium, mid-range, or budget?
- [ ] Note their strengths honestly - What do they genuinely do well? Where might they be a better fit than you for certain clients? Honest assessment is more useful than dismissal.
- [ ] ⚡ Quick Win: Visit your top 3 competitors' websites and read their home page as if you were a prospect - What impression do you get? What do they promise? How does it compare to what you promise?
Map Indirect Competitors
- [ ] List alternative solutions that are not direct competitors - Software platforms, freelancers, in-house hires, DIY resources, courses, books, free content. Anything a prospect might choose instead of paying you.
- [ ] Identify the "do nothing" competitor - For many businesses, the biggest competitor is inaction. The prospect decides the problem is not urgent enough to solve. Understand why they stay put.
- [ ] Assess which alternatives are growing - Is AI, automation, or a new platform making an alternative more attractive? Spotting trends early gives you time to respond.
- [ ] Note which alternatives your lost prospects chose - If you track why deals fall through, look at where those prospects went. This is the most valuable competitive intelligence you have.
Analyse Competitive Gaps
- [ ] Identify what no competitor (including you) currently does well - These are market gaps. Unmet needs. Underserved segments. Potential opportunities for differentiation.
- [ ] Map the common complaints about each alternative - What do clients complain about with your competitors? With software solutions? With doing it themselves? Reviews, forums, and conversations with prospects are gold mines for this.
- [ ] Find the "table stakes" vs. "differentiators" - Table stakes are what everyone must offer just to be considered. Differentiators are what make someone choose you over the alternatives. If you are competing on table stakes, you are competing on price.
- [ ] ⚡ Quick Win: Ask your last 3 new clients: "What other options did you consider before choosing us?" - Their answers will tell you more about your real competitive landscape than any amount of desk research.
Document and Maintain
- [ ] Create a simple competitive landscape document - One page that maps direct competitors, indirect alternatives, and the "do nothing" option. Include their positioning, strengths, weaknesses, and pricing.
- [ ] Set a quarterly review - The landscape changes. New competitors appear. Existing ones pivot. Alternatives evolve. Keep your intelligence current.
- [ ] Share relevant insights with your team - Sales team needs to know what prospects are comparing you to. Marketing needs to know what messaging competitors use. Product needs to know where alternatives fall short.
Expected Outcome
- A complete map of direct competitors, indirect alternatives, and the "do nothing" option
- Clear understanding of what each alternative does well and where it falls short
- Identified gaps in the market that no one is serving well
- A practical document your sales and marketing teams can use
- A quarterly habit of updating competitive intelligence
Coach Notes
Many clients resist this exercise because they find it uncomfortable to look closely at competitors. Some are afraid of what they will find. Others feel it is beneath them. Reframe it: understanding the landscape is not about copying anyone. It is about knowing what your prospects are comparing you to so you can position yourself clearly.
The "do nothing" competitor is almost always underestimated. For most service businesses, the biggest threat is not another provider. It is the prospect deciding the problem can wait. Help clients understand that their marketing and sales must address inertia as much as competing offers. The "ask your last 3 clients" quick win often produces revelations. Clients are frequently surprised by who their real competitors turn out to be.
Action 2: Unique Advantage Audit
Identify what you genuinely do differently that delivers measurable value. This goes beyond features to find the underlying approach, method, or focus that makes your results different.
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What to Do
Identify what you genuinely do differently that delivers measurable value to clients. This goes far beyond listing features or services. It means uncovering the underlying approach, method, experience, or focus that makes your results different from what a client would get elsewhere.
Most businesses think they are different but cannot explain why in terms a prospect cares about. This audit fixes that.
Why It Matters
"We provide great service" is not a unique advantage. Every competitor says the same thing. If your differentiation is not specific, provable, and meaningful to your target audience, you have no positioning. You are a commodity. And commodities compete on price.
Real unique advantage is not about being better at everything. It is about being genuinely different in a way that matters to a specific type of client. Southwest Airlines is not better than Emirates. It is different in a way that matters to budget-conscious travellers. Your job is to find your version of that difference.
How to Use This
Work through the layers below from surface level to deep. Most real advantages hide in the deeper layers where competitors do not bother to look.
Surface Layer: What You Offer
- [ ] List every service and product you provide - Everything a client can buy from you. Be comprehensive.
- [ ] Mark which of these your competitors also offer - Be honest. If three competitors offer the same service, it is table stakes, not an advantage.
- [ ] Identify anything only you offer - Any service, feature, guarantee, or inclusion that no competitor provides. If nothing stands out, that is an important finding.
- [ ] ⚡ Quick Win: Ask yourself: "If I removed our company name, would a prospect know this was us?" - If your marketing could belong to any competitor, your differentiation is not visible enough.
Method Layer: How You Do It
- [ ] Document your process step by step - How do you actually deliver results? From first contact to final outcome, what is your method?
- [ ] Identify where your process differs from the standard approach - Do you include something others skip? Do you sequence things differently? Do you spend more time on a particular phase?
- [ ] Name your method - If your approach is genuinely different, give it a name. A named method feels proprietary even if individual elements are common. "The Profit System" is a named method. "Business coaching" is a commodity.
- [ ] Document the results your method produces - Specific outcomes, timeframes, client transformations. Numbers beat adjectives.
Experience Layer: Why You See Things Differently
- [ ] What relevant experience do you have that competitors lack? - Industry background, career history, personal experience, failures you have learned from. This shapes perspective, and perspective shapes results.
- [ ] What pattern do you consistently see that others miss? - After years of doing this work, what do you notice that less experienced providers overlook?
- [ ] What counter-intuitive belief drives your approach? - The most powerful positioning often comes from disagreeing with conventional wisdom. What does everyone else believe that you think is wrong?
- [ ] ⚡ Quick Win: Complete this sentence: "Most [your industry] providers believe X. We believe Y instead, which is why we..." - This is often the seed of your strongest positioning statement.
Proof Layer: Evidence That It Works
- [ ] Collect your strongest client outcomes - Specific numbers, transformations, before-and-after stories. The more concrete, the more credible.
- [ ] Identify your best case study - One story that perfectly illustrates your unique advantage in action. This becomes your signature proof point.
- [ ] List credentials, awards, or recognition - Not to boast, but to reduce perceived risk. Third-party validation matters to cautious buyers.
- [ ] Note any guarantees you can offer - A guarantee that competitors cannot match is a powerful differentiator. Only offer what you can deliver.
Synthesise Your Unique Advantage
- [ ] Write a single paragraph describing your unique advantage - Combine the best elements from each layer. Method + experience + proof = compelling advantage.
- [ ] Test it against the "so what?" filter - Read your paragraph from the prospect's perspective. Does it answer "why should I choose you?" If not, sharpen it.
- [ ] Validate with 3 existing clients - Ask them: "Why did you choose us over the alternatives?" Their language is often better than yours for describing your advantage.
Expected Outcome
- A layered understanding of what makes you genuinely different
- A named method or approach that prospects can remember and refer to
- Specific proof points that back up your claims
- A clear, one-paragraph description of your unique advantage
- Client-validated language for describing your differentiation
Coach Notes
Most clients start this exercise believing they are more differentiated than they are. The surface layer often reveals that they offer the same services as five competitors. That is not a problem to hide from. It is the starting point for finding deeper differentiation.
The method layer is where most real advantages live. Two accountants can offer "tax planning" but the one who has a named 5-step process for reducing tax by 20%+ feels like a specialist while the other feels generic. Help clients name their method, even if it feels uncomfortable. Imposter syndrome often kicks in here. "Who am I to name my process?" Anyone who has developed a consistent way of delivering results, that is who. Push past the discomfort. The "counter-intuitive belief" question is often the most powerful. It takes courage to articulate, but it is what makes positioning truly distinctive.
Action 3: Category Strategy
Decide whether to compete within an existing category or create a new one. Sometimes being the best in category wins. Sometimes creating a new category wins bigger.
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What to Do
Decide whether to compete within an existing category or create a new one. This is a fundamental strategic choice that shapes everything from your messaging to your pricing to how prospects find you. Sometimes being the best in an existing category wins. Sometimes creating a new category wins bigger. The wrong choice wastes years of effort.
This action walks you through the analysis needed to make that decision clearly.
Why It Matters
If you compete in an existing category, prospects already understand what you do. "Accountant," "marketing agency," "business coach." The advantage is that you do not need to educate the market. The disadvantage is that you are compared directly to everyone else in that category, and the category leader usually wins.
If you create a new category, you get to set the rules. You define what "good" looks like. You have no direct competitors. The advantage is that you can dominate a space. The disadvantage is that you must educate the market about why the category exists. Al Ries and Jack Trout showed that it is almost always better to be first in a new category than to be second in an existing one. But creating a category requires more upfront investment in education and patience.
How to Use This
Work through the assessment sections before making your decision. The answer might be obvious. Or it might surprise you.
Assess Your Current Category Position
- [ ] Name the category prospects currently put you in - Not what you call yourself. What do prospects call you when describing you to others? "Our accountant," "that marketing company," "a coach." This is your current perceived category.
- [ ] Identify the category leader - Who is the default choice in your category? The name that comes to mind first when someone needs what you sell? If it is you, your strategy is to defend that position. If it is not, you need a different approach.
- [ ] Assess your rank in the category - Are you top 3 in your market? Top 10? Unknown? If you are not in the top 3, fighting for category leadership is an uphill battle.
- [ ] ⚡ Quick Win: Google the phrase a prospect would use to find you - What comes up? Where do you appear? This shows you your real category position, not the one you imagine.
Evaluate the "Compete Within" Option
- [ ] Can you realistically become number 1 or 2 in your category within your target market? - If yes, competing within the existing category makes sense. You have a clear path to leadership.
- [ ] What would it take to overtake the current leader? - More marketing spend? Better product? Lower prices? Stronger reputation? Estimate the investment realistically.
- [ ] Is the category growing or shrinking? - Winning in a declining category is a hollow victory. Check whether demand is increasing, stable, or falling.
- [ ] Can you sub-segment the category? - You might not be the best "accountant" but you could be the best "accountant for e-commerce businesses doing £1M-£5M." Niche leadership within a broader category is a powerful middle path.
Evaluate the "Create New" Option
- [ ] Is there a genuine unmet need that no existing category addresses? - Not a slight improvement. A fundamentally different problem or approach that deserves its own name. If you have to force the distinction, it is probably not a new category.
- [ ] Can you name the new category in 3-5 words that a prospect immediately understands? - "Revenue operations consultant" is clear. "Holistic business transformation facilitator" is not. If you cannot name it simply, the market will not adopt it.
- [ ] Do you have the resources to educate the market? - Creating a category requires content, speaking, media, and patience. It takes 2-3 years minimum before the market starts using your category language. Can you sustain that investment?
- [ ] Are there at least 2-3 other businesses that could exist in your new category? - A real category has room for multiple players. If only your business fits, it is a positioning statement, not a category.
Make Your Decision
- [ ] Choose your path: compete within, sub-segment, or create new - Based on the analysis above, which strategy gives you the strongest long-term position?
- [ ] Write a one-sentence category statement - "We are the [category position] in [category name] for [target market]." This becomes the foundation for all your positioning work.
- [ ] Identify the first 3 actions to execute your category strategy - What needs to happen in the next 90 days to start building your category position?
- [ ] ⚡ Quick Win: Update your LinkedIn headline and website tagline to reflect your chosen category position - Small change, big signal. Start showing up as what you want to be known as.
Expected Outcome
- Clear understanding of your current category position
- Honest assessment of whether you can win in the existing category
- Informed decision about whether to compete within, sub-segment, or create new
- A one-sentence category statement that guides your positioning
- First actions identified to start building category leadership
Coach Notes
Most small business owners have never thought about category strategy at all. They just describe what they do and hope people buy it. Introducing this concept often creates an immediate shift in how they think about marketing and sales.
The most common trap is the client who wants to create a new category because it sounds exciting, but does not have the resources to educate the market. For most businesses under £2M, sub-segmenting an existing category is the highest-leverage move. "The business coach for tradespeople" is more powerful than inventing a new category from scratch. Push clients toward specificity. The narrower the category definition, the easier it is to dominate. "Business coach" is impossible to win. "Business coach for UK trades businesses doing £500K-£2M" is very winnable.
Action 4: Positioning Statements
Craft clear, compelling language that explains your differentiation in terms prospects immediately understand and care about. Test different angles until you find what resonates.
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What to Do
Craft clear, compelling language that explains your differentiation in terms prospects immediately understand and care about. You will create a set of positioning statements at different lengths - from a single sentence to a full paragraph - that can be used across your website, sales conversations, social media, and marketing materials.
Good positioning statements do not describe what you do. They describe why you are different and why that difference matters to the person listening.
Why It Matters
You can have the best product in the world, but if you cannot articulate why it is different in language that resonates with prospects, you are invisible. Most businesses describe themselves in generic terms that could apply to any competitor. "We help businesses grow." "We provide quality service." "We are passionate about what we do." These say nothing. They occupy no position in the prospect's mind.
April Dunford's work on positioning shows that how you frame what you do determines who considers buying it and what they are willing to pay. The same product positioned differently attracts different buyers at different price points. Positioning is not wordsmithing. It is strategic decision-making expressed in language.
How to Use This
Complete the Competitive Intelligence, Unique Advantage Audit, and Category Strategy actions first. Those provide the raw material. This action shapes that material into usable language.
Gather Your Positioning Ingredients
- [ ] Review your unique advantage statement - From the Unique Advantage Audit. This is the core of what makes you different.
- [ ] Review your category strategy - From Category Strategy. This defines where you compete and how you frame it.
- [ ] Collect the language your best clients use - How do they describe you to others? What words do they use in testimonials and reviews? Client language almost always resonates better than your own.
- [ ] ⚡ Quick Win: Write down the single most common compliment clients give you - "You really understand our industry" / "You made it so simple" / "We finally felt like someone was in our corner." This is positioning gold.
Craft Your Core Positioning Statement
- [ ] Complete the positioning framework - "We help [specific audience] achieve [specific outcome] through [unique method/approach], unlike [alternative] which [limitation of alternative]." Write 3-5 versions and pick the strongest.
- [ ] Test each version against "Would I say this in a conversation?" - If it sounds like marketing copy, it will not work in sales conversations. Good positioning is conversational.
- [ ] Remove every word that a competitor could also claim - "Expert," "leading," "innovative," "passionate." If a competitor can say it too, it is not positioning. It is filler.
- [ ] Check that it passes the "interested eyebrow" test - Read it to someone unfamiliar with your business. Do they lean in and ask "How do you do that?" If they nod politely, it is too generic.
Create Statement Variations
- [ ] The one-liner (under 15 words) - Your answer to "What do you do?" at a networking event. Short enough to remember, specific enough to intrigue.
- [ ] The elevator pitch (3-4 sentences) - Expands the one-liner with audience, method, and proof. Usable in sales conversations, LinkedIn summary, website hero section.
- [ ] The full positioning paragraph (5-7 sentences) - Complete positioning including outcome, method, differentiation, and a proof point. For your About page, proposals, and detailed marketing.
- [ ] The "why us" list (5 bullet points) - Five clear reasons to choose you over alternatives. Each one specific, provable, and meaningful to your target audience.
Test and Refine
- [ ] Use the one-liner in your next 5 networking conversations - Note reactions. Which version gets the best response? Which falls flat?
- [ ] ⚡ Quick Win: Update your email signature with your one-liner - Every email you send becomes a positioning touchpoint. Takes 2 minutes.
- [ ] Test the elevator pitch with 3 existing clients - Ask: "Does this accurately describe why you work with us?" Their feedback will sharpen your language.
- [ ] A/B test the full paragraph on your website - If you have enough traffic, test your new positioning against your current copy. Measure enquiry quality, not just volume.
- [ ] Review and refine quarterly - As your business evolves, your positioning should too. What was true six months ago may need updating.
Deploy Across All Touchpoints
- [ ] Update your website hero section - The first thing visitors see should be your strongest positioning statement.
- [ ] Update your LinkedIn profile and company page - Consistent positioning across all platforms.
- [ ] Brief your team on the new language - Everyone who speaks to prospects or clients should use the same positioning language. Create a simple one-page reference.
- [ ] Update your proposal template - Your positioning should appear in the first paragraph of every proposal.
Expected Outcome
- A core positioning statement that clearly differentiates you from alternatives
- Four variations (one-liner, elevator pitch, full paragraph, "why us" list) for different contexts
- Language tested with real prospects and clients, not just internally approved
- Consistent positioning deployed across website, social media, proposals, and conversations
- A quarterly review habit to keep positioning current
Coach Notes
The most common mistake is writing positioning statements that describe what the business does rather than why it is different. "We provide business coaching" describes a service. "We help trade business owners add £200K in profit within 12 months using a proven diagnostic system" is positioning. The difference is specificity and differentiation.
Many clients will want to keep their positioning broad because they are afraid of turning away potential clients. Remind them: clear positioning repels the wrong clients and attracts the right ones. That is the point. A statement that appeals to everyone positions you with no one. Help clients find the language that makes their best clients say "That is exactly what I need" and their worst-fit prospects say "That is not for me." Both reactions mean the positioning is working.
Quick Wins
- This week: List three credible competitors and write down exactly how a prospect would choose between you and them. If the answer is mostly price, your positioning needs work.
- This week: Ask your last three happy customers: "Why did you choose us over the alternatives? " Their actual words matter more than what you think your positioning is.
- This week: Read your website homepage as if you were shopping for your service. Circle anything that sounds exactly like what your competitors would say. That is where your positioning is weakest.