I mentioned positioning last week but skimmed over it a bit. As it’s one of the most important concepts around for a business, I think I should go over it again.

Your positioning statement is one of the most important things you’ll ever write for your business. One simple sentence, built out of three components. But it triggers the most important conversations you can have.

When you meet someone at a party and they ask “what do you do?”, what do you say?

“I work in HR”, “I’m a software developer”, “I manage digital marketing campaigns” - these are pretty typical answers to that question. And what’s your reply? “Oh, that’s interesting…” as you wander off to get another drink.

But what if you heard “I save call centres a small fortune in legal fees” or “I save manufacturing businesses thousands a month by reducing the time they waste on administration” or “Last month I made a million in extra sales for a boutique shop”. Wouldn’t you immediately respond “wow - how do you do that?”. And maybe “I know someone who runs a call centre, she might need your help”. Or “my mate’s always complaining about paperwork in his business”. Or “my cousin’s shop was thinking of running a promotion in spring - maybe you could help”

That’s the power of positioning. It’s a conversation starter. It opens doors.

Take action When someone asks what you do, how do you answer? Is it a conversation starter or a conversation killer?