We get this request constantly: "Hey, I'd love for you to look at my positioning statement." As if us agreeing with the words is somehow consequential. We're not your client. We're not writing you a check. But the bigger problem is what the request reveals: the belief that positioning is a wordsmithing exercise. That if we just arrange the right words in the right order, the work is done. In this episode, we break down why your positioning statement is probably gathering dust on Google Drive, what it actually takes to enter your prospect's cognitive frame, and the three layers of positioning most consultants completely ignore.
Show Notes:
- The request that makes us cringe: Why asking someone to review your positioning statement misses the entire point of positioning
- The Mad Men fantasy: What Don Draper's creative team had that most consultants don't, and why it matters more than the words you choose
- Your prospect has a box around their brain: How cognitive frames determine what information gets in and what bounces off, no matter how clever your messaging is
- The Thanksgiving dinner problem: Why arguing with Uncle Joe about politics teaches you everything you need to know about selling to prospects
- The temptation that ruins your marketing: Most consultants try to drag prospects into their frame instead of stepping into the prospect's world first
- Three layers of positioning: Why most consultants obsess over the top layer (the words) while ignoring the foundation that makes words actually work
- Why understanding your prospect goes beyond sales: The consultants who get this don't just market better, they deliver better, partner better, and get results clients talk about
- The cost of skipping the work: Where you'll be in ten years if you keep refining statements instead of entering minds