Write a Positioning Statement

A positioning statement is a tight sentence or two that captures the who, what, how, and why of your business. Most importantly, it crystallizes your unique qualities in relation to everyone else.

Why do you need one? A compelling positioning statement helps you distill the specifics of what sets you apart so you can tell your story in a competitive market and land your ideal clients.

Though it can be useful for potential clients browsing your portfolio, your brand positioning statement doesn’t actually have to be client-facing. It can be a thing that you tell yourself when you’re gearing up for a networking event or when considering whether a new client is the right fit. It can also guide you as you write more extensive marketing messaging.

A positioning statement has five key components:

1. Your name
2. What you do
3. Your ideal client
4. What makes you different
5. Your “why”

These components come together in a succinct statement about your business.

Once you know what to look for, positioning statements are everywhere. Here are a few examples pulled from LinkedIn.

Deborah

What works well:Here, we have a clear what (a publication), a how (frequency and format), the intended audience (content professionals), and a broader, contextual reason for existing (the age of algorithms).

The takeaway:Your “why” doesn’t need to be synonymous with a mission statement or personal philosophy, but it should resonate with your target audience. When they see it, they know—if you’re a content professional battling the algorithm on a daily basis, you have an immediate sense of Carver’s motivation and scope.

Luisa

What it does well:This positioning statement is short and sweet: it hits all the relevant aspects of her business. Her what? CFO services. For who? Women agency owners operating at a specific level ($500K baseline). How? Results-driven approach. Why? To scale and sustain.

The takeaway: While this statement does a good job of capturing what Luisa offers, there’s room to expand on her differentiation. She could, for example, build a stronger emotional connection behind the “why.” Maybe she wants to empower women agency owners to achieve financial freedom or reach a place of stability so they can afford to step back and develop other aspects of the life they want.

Dani

What it does well:The beauty of this statement is in the details. It’s straightforward and direct, uses industry-specific language, and infuses the format with important personal style and approach. Herrera isn’t just committed to this work; she’s radically and unapologetically committed, giving potential partners and clients a sense of the energy she’d bring to the table. The words you choose in a positioning statement, even if it’s only meant for your own reference, set expectations.

The takeaway:While you don’t need to go overboard, there’s an opportunity for increased specificity around the term “organization.” Organizations can mean a lot of things. Is it a nonprofit organization? Is it a startup organization? Is it a community organization? Focusing in on the “who” piece of this statement would help narrow it down and better orient her offerings toward their intended audience.

A positioning statement is a tight sentence or two that captures the who, what, how, and why of your business. Most importantly, it crystallizes your unique qualities in relation to everyone else.

Why do you need one? A compelling positioning statement helps you distill the specifics of what sets you apart so you can tell your story in a competitive market and land your ideal clients.

Though it can be useful for potential clients browsing your portfolio, your brand positioning statement doesn’t actually have to be client-facing. It can be a thing that you tell yourself when you’re gearing up for a networking event or when considering whether a new client is the right fit. It can also guide you as you write more extensive marketing messaging.

For independents, service style is a key aspect of your offering, and it will impact how you fit into the greater market. You can even use a matrix to plot your service style against your competitors; doing so will give you a better understanding of how to position your process and approach.

X-axis: Templatized vs. custom

A templatized brand strategy might utilize surveys or briefs to gather information, relying on client input to inform their work. On the other end of the spectrum from a standard template, we find a more customized approach, where the information-gathering is tailored to each individual client, based on conversations and personalized questionnaires.

Y-axis: Authoritative vs. collaborative

An authoritative service style boils down to “This is the way we do it, this is how it's done.” You’re the expert, and clients are paying for access to that expertise. A collaborative service style prioritizes listening and revision, applying expertise where applicable, and working synchronously to develop something new.

Here’s how the axes intersect and how you might place yourself vis-a-vis your competitors:

Consider where your brand falls between these four extremes and how you might surface those characteristics in your positioning statement.

You can use differentiation statements to dial in on your main positioning statement or use them as gut checks as your brand evolves, which allows you to evaluate and refine your positioning statement continuously.

You can think about this style of differentiation statements as: “Where others do x, my brand does y.” Or, “Where they zig, I zag.”

Here’s an example of this broad-to-specific approach in practice:

Brand X supports the well-being of school communities by teaching mindful breath and movement as proactive tools for self-regulation. Our in-person and digital programs change perspectives and model emotional regulation in a way that reflects the needs of modern learning environments.

Now, here are three examples of possible supporting differentiation statements that really drive that positioning home:

• Where others see high-needs students, we see all students’ needs.
• Where others focus on immediate relief, we focus on long-term solutions.
• Where others offer a one-size-fits-all approach, we offer a tiered program to promote accessibility.

Your first task when writing a positioning statement is clearly identifying what you offer your clients. Your “what” needs to sit at the intersection of what you do best and what your clients want. This is your “winning zone.”

Because Venn diagrams make everything better, here’s one to illustrate:

The center of the diagram is the most competitive space, placing you directly against your closest competitors. Your “winning” zone is just above it, at the intersection of what you do best and what your clients want. Ideally, this is where you want to live.

Living in this winning zone means:

1. You know yourself and your business well enough to know what you’re best at.
2. You’ve done enough research to understand what your clients actually want—what they’re willing to pay to solve—instead of what you think they need or should want.

If you’re into that gladiator-style, hand-to-hand combat vibe, get after it in that center space! Just expect there to be times when client decisions come down to a single variable, like cost, convenience, or some other factor you can’t replicate or control. Losing business in this zone isn’t always a bad thing because there is almost always a valuable takeaway—like insight into your competitors' rates or approach or a more refined sense of your ideal client. Remember that forcing compatibility with a client—even if they’re desirable—can result in less fulfilling work for you and missed expectations for them.

Next, get clear on how you relate to other players in your space. That’s because the big goal of a positioning statement is to highlight how you and your business function within the market and who your offering is for. You want to make sure that your audience understands what you do and the value you bring with total clarity.

Here are a few prompts to help you identify your strengths and what distinguishes you from your closest competitors.

1. What can your brand do that your competitors can't? Maybe you’re driven to solve a problem or meet a specific need that most competitors ignore. Maybe you’re uniquely positioned to unite multiple communities through your work. Identifying your brand’s potential helps orient your positioning statement and can provide momentum.

2. How does your personal experience in your field make you a better option? One of the unique things about being an independent is that you get to bring more of yourself to your business. Personal details, lived experiences, energy, style, philosophy—all of it sets you apart from the competition. How can you embrace your experiences and prioritize them in your messaging?

3. What do your clients remember you for?Sometimes, it can be easier to get an accurate sense of how you do what you do—or how well you do it—from an outside perspective. For instance:

• What do referrals tell you when they reach out? (Or, how does your reputation precede you?)
• What are the recurring themes in your client testimonials or reviews?
• How would a trusted friend or family member define your expertise?

4. How do you go above and beyond to serve your clients? Do you regularly put in extra work to dial in your deliverables? Or are you a great listener who uses an empathetic approach to problem-solving? Identify the ways in which your process is that much more valuable than anyone else’s.

5. How are you better than your competitors? In many ways, a positioning statement is a kind of sales pitch. In order to infuse yours with persuasive energy, you’ll need a handle on exactly what makes your approach to a challenge, topic, or opportunity the best. What are the hard-won insights driving your perspective? How does your approach yield superior results?