Year read: 2016
How strongly I recommend it: 9/10
(See my list of books I've read, for more.)Go to the Amazon page for details and reviews.
Positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect.
Tell the prospect what the product is not. Ex: “lead-free”, “sugar-free”, “hassle-free”
Look inside the prospect’s mind. The solution is usually found in the customer’s mind, not in the product.
Positioning starts with what the prospect is willing to give you.
Positioning is thinking in reverse. Start with the customer and not with yourself or what you’re selling.
It’s not what you think you are it’s what your prospects think you are.
Prospects want specialists, not generalists.
Objectivity.
You have to differentiate yourself. You need to stand out. Standout by understanding what customer really wants and needs.
Position yourself as a specialist in the space. People respect you and come to you for help. People trust experts.
“This problem when solved will be solved.” – General Motors
Think about marketing through your customer’s eyes. What do they think? What do they think about your solution and niche? How do they think about their problem and what they need to solve it?
Are you selling a new product? Sometimes it makes more sense to explain what your product is not rather than explain what it is.
“Look for the hole.”
A line extension is a weakness, not a strength.
Never be afraid of conflict.
Quotes
- “Every advertisement is a long-term investment in the image of a brand.” – David Ogilvy
- “The power of the organization is derived from the power of the product, the position that the product owns in the prospect’s mind.” – Al Ries and Jack Trout
- “For a repositioning strategy to work, you must say something about your competitor’s product that causes the prospect to change his or her mind, not about your product, but about the competitor’s product.” – Al Ries and Jack Trout
- “If you try to be all things to all people, you wind up with nothing.” – Al Ries and Jack Trout
- “This problem when solved will be simple.” – “Boss” Kettering of General Motors
- “Only in a give-and-take atmosphere can ideas be refined and perfected.” – Al Ries and Jack Trout
Go to the Amazon page for details and reviews.