Your positioning statement, elevator pitch, brand story, whatever you want to call it, should be doing a lot of heavy lifting for you. But there are 2 very short words that always weaken your positioning.
(And I know some folks will tell me that those are 3 totally different things, but they should be pretty close, and the same rule applies, regardless.)
The 2 words?
- And
- Or
Whenever you have an “and” or an “or”, you are diluting your message.
For example, suppose you say your ideal clients are “corporate executives or entrepreneurs”. Those are 2 different markets. They may share some (many?) characteristics, but they’re going to have different goals, different buyer’s journeys, etc.
If a corporate executive or an entrepreneur hears your message, she might think that it’s not really for her, since it also includes the other category.
The same problem comes up with referral partners. You might think that you’re more referable, since you’re pursuing two categories instead of one, but referral partners will be less likely to remember you in the right situation, and less likely to make a referral if they do, and that referral will be less compelling.
If you find yourself with an “and” or an “or”, you have 2 choices:
- Remove the less-than-ideal category. Perhaps while you enjoy working with both execs and entrepreneurs, it’s easier to get funding to work with an executive team than even a single entrepreneur. So maybe you focus on executives. Remember, you’re trying to intentional about your Ideal Client Profile, not your Possible Client Profile (PCP is dangerous).
- Combine the categories via shared characteristics, whether explicit or implicit. For example, maybe what you really specialize in is helping high achievers balance work, health, and family.
Also note that you’re allowed to work with people outside your ICP, if you want. Perhaps you decide to focus on corporate execs, but an entrepreneur really wants to work with you and can pay your fees. If it’s a good fit, no problem.
(Mimiran will now warn you if you put an “and” or an “or” in your Ideal Client description. See the short video below:)
Want to sharpen your positioning to do more work for you? Join the free M.E.G.A. Positioning Workshop on Thursday at 11CT. (Register here.)