Most “branding” problems are really positioning problems.

That’s a huge statement. Perhaps the biggest statement I’ll ever write. But in my experience, that’s true.

Too often, people place the wrong labels on their problems.

They say: “We need more sales training.”
When they need: “Positioning that makes sales easier.”

They say: “We need to post more to land high-ticket clients.”
When they need: “Positioning to help them attract high-ticket clients”

These are just two examples, but there’s a lot that could be derived from just taking a look at a coach’s profile or website and often times what they think is a solution to their problem isn’t what their clients need to buy from them.

I’ll expand on the importance of positioning below. If you want to get the part on how to fix your positioning, skip this next part.

The Million Dollar Question: Why is positioning important?

Positioning is the reason you have the clients you have. It isn’t only about what you do, but how people see what you do.

Two coaches can sell the same service at the same quality. One charges $500 a month. The other charges $5000. The difference here is not the service or process, but perception.

But so far, it’s still an abstract concept. I’ll define positioning as the mental space you occupy in your prospect/client's mind regarding your industry. What do I mean by mental space? It’s what they associate you with. Their general perception of you. Are you the “entry-level option”? Or the “go-to authority for serious players”?

That’s positioning.

That’s decided by how you show up:

Who do you interact with?
How do you talk?
Do you keep things surface level, or do you talk like someone in the know?
Do you have a personality, or are you just trying to be a copycat?
Do you do ANY OTHER THING than post online?

These are basic questions that run in the back of people’s minds. This is excluding results and social proof. But the purpose of positioning is to provide an answer to these questions.

These questions create a mental file of what you can do and what level you’re at, whether you like it or not. That file is your positioning.

Now, for context, two brands may have the same messaging, but the one thing they CANNOT afford to be the same is positioning.

If you ever see two brands with the same positioning, one of them is a knockoff. The meaning of this is that positioning has to be unique to you (or your brand).

Its aim is not to create something completely new. It is to help present what your prospects already know, but in a new light.

But how do you do that?

People consume a horrifyingly large amount of information per day. Scientists found that an average person today can process as much as 74 gigabytes (GB) of data a day.

That’s a really huge amount of space if you’re not familiar with how storage works.

If people want to take in more info, they’ve got to lose some of what’s already there. Yet every passing second, we continue to pour more information into their supersaturated brains and become disappointed when our messages fail to get through.

That’s why you need to present what they already know, but in a new light.

Positioning is communicated through messaging. If you decide to bring in something new, you’d have to tie it back to something they already know.

As Ries & Trout term, positioning is an organized system for finding a window in the mind. It is based on the concept that communication can only take place at the right time and under the right circumstances.

What does this mean for you?

To position yourself means to take up mental space. The easiest way to get into a person’s mind is to be first.

The reason some people find it difficult to position themselves is that there’s no general way to do it. There’s no standardized process for it.

In fact, if you Google “brand positioning” right now, you’d get hit with dozens of AI-written articles all talking about the definition and stuffing formulas for USP statements down your throat.

Once in a while, and I do mean in the slightest of chances, the statement will look good in the office, but it lacks meaning outside. It doesn’t mean shit. And someone’s probably already thought of it.

Why?

Because formulas put you in a box. They are not flexible. It is input, then output. No story, no UNDERSTANDING, no meaning.

It’s like a scenario where you do research (which means you checked out ONE competitor, that’s on a global scale) and base everything in your brand on that competitor. Guess what? No shit. You’re gonna spend more money fixing the wrong problems.

So, I think, positioning is executed at its best when it takes into consideration not only your strengths and weaknesses, but those of your competitors as well.

The positioning of your competitors is as important as your own positioning.

Positioning has to do more with the perception of the service or product rather than the actual product.

What do I mean? People think positioning is about making their product “better.” But it actually exists to shift perception. To make someone say:
“Wait… maybe this is exactly what I need.”
Not just: “Nice product.”

For example:
A business coach can sell “weekly coaching calls.” That’s a product.

But if they position it as “the system founders use to cross $10k months without burning out,” suddenly it’s not about calls anymore. It’s a transformation.

It is perception, not the actual reality of the product.

So, how do you figure out positioning for yourself?

How to fix your positioning

The method I use is a blend of practical field work and a framework inspired by April Dunford. She’s one of the sharpest minds in positioning. If you don’t know her, Google her. But I’ll save you the search and break it down here my way.

Step 1: Competitive Alternatives

Ask. “What would clients do if I didn’t exist?”

Sometimes, they’ll do nothing. They’ll keep doing what they did to get by. In that case, you’ll need to find out what they used to do to get by so you can tailor your messaging to that. Sometimes it’s “hire someone cheaper.” Both are competitors.

Example: If you’re a business coach, you’re client’s “alternative” might be watching free YouTube videos and winging it.

Step 2: Key Unique Attributes

List out the key features your alternatives have and what you have. Ask “What alternatives do I have that alternatives don’t?” This enables you, in conversation with clients, to say “unlike X, we actually do Y.”

It tells your clients that you understand your market and aren’t acting like you’re the only option in the market.

Example (funny one): Unlike YouTube, we actually offer real-time feedback.

Step 3: Value

“What value do your attributes enable for clients?”

To get here from listing your key unique attributes, you need to go through the process of: Attribute → Benefit → Value.

So when you figure out your attributes that alternatives do not have, list out the benefits of that, then write down the value the customer will get.

This is so important because this tells them why they should care about that point of difference.

Example: Real-time feedback → Clients don’t waste 6 months testing ideas → They make money faster.

Step 4: Customers That Care

Who cares a lot about that value?

Not everyone cares about speed. Who does? Ambitious founders with real revenue. Target them.

This helps you figure out your “best-fit” customers. They’re just easier to sell to and work with.

Example: Your best-fit isn’t making $100/month. It’s the person at $5k who’s stuck there.

Step 5: Market You Win

Now that you know why you’re different and how, you need a frame of reference.

Reality is viewed through the filter of individual perspective. You need to find an angle that would make your unique value obvious to your target market.

Example: You don’t say “I’m a business coach.” You say: “I help $5k coaches scale to $10k without burning out.”

That is positioning, not some random differentiators.

Let me let you in on something. Most people won’t ever fix their positioning. They’ll keep blaming “the algorithm” or “bad leads” instead.

Which is great news for you. Because while they’re complaining, you’ll be getting ahead.