Positioning Yourself So You Can Become a Resource
Article by C. Richard Weylman, CSP, The Achievement Group

There is a great deal of discussion going on about the best ways to promote in the industry to gain access. However, there is very little discussion about how one should be positioned and thus differentiate oneself. All of this promotion with very little positioning is creating a great deal of noise in the marketplace and is confusing to the buyer.

The average buyer continues to think that most professionals, companies, and products are all pretty much the same. This is primarily because the focus is on promotion and not on positioning. One of the essential keys to gaining access in addition to leveraging your resources is to position and promote yourself as a resource.

Webster’s Dictionary defines a resource as a thing, person, action, etc. to which one turns for aid in time of need or emergency. What this clear definition tells you is that the ultimate position you can achieve as a resource is that of a change agent—when things change financially, people know they can call upon you.

At this point you should be asking yourself if you are positioned as a resource to your prospects and clients or simply as a sales agent. Do they perceive you as someone who is trying to sell them something or as someone who is helping them to buy that which they need or solve a problem that they’ve identified? A good way to measure this is to track the number of incoming calls that you receive—not only calls for service, but also calls from prospects in the marketplace who have heard what a great resource you’ve been to one of your clients.

If you’re not receiving incoming calls, perhaps you’re doing a great deal of promotion, but you’re not positioning yourself as a resource and thus people don’t see you as someone to turn to in time of need or emergency. The challenge you face today is how to position yourself as a resource in such a noisy market.

1. To position yourself, you must make a solid commitment to make the right people aware of who you are and what you can do for them. There are many important parts of this statement. Examine the words carefully. Are you making the right people aware of who you are and what you can do for them? If you’ve established that, you are then able to position yourself in the marketplace.

2. To promote yourself effectively requires a specialized form of communication. It is speaking clearly and persuasively so that people understand what you can do for them. It is listening perceptively to understand the real need and to bring discernment to the process. It is writing with clarity and power so that it is personal and not just promotional.

3. It’s an ongoing process, not an event. It’s doing the things necessary to gain visibility in the marketplace, whether that is community involvement, working with centers of influence, or organizational involvement.

4. To position and promote yourself as a resource, it is the realization that character is far more important than expertise. King Solomon said, "A good name is better than riches." It’s important to realize that to be a resource you must be trusted, and to be trusted requires that you answer these questions appropriately.

• Who are you when you are awake?
• Who are you when you go to sleep?
• Who do people see when they see you coming?
• Who are you when no one else is around?

Positioning yourself as a resource helps differentiate you from the competition and allows you to gain access to the marketplace on a favorable basis.
 

C. Richard Weylman serves as President of The Achievement Group, Inc., a Florida-based marketing firm and publishing house. He is the author of "Opening Closed Doors, Keys to Reaching Hard-to-Reach People" and numerous other sales, relationship marketing and management audio and video programs for entrepreneurs.  To receive more ideas and insight on how to market and prospect in today's competitive marketplace hear Richard Weylman live at www.unlimitedprospects.com.  To find out how you can have Richard speak at your next meeting or conference, call 1-800-535-4332 or email achieve@theachievementgroup.com. Enroll in Richard Weylman’s free emailed Relationship Marketing Tip of the Week at www.unlimitedprospects.com.