Resources are identified as people, profits, and processes
that are in place to help you open closed doors. An
additional piece to the puzzle of gaining access to highly-qualified buyers is the need to
be positioned correctly. 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? Looking
the part is important, but acting the part is vital to be considered a resource
that is trustworthy and can be counted on. Positioning
yourself as a resource helps differentiate you from the competition and allows you to gain
access to the marketplace on a favorable basis. |
