“So what do you do?” How to prepare an effective positioning statement

Networking & Connecting

Expat_connect globally

Many fear networking events and the “What do you do?” question. Not wanting to come across as boring or uninteresting, this article provides a methodology to position your expertise to be beneficial for the listener. Through becoming interested and interesting, you will find yourself having more open conversations, potentially creating real opportunities.

Matt Church, Founder of Thought Leaders Global, has developed a process to help prepare an effective positioning statement, whether meeting someone socially, in a business environment or networking event.

He says, there are three areas of focus for your self-introduction:

  • Focus on You – who you are, and what you do
  • Focus on It – the activity with examples and stories
  • Focus on Them – challenges your clients face and outcomes they have achieved.

The situation will drive the amount of detail you should provide and the energy in your delivery. The following matrix provides nine options for helping create a positioning statement depending on the situation.Positioning Matrix

HISTORY – outlining where you have been and what you have done, but only what is  useful.

CATEGORY – professional, such as accountant or lawyer

OBSESSION – chance to share your passion, and express why you do what you do

EXAMPLE – demonstrate your activity and who it serves

ANALOGY – draw a comparison between an already established concept, and what you do

UNIQUENESS – set yourself apart from others others

SOLUTION –  the benefits you create for others

PROBLEM – when speaking about what’s on their mind, they truly ngage with your services

PURPOSE – if you can understand their goals, and can describe how to help them, you demonstrate understanding their overall purpose.

If you’re short on time, just take the three mid-level approaches for a use-anywhere introduction:

Category + Analogy + Problems.

Otherwise, use your awareness of the situation to choose the introduction channels that best serve your purpose – to make you better known, and to create more business.

To read the Matt Church article on “Positioning 101” in full go to the link here. Though Leader_matt