Does your business have a positioning statement?

Is your mission statement longer than one or two sentences? Does it sound more like lofty rhetoric than a defined business mission? Your positioning statement sums up how and why your organization delivers value, and you should remind the market of that value every chance you get. Business consumers are just as emotionally driven and socially engaged as anyone else so branding and positioning are crucial for commercial, industrial and technology driven businesses. How to Write Your Positioning Statement Here's the formula for writing your positioning statement, courtesy of Brandeo. "There are four elements or components of a positioning statement: Target Audience - the attitudinal and demographic description of the core prospect to whom the brand is intended to appeal. Frame of Reference - the business category in which the brand competes. Benefit/Point of Difference - the most compelling and motivating benefit that the brand can own in the hearts and minds of its target audience relative to the competition. Reason to Believe - the most convincing proof that the brand delivers what it promises. Criteria for Evaluating a Positioning Statement * Is it memorable, motivating and focused to the core prospect? * Does it provide a clear, distinctive and meaningful picture of the brand that differentiates it from the competition? * Can the brand own it? * Is it credible and believable? * Does it enable growth? * Does it serve as a filter for brand decision making? Template for a Positioning Statement: For (target audience), (brand name) is the (frame of reference) that delivers (benefit/point of difference) because only (brand name) is/can (reason to believe)." Example from Amazon.com: "For World Wide Web users who enjoy books, Amazon.com is a retail bookseller that provides instant access to over 1.1 million books, because unlike traditional book retailers, Amazon.com provides a combination of extraordinary convenience, low prices, and comprehensive selection." Here's one I wrote for my firm: "For Business Leaders and Strategic Marketing Directors, Chuck Sink Link is the marketing communications firm that creates ideal messages for your target audience, because we reveal the authentic value of your brand and communicate it with relevance and clarity." For a brand to be successful, it must convey a very specific value that's measured in real benefits and emotional satisfaction. While the intangibles may be hard to measure at first, the buying behavior of your new customers will be easy to gauge. Chuck Sink is president of Chuck Sink Link, Hopkinton, N.H.