In my experience, most solo-professionals and small business owners don't do a good job of positioning themselves. Instead they tend to market a list of all the services they offer. Here's a great example. I was talking with one of my coaching clients the other day, and she was reporting back on the last assignment I had given her: to research her competitors and see how they were positioning themselves. This was to help us identify a unique positioning that she could own.
She told me that she couldn't find anything that really stood out in the marketing of any of her competitors. She said they all just had a long list of the services they provide, and most of the lists were pretty much the same.
So let me ask you a question: If you were searching for a company to hire or buy from, and all of the companies you looked at were promising you the same services, how would YOU decide which one to hire or buy from? If you are like most people, if all things are equal, you'll choose based on price - who has the lowest price, that is.
If you don't want to be forced to compete on price (which is a very tough way to maintain a profitable business) you need to create a unique, compelling positioning for your business. In Step 6 of my 10stepmarketing System I teach you that you must promise to deliver something that is highly valuable to your ideal clients, and that is different from what all of your competitors offer. And, I walk you through the steps to determine what that difference is.
The difference might be inherent in your product or service itself, or it could be a difference you create with your marketing. The only requirements are that the difference be valuable to your ideal clients and that you deliver on it with every sale. And, it should be clearly communicated in all of your marketing. In fact, it becomes what you are known for.
So, if you haven't set your business apart with a unique positioning I encourage you to do some competitive research, then take a closer look at your business. Find a positioning that you can own and start building your own unique brand!