The Positioning Clarity You Already Possess

Discovering the professional clarity you use selectively

Here's an exercise that reveals something most professionals don't realise about their own positioning abilities.

I want you to imagine describing your work to three different people: someone you've just met at a networking event, a potential client who's interviewing several professionals like you, and a trusted colleague who might refer clients to you.

Take a moment to really consider this. How would you describe what you do in each of these situations? Would your explanations be basically the same, or quite different?

What most professionals discover

When I work through this exercise with professionals, a clear pattern emerges in how they describe their work to different audiences.

At networking events, they often use generic professional labels: "I'm an accountant," "I do IT consulting," "I'm a business coach," or "I provide marketing services."

With potential clients, they typically give detailed explanations of services and experience: extended descriptions of capabilities, qualifications, service offerings, and professional background.

With referring colleagues, they focus on specific problems and ideal client types: who they serve best, what specific challenges they solve, when someone should choose their approach, what makes their methodology distinctive.

The interesting discovery

The explanation you give to the referring colleague is usually closest to effective positioning.

Why? Because that colleague needs clear information to make appropriate referrals. They need to know who you serve best, what specific problems you solve most effectively, what makes your approach particularly suitable for certain situations, and when someone should be referred to you specifically.

In other words, they need to understand your unique value clearly enough to connect you with the right opportunities.

You already know how to position clearly

This reveals something important: you probably already know how to position yourself effectively—you just use that clarity selectively.

When the stakes are high (helping a colleague make a good referral), you naturally focus on specific value rather than generic descriptions. You communicate who you serve, what problems you solve, and why someone should choose your approach.

You instinctively understand that effective referrals require clarity about fit, value, and distinctive approach.

The selective clarity pattern

Think about what you've discovered through this exercise. What do you notice about the differences in how you describe your work to these three types of people?

Which explanation helps people understand your unique value most clearly? Which version would be most helpful to someone trying to decide whether to work with you?

Most professionals recognise that their "colleague referral" explanation is more specific, more valuable, and more compelling than their generic networking introduction or their detailed service description.

The broader application opportunity

What would happen if you used your "colleague referral" explanation more broadly? How might that change how ideal prospects understand your value? How might networking conversations develop differently? How might potential clients assess your fit for their needs?

Consider using the same clarity and specificity you naturally provide to referring colleagues across your professional communications.

Your positioning development

Who are you most confident helping? What specific outcomes do you create for those clients? What problems do you solve that create the most value? How would you describe your work to a colleague who wanted to make an appropriate referral?

What patterns do you notice across your best client relationships? What types of clients do you serve most effectively? What situations are you particularly suited to address?

The implementation insight

You don't need to learn positioning from scratch. You already demonstrate positioning clarity when it matters most—when helping colleagues make referral decisions.

The opportunity is to recognise that clarity and apply it consistently rather than selectively.

Your positioning exploration

What emerges when you consider using your most confident, specific explanation more consistently across your professional communications?

How might consistent positioning change your professional visibility and client attraction?

What would it mean to position yourself with the same clarity and specificity you provide to referring colleagues in all your professional interactions?

What specific value do you provide that you explain clearly to colleagues but perhaps not to networking contacts or potential clients?

The clarity you seek in positioning already exists in how you communicate with colleagues who refer clients to you. The development opportunity is recognising that clarity and applying it more broadly to attract the right opportunities and client relationships.