Can you honestly answer the question 'how do your customers and potential customers perceive your business?'

In reality most business owners cannot - they make assumptions based on their own beliefs and don't take the time to do the research necessary to make an honest assessment of where they sit in the local marketplace.

Questions like, what does your business stand for? What are you best known for? Where do people think you sit in the competitive landscape? Are you thought of as different to your competition and, if so, for what?

Yes, it takes time to gather this information - don't rush the process and gain only a superficial analysis - but in costs very little, just your time. But you will be SO much richer as a result and it will help you transform your revenues and profits.

You need go no further than the typical high street to see the impact of clear positioning, supported by marketing that continually reinforces the central message. Jamie's Restaurants, GAP, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer and many more.

Do not be fooled. Clever positioning is NOT the preserve of the bigger businesses. You can - and should - do it too.

Titles and names matter

My old friend Nigel Botterill often quotes 'bananarama syndrome' - in other words, it ain't what you do - it's the way that you do it!

Why is it that, in a Mother's Day promotion, 'The Ultimate Mother's Day Gift: the Family Portrait' outsold 'Family Portrait Mother's Day Gift' by THREE times in a split test in an email campaign?

To say 'I tried emailing, but it didn't work' doesn't cut it. It's all in the execution and split testing is an easy way for you to learn what works better in your business. Over time you'll build up valuable information about how to position your offering in your advertising and promotions for maximum benefit.

Remember, you need to do the hard work upfront, to make the selling easy.

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