Leading Entrepreneurship

In my post on relational positioning we discussed how to view your firm’s relationship with your client based on your client’s relationship with their peer group. Today we’ll address how to view your firm’s relationship with your client based on your firm’s differentiation from your competition.

If you have a favorite band, you almost certainly know their opening act policy. They will select an opener they respect, are different, might enhance the overall experience, or that the headliners know they perform better than.

This simple observation can work wonders for your firm. Chances are you are not the first firm to provide your client with similar services. You may not be in a position to select your opening act, but you can certainly play off the crowd as if you did.

How might you tailor your positioning communication if your lead, prospect or new client had just left a firm whose services you respect, were unique, showcases your talents (in its successes and flaws) or just plain underperforms when compared with your firm?

I personally recall working with a new client that had just moved on from a firm led by a mentor of mine. My bias was toward having mixed feelings about the client and certainly would never bad-mouth a firm I respected. I instantly recalled the really great lessons I had learned from my mentor - and shared some of them with my client. However, I was also able to turn a corner and position myself away by mentioning some lessons I had learned outside that mentor - and how those lessons also shaped my firm. My firm was the result of many positive influences. Thus, I was in a better position to serve that client.