Play Your Position! - The Only Way to Win in Business

Have you ever watched 5-year-olds play soccer? It should be called "Follow the Ball," because that is what happens the entire game. The beginning of the game starts with players in assigned positions. However, as soon as the whistle blows, all the kids form into a big herd guided by a little checkered ball.

High school soccer is an entirely different experience. The players start in the same positions as the 5-year-olds. This is where the similarity ends. The whistle blows to start the game and the players...play their positions! What a difference a decade makes. As the players grow older and wiser, they learn that they must play their positions in order to be successful. If the defenders run up to play offense, then nobody is playing defense.

Even to non-soccer players, it makes sense advanced players learn the importance of playing their positions. When you have a defined position, your team knows what to expect from you. It is your job to deliver on those expectations. Although the thought of chasing the ball is tempting, strong soccer players play their positions.

Soccer serves as a great analogy for small businesses. Far too many owners want to chase revenue, much like the 5-year-olds chasing the ball. We all want to believe if you work hard at growing your business, you will be rewarded. We want to believe it, because it seems like it should be that way. Unfortunately, hard work does not guarantee business success. Smart business owners clearly define their position (or brand) in the market and remain committed to meeting the expectations of their customers.

Much like a soccer coach picks players who are strong in a certain position, customers pick businesses that are strong in their position. If the need is defense, the coach picks a player who is strong in defense. He doesn't pick a defender who has a history of running all over the field chasing the ball. When customers want a specific service, they pick the business that has defined itself as a specialist in that area. Customers do not trust (or pick) a business that does everything and anything.

If you want your business to be "picked," these are the two things you need to concentrate on now:

1) Select Your Position - Customers need to know what you stand for and be confident they can trust you. Having a defined position and remaining committed to it is how you establish the much needed trust. Can you easily and clearly articulate what position you play?

2) Play Your Position - K-Mart used to be one of the largest discount-retailers in the country. Along with (and possibly because of) stiff competition, K-mart tried something new. They started using celebrities to sponsor higher-end products. K-mart played the discount-retailer position since it started in the early 1960s. By leaving their position, K-mart confused its customers. Sadly, K-mart must now merge with Sears just to stay in the game.

Much like the 5-year-olds that score a goal because they left their defense position to chase the ball, the company that chases revenue may become excited about a new service or product outside of their position. Immediate profit does not always equate to long term business success.

Kevin Kearns is a small business branding coach. He holds a Master of Science degree in Organization Development and is a member of the Coachville Graduate School of Coaching. With a mixture of hands-on experience, research, and FUN, Kevin helps you become the only choice for your customers. Visit http://www.kevinkearns.com to join The Branding Bunch - a community made up of small business owners that want to grow their business the easy way.

---

Branding Junk Removal - He Did It, Can You?

What does it mean to be remarkable?Brian Scudamore, CEO and... Read More

Is It Legal? - Indecent Naming With Tradition

When Mitsubishi launched a new car with the name "Pajero"... Read More

Top Eight Mistakes to Avoid When Naming Your Business

Naming a business is like laying the cornerstone of a... Read More

Is Your Logo Helping or Hurting Your Business?

The quality of your logo can mean the difference between... Read More

Branding Your Radio or TV Campaign With A Musical Identity (aka Audo Logo, aka Jingle)

You don't think twice about a business card and letterhead... Read More

Planning Ahead With Your Designer: Tips For Design Consistency With Your Logo And Brand Elements

While we recommend that you contract with the same designer... Read More

Extreme Makeover ? Small Business Edition

Have you ever watched one of those home makeover shows?... Read More

Brand Building For Profit: The Colour Behind the Brand and Why I Wear Red Ties!

Colour is essential to building a strong brand.Many of you... Read More

The Art of Successful Branding

Branding: it's a term that carries great weight in the... Read More

Business Branding - How Character Affects Customers and Your Business Image

The public buys far more than just your products, services... Read More

Its Time For Some Steak

Recently, I was reviewing our website statistics. One of the... Read More

Personal Branding: Characteristics of a Strong Personal Brand

How many times have you been at a networking function... Read More

Brand Building 201: Finding The Ideal Way

The strongest and longest lasting brands branch off of an... Read More

Into The Limelight

To stand out in a cluttered world, become a recognized... Read More

A Lesson in Branding from Paris Hilton

I have never been a fan of Paris Hilton.I see... Read More

What is an Artists Statement & How Often Should It Be Updated?

An artist's statement is a statement of ideas and thoughts... Read More

Living Your Brand on the Web - Part 2

Now that everyone has conformed to Living Your Brand on... Read More

The Aim of the Name

Large corporations spend lavish amounts seeking names for their products... Read More

Importance of Branding - Whats in a Name?

Branding is perhaps the most important facet of any business--beyond... Read More

Brand Image ? Brand Identity Guru

Having a brand image is not a "have or have... Read More

Branding Article: Pepsis Missed Brand Opportunity

I love Pepsi. It's that slightly sweeter taste and the... Read More

How to Create Your Own Mail Order Products

Pick up almost any book or report on Mailorder Selling... Read More

How to Write Classified Ads that Get Results Now.

SELLING DIRECTLY FROM A CLASSIFIED AD Classified ads can be... Read More

Logo-ize For Instant Identification & Increased Awareness

The task of creating an indelible impact on the memory... Read More

Are You Brand Worthy?

Branding is one hot topic, although it is wildly misunderstood.... Read More

Logo Design - Corporate Identity Branding - Brand Identity Guru

Like it or not it's who you are. Your corporate... Read More

Branded Email: Email Branding is the Next Generation of Email

All You Need is Branded Email Or Always Branded Email... Read More

A good logo vs. a FABULOUS logo

If you had a choice, which one would you choose,... Read More

Why Having A Niche Automatically Boosts Your Credibility - Become The Expert by Getting Focused

Yes, yes, we've heard it all before... loads of life... Read More

What Make Us Unique and Different

Starting a business can take a lot of time, money,... Read More

Fast Forwarding Your Business

If you think only big corporate names need to think... Read More

Profitable Partnering

Become your customers top-of-mind choice.Some of these snapshots of real... Read More

Understand Brand

Branding has been defined, explained and examined extensively. There are... Read More