As I write this I’m sitting in one of my absolute favourite purchases in the last five years.
It’s an upholstered rocking chair that I picked up on a whim at a discount home décor store.
For a few weeks before, I’d been looking online for a small sofa for my office but couldn’t find anything that was quite right.
I was in the store looking for throw pillows when I spotted this light pink rocking chair.
It occurred to me that a chair like this might be better than a sofa.
It was reasonably priced but it was still an investment for something I didn’t really ‘need’.
After a few minutes of looking it over and picturing it in my office, I went to get a cart from the front of the store. I picked up the chair and settled it awkwardly into the cart. It wasn’t heavy but still felt sturdy.
By the time I got it home, I was giddy about this new addition to my workspace.
Such a simple thing.
I can’t quite express just how much I have enjoyed this chair.
But I can tell you that I did not expect to get this much return on my investment.
Its value far outweighs what I paid for it.
Value.
It’s an interesting concept. One that’s hard to express in a way that feels like we nailed it.
Why is that?
Because value is not rational.
It’s not something we evaluate from a list of pros and cons. It’s more of a perceived sense of gratification that emerges based on what matters most to us at that particular time in our lives.
What you value changes as you change, as your circumstances change.
So when considering what value you provide for your clients, you must do so from a particular point in time. You meet them where they are.
What is the moment in time for your best-fit clients?
My best-fit client right now is a micro business owner who has recently come out of a group program. They’re at a point in their business where they want more personalized and in-depth support.
Knowing this helps me get clearer on what is most valuable to them right now.
Knowing what your clients value about your offer – at this point in time – is a core part of your positioning.
Your positioning is the answer to the question:
Why would someone choose me/my offer over everyone else right now?
Answering this question can be tricky.
But even if you can’t know for sure, working through it can have a huge influence on how much you resonate with your best-fit clients.
So how would my beloved rocking chair manufacturer have resonated with me if they knew what I valued about their product at that time?
They would have focused on how a cozy rocking chair feels like a warm embrace when you walk into the room.
They would have depicted young siblings sitting and laughing together in their mother’s rocking chair.
They would have emphasized how a chair can be more than a chair. It can be a favourite spot to think, to write, to meditate…a spot to feel safe.
You have to know your best-fit clients pretty well to get here. Even if you’re not there yet, working through your positioning will help you see the value of getting specific.