Every business wants to stand out, but what makes customers actually care? It’s a question that keeps CEOs up at night, especially when marketing budgets aren’t delivering results. While companies pour money into flashy campaigns and feature lists, they’re often missing what matters most – a clear reason why customers should choose them. Colleen Pimentel, founder of McKenna Pimentel Consulting, has spent years in the trenches helping companies solve this puzzle. Her work as a market expert has shown that strong brand positioning isn’t about saying more – it’s about saying what counts.
Understanding Why Brands Fail to Connect
Nobody starts a business planning to blend in with the crowd. Yet that’s exactly what happens when companies get caught up in their own perspective. “Too many startups get caught up in what they want to say and not what their customers want to hear,” Colleen points out. She’s seen it time and again: businesses pouring resources into messaging that highlights features, technologies and internal jargon. The result? “That is a total recipe for misconnections and lost opportunities.”
Your brand position isn’t just another marketing checkbox – it’s your North Star in a crowded marketplace. “Think of your brand position as your North Star,” Colleen explains. “It’s the unique space you occupy in the minds of your customers, the reason they choose you over the competition.” Without this guidance, even the best products can get lost in the noise.
After decades of experience, Colleen has created a foolproof plan to succeed by 3 key factors:
Knowing Your Customer on a Deeper Level
The first step in Colleen’s approach might sound obvious, but it’s where most companies stumble: know your customer inside and out. “Before you can position your brand effectively, you need to know who you’re talking to,” she emphasizes. This goes beyond basic demographics or market research. “Who’s your ideal customer? What are their pain points, their aspirations, their deepest desires?” Most companies scratch the surface when it comes to customer understanding. They gather basic data but miss the deeper insights that drive buying decisions. “You need to get deep into the persona to empathize and craft messaging that resonates with their core,” Colleen advises. The goal isn’t just to reach customers – it’s to make them feel understood. “You want them to feel as if you’re speaking directly to them.”
Defining What Makes You Different
Once you understand your customer, the next challenge is defining what sets you apart. “What makes you different? What unique value do you bring to the table?” Colleen asks. These aren’t just rhetorical questions – they’re the foundation of a strong value proposition. Your answer needs to be clear, concise and compelling. Most importantly, “It should answer the question ‘why should I choose you?'” Creating a value proposition isn’t about listing features or capabilities. It’s about connecting your unique strengths to your customers’ specific needs. When done right, your value proposition becomes a natural bridge between what you offer and what your customers are looking for.
Delivering the Right Message to the Right Audience
Understanding your customer and defining your value are crucial first steps, but they’re not enough on their own. The third piece of the puzzle is getting your message in front of the right people. “Once you have a strong brand position, you need to get in front of the right people,” Colleen explains. “That’s where automated lead generation comes in.” Modern marketing tools make it possible to reach more potential customers than ever before. “By automating your Outreach and Lead nurturing, you can reach more potential customers and build relationships that drive sales,” she notes. But automation only works when it’s built on a foundation of strong positioning and clear value.
Good brand positioning takes work. Every market shifts, customer needs change and businesses have to keep up. That doesn’t mean starting over – it means staying sharp and adjusting when needed. Colleen spends her days in the trenches with businesses making these exact decisions. She sees which approaches stick and which ones fizzle out. Most companies overcomplicate positioning when they just need to get real about who they are and what their customers actually want. It’s not rocket science, but it does take guts to look in the mirror and make honest calls about your message. The ones who figure this out don’t just sell more stuff – they build something that lasts. Because at the end of the day, customers can tell when you’re just talking versus when you really get them.
To learn more about Colleen Pimentel and her approach, check out her LinkedIn profile.
