[3 Question Friday] Can your agency pass the positioning test?
Corey Quinn
Founder, Deep Specialization™
Most agencies ramble. Stand out with positioning that clicks fast. Use 3 key questions to define your niche, sharpen your message, and earn instant trust.
Most agencies can’t explain what they do without rambling.
They try to be strategic, clever, and comprehensive.
What they end up sounding like is… everyone else.
If your positioning doesn’t snap into place in 10 seconds, you’re leaking trust.
Here are 3 positioning questions pulled straight from the exercises in Chapters 5 to 7 of Anyone, Not Everyone:
What specific vertical do you want to be known as the go-to for, and if I searched your website or LinkedIn right now, would I know that in 30 seconds?
What’s the painful, expensive problem you solve better than anyone, and how clearly is that reflected in your headline, offer, and sales material?
What’s one word or phrase that your ideal client would immediately recognize as “this is for me” and how often do you actually use it?
If your answers made you sweat a little, that’s good.
It means you’ve got a shot at getting this right.
The positioning exercises in Anyone, Not Everyone walk you through this step-by-step—defining your who, your “onlyness,” and your offer hooks.
CQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does agency positioning usually fail to stand out?
Because most founders try to sound strategic, clever, and comprehensive all at once, and end up sounding like everyone else. If it doesn't snap into place in 10 seconds, you're leaking trust.
How do I know if my positioning is actually clear?
Check whether someone could find your vertical in 30 seconds by looking at your website or LinkedIn. If it takes longer than that, your positioning isn't as clear as it feels to you.
What role does the problem I solve play in positioning?
It should be the center of it. Your headline, offer, and sales material should clearly reflect the painful, expensive problem you solve better than anyone, not just hint at it.
What's the "this is for me" test?
It's finding the one word or phrase your ideal client would instantly recognize as speaking to them, and checking how often you actually use it. If it's rare in your material, your positioning isn't doing its job.
Where can I work through these positioning questions in more depth?
Chapters 5 through 7 of Anyone, Not Everyone walk through them step by step, covering your who, your onlyness, and your offer hooks.
About Corey Quinn
Founder, Deep Specialization™
Corey helps founder-led agencies scale through Deep Specialization™ and programmatic M&A. Former CMO of Scorpion ($20M to $200M). Author of "Anyone, Not Everyone."
