September 1, 2025 • 25 mins
Feeling like your business is getting lost in the crowd? In this episode, I’m joined by business growth consultant Ann Carden to talk about expert positioning: what it is, why it matters, and how it can change the way clients see your value.
We unpack the difference between branding and positioning, and how showing up with clarity and authority helps you stand out without shouting louder or lowering your prices. Ann shares simple but powerful mindset shifts to help you become the go-to in your space, so that your ideal clients see you as the obvious choice.
If you’ve been competing on price or struggling to explain what makes you different, this episode will give you a new lens to approach your marketing and messaging.
Find out what's missing in your marketing! This free quiz will tell you where your funnel is leaking, and how to fix it! Click here to take it!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Janice Hostager (00:05):
I'm Janice Hostager.
After three decades in themarketing business and many
years of being an entrepreneur,I've learned a thing or two
about marketing.
Join me as we talk aboutmarketing, small business and
life in between.
Welcome to My Weekly Marketing.
Hello, and welcome back to MyWeekly Marketing.
(00:30):
If you've ever felt like whenyou're in business, you're in a
crowded marketplace whereeverybody's offering the same
thing you do and the only way tostand out is to slash your
prices or maybe hustle harder,then today's episode is going to
feel like a win.
I'm sitting down with Ann Carden.
Ann is a top business growthconsultant, the founder and CEO
(00:53):
of a media and marketing agency,marketing and sales strategist,
speaker, four-time author andpodcast host, and we're going to
talk about something that Idon't think gets enough airtime,
and that's all about how youposition your business in the
marketplace.
So we'll unpack what expertpositioning really means and why
(01:16):
competing on price will alwayskeep you stuck or in a race to
the bottom, and how to shiftinto being the obvious choice
for your ideal clients.
If you've been wanting to stopchasing clients and start
attracting them while chargingmore and who doesn't want that
then you're in the right place.
Here's my talk with Ann.
Hey, Ann, thanks for joining metoday.
Ann Carden (01:39):
Thanks so much for having me, Janice.
It's a pleasure.
Janice Hostager (01:47):
I love this topic.
Repositioning I think that, asa marketing nerd, positioning is
one of my favorite topics, butwe don't really talk about it.
I don't really talk much aboutit, and you have such a strong
perspective on what it means toposition yourself as an expert.
So was there a turning point oran aha moment in your journey
where you said, well, I don'twant to compete anymore.
(02:09):
That was going to be importantfor you and for other business
owners.
Ann Carden (02:13):
It's really interesting.
I have always, withoutrealizing about positioning or
really even knowing that it wascalled that, I've always done
this in all my businesses.
I've always how can I stand out, how can I be at the top of my
game, how can I be top of themarket?
And so I have always looked forways to do that.
(02:35):
And when I started coaching andconsulting and it became a
thing, positioning became athing and I started teaching it
to other people I knew howpowerful it was, especially to
build a premium business, whichis what I help people do.
So if they want to be premiumand they want to get the best
clients at the best prices, theyare the best customers.
They have to be positioneddifferently and really stand out
(02:58):
in the market.
Janice Hostager (03:00):
So, before we go any further, let's define
what positioning is.
A lot of listeners that are newin business.
Why don't you define that forus?
Ann Carden (03:20):
Yes, so positioning, think about positioning as the
outside perception of how peoplesee you.
I like to say it's kind of likeyour storefront.
If you think about somebody whosees you or they meet you.
What are they going to do?
They're going to try to learnmore about you.
They're going to go to yourwebsite.
They're going to Google you.
They're going to try to findout.
Why should I talk to thisperson?
Why should I trust this person?
So positioning encompasses notjust that feeling and that first
impression that people get whenthey come across you, but it
(03:43):
also encompasses how trustworthyyou are, how credible you are.
Are you an authority?
Are you kind of a beginner orstartup?
Are you budget?
Are you premium Like?
Positioning can encompass allof those things.
So when it's done really well,you look like the person that
can command higher prices.
(04:04):
You look like the person thatcan command higher prices.
You look like the person thatis credible, that people
wouldn't question oh, can youreally do this?
Or why should I trust you?
Or why should I believe you?
Janice Hostager (04:15):
And it's different from a brand.
Ann Carden (04:17):
It is yes.
Janice Hostager (04:19):
Tell us how.
Ann Carden (04:20):
Yeah.
A brand is more the visual andpositioning and more the
identity.
But positioning goes deeper.
Positioning is aboutcredibility, authority, again
trustworthiness, and then alsothat just are you for me or are
you not for me?
(04:40):
So positioning can actuallyrepel the wrong people and it
can attract.
It's all about attracting theright people to you.
So that's what positioning cando.
Janice Hostager (04:51):
And isn't it a little bit too about how you
stand out in the marketplace,like blue ocean versus red ocean
,
Ann Carden (04:58):
Absolutely.
Janice Hostager (04:59):
Kind of like that too.
So it's like how you're, justbasically how you set yourself
apart,
Ann Carden (05:05):
It is.
Janice Hostager (05:12):
Gotcha.
Ann Carden (05:12):
Okay, so how are you different from everybody else?
Yes, and that that is all partof it as well.
Yeah, I guess I didn't say thatas I was going through all the
things that it included, ofcourse.
Janice Hostager (05:18):
Well, and you know so much, so much of
marketing overlaps too.
So, yes, positioning overlapswith branding, and branding you
know it's also talks.
This sort of overlaps withidentifying your ideal client
avatar, and so I mean all ofthis sort of meshes together, so
it's difficult to delineate,like, where one thing ends and
where another begins.
So I think you did a perfectjob of explaining that.
(05:39):
So so many of my listeners andsometimes I do too too feel like
you're one of many in a crowdedspace.
So can you do you have a storyof a client, or maybe yourself,
that you went from blending into really standing out?
Ann Carden (05:57):
Absolutely.
So, the first thing people haveto think about whether you're
small business owner or, youknow, an entrepreneur, a lot of
people are not positioningthemselves online to build
influence the way they could be,and I see this all the time.
They really are blending in.
There's nothing different aboutthem.
Their message isn't different.
(06:18):
They look the same, they'reselling the same stuff and all
of that is going to cause you tokind of play in the shark
invested water, so to speak.
But when you strengthen yourpositioning, you rise above and
you become the only one.
(06:38):
You are seen as the only onewho does what you do, and when
you do that, you stop competingand that means you can demand.
You can really demand higherfees and higher prices.
You aren't price shopped, youdon't look like a commodity.
All of those things.
You don't want somebody to saydo I want this kind of coffee or
(06:59):
this kind of coffee?
You want the right person tosay, oh my gosh, I've been
looking for you.
That's very different.
Janice Hostager (07:25):
And I think even in an industry where there
are a lot of options.
Such as retail, right.
You've got your Walmart, andyou've got your Target and your
Kohl's, and so you've got likean array and every one of those
has a different audience andthey're all positioned so
differently.
Right.
Ann Carden (07:30):
Exactly.
If you look at, if you looklike a Tiffany and Company right
, Tiffany and Co, they're a veryspecific buyer.
And if you look at Kohl'sselling jewelry, that's going to
be a very specific buyer.
Or Walmart selling jewelry,that's going to be a very
specific buyer.
The great thing about that isthere is enough to go around for
(07:53):
everyone, which a lot of peopledon't get this.
A lot of times, people getintimidated.
Like there's so many people inthat market, there's so many
people in that space, and don'tlook at it like that.
Like how can I rise above that?
That's what you want to bethinking about.
How can I get above all thenoise?
How can I be seen as who I wantto be seen as for whoever that
(08:16):
is?
Janice Hostager (08:17):
Right, right, yeah, and it can be scary to do
that, especially when you'restarting out your business.
To get really narrow on whothat person is right.
Ann Carden (08:27):
It is scary, but I think if people realize, you
know I always help peopleposition themselves in a way
that it really aligns with them.
So I help people really buildtheir expertise into something
and when I really show them howthey can build a business around
what they're so good at doingalready, it's kind of the
(08:50):
positioning becomes very natural.
Positioning becomes verynatural.
So I think where people getstuck or they get fearful is
they're trying to do somethingthat maybe just doesn't align
with what they want to be knownfor or where they're really good
, if that makes sense.
Janice Hostager (09:07):
It does.
That's really interesting.
So if you're working with abusiness, what are some signs
that they're kind of stuck inthe competitive space really,
instead of positioningthemselves to be like standout?
Ann Carden (09:18):
That's really interesting.
That's that's a really easyanswer, because if I go to your
website and I go to yourcompetitor's website and all I
have to do is switch the logosand I won't know who's who,
that's a good sign that you areplaying in the same space as
everybody else.
The other thing is being able,it's so easy to see when people
(09:40):
are really positioned well andthey're positioned above their
market you get like this wow,kind of thing.
Like you get this feeling.
Let's think about a brand thatcomes to mind.
I like to use Lamborghini versusa cheap used car.
Okay, you're going to go get acheap used car.
(10:01):
You're going to get a used car?
Okay, well, they're a dime adozen and just go pick which one
you think is going to give youthe best value for your money
and the one you like.
But if you're going to get aLamborghini, you're not going to
price shop it.
You're going to be like I'mgetting the Lamborghini, right,
I've got the money, I'm going togo get this.
I'm going to go to the dealerand I'm going to get this.
(10:22):
Like you know, you want aLamborghini and that's really.
If you think about it in brandsand you think about positioning.
That's the way positioningshould be.
People, if you're premium so Ihelp people in the premium
market.
If you're premium, they shouldknow you're premium.
(10:42):
They should be able to see thatin your marketing and your
positioning.
They should be able to see thatyou're different.
There is nobody out there thatdoes anything the same way I do
it, and that's very clear whenthey dig into what I do in my
marketing and that kind of thing, there's not even anyone out
there.
Like even if you go to myLinkedIn headline, there's not
(11:03):
even anyone out there that'spitching the same thing that I
am pitching, and so.
But you also see, like justLinkedIn is a great example.
Go to my LinkedIn profile.
You're going to see my books.
You're going to see my books.
You're going to see that I'vebeen on lots and lots of
podcasts.
You're going to see thatpositioning that shows me.
You're going to see me with amicrophone All the things that I
(11:25):
want my market to see about me,because those are the things I
help them do.
So if they don't see it from me, I'm not walking my talk right,
and so that's positioning.
Yeah.
Janice Hostager (11:41):
Right, yeah, and actually I was going to
bring your positioning upbecause I have written down what
you have on your bio, so youreposition what they've already
built into a business, brand andlife that reflects their
brilliance, with premium offers,market authority and strategies
that drive real wealth, withoutthe grind.
It's like wow, that is totallythe best positioning paragraph
I've ever read.
I mean because it's like Idon't know anybody else that
(12:03):
really does that combination,just like you said, that
combination of things together,and you explain it so clearly as
well.
Ann Carden (12:11):
That means I did a good job.
I'm walking the talk yes,that's great.
Janice Hostager (12:17):
So how can positioning yourself as an
expert actually justify premiumpricing and increasing your
revenue?
So it's one thing to say I'munique and we want to charge
high prices.
Obviously, if we are offering apremium service, we want to
offer premium price.
How do you do that?
Like, let's take, walk methrough the steps to go ahead
(12:39):
and do that.
Ann Carden (12:40):
Yeah, so it's some of the things I talked about
before.
So when you, when you discover,when you really decide what you
want to be known for I am veryknown for the premium market.
People know I mean, they'veknown that for years and there
aren't very many people in thatsame market in the same way so
when you really decide what youwant to be known for, you sing
(13:01):
that message everywhere.
You really get it out there.
It should be cohesive.
So it doesn't matter whetheryou go to my YouTube channel,
whether you go to my LinkedIn ormy Facebook or my website.
You're going to see the samekind of messaging.
So that's a really importantpiece.
The other thing is when you arecall out who you want, like
(13:23):
that's really important too.
So part of your message shouldbe really calling in the right
people, the people that you wantto work with, the people that
you want to see you, and a lotof people kind of miss that
piece.
They don't call in.
They kind of they're too broad.
You know I helped when I firststarted 15 years ago.
I helped small business ownersgrow their business.
(13:45):
I remember pitching that at anetworking event and somebody
would say, how do you like?
What does that mean exactly?
I mean, do you help them growat a dollar or do you help them
grow at a million dollars?
It's very different, right?
So all the messaging andeverything people see should be
cohesive and it should be reallybuilding up that foundation,
(14:06):
that solid brand.
But also you have to think aboutthe market that you're
targeting.
You can't get premium pricingif you're in a broke market and
you can't get premium pricing ifyou look like the cheap used
car and not the Lamborghini.
So all of these things play apart in that.
And then also you have to buildyour authority and your
(14:29):
credibility.
Be like get seen, I'm doing itwith you right now, Janice.
I'm on here, you'reinterviewing me, I'm sharing all
of my expertise and you'reeither going to think she knows
what she's talking about.
Or you're going to walk awaythinking, she has no clue, right
.
And o that's all part ofbuilding that premium
positioning is people have to beable to see that you know what
you're doing.
You can't command premium feesif you don't know what you're
(14:59):
doing, if you're winging it.
So it's having more of astrategic plan.
Janice Hostager (15:05):
So it boils down to confidence in that
respect.
Ann Carden (15:08):
When you align your business in the right way, you
already will have confidence,Like I have no doubt, about what
I can do for my clients and howI can help them, and that comes
through.
I'm very bold about saying thatand so when?
But?
But it's because I know that Ican do it, and so this is why
when I help people, a lot oftimes they're trying to do
(15:30):
something that isn't reallytheir expertise.
Let's say, for example, you'regoing to sell websites.
You've never built a website.
Well, how confident, or are yougoing to learn as you go?
You're going to have a hardtime convincing people that
you're the website expert, rightbut if you've built a lot of
(15:56):
websites.
And you say I'm going to becomethe website expert for
financial advisors.
Now you know that you can goand build that and you're going
to become the go-to and they'regoing to see you as a specialist
, not a generalist.
So all of those things areparts.
All of that is part of buildingup that premium brand and being
seen having that strongpositioning.
Janice Hostager (16:18):
And then, of course, messaging.
Ann Carden (16:20):
And messaging is part of it.
Absolutely.
Janice Hostager (16:23):
So what advice for that would you say?
That was one of the reasons Iwanted to read what you had
written, because it wasbeautifully written and put
together and it really did setyou apart and showed very easily
what you did and how you weredifferent.
So how do you go ahead?
And if you're doing workingwith somebody that wants to do
that, how do you pull thattogether?
Ann Carden (16:45):
I find out first what they really are good at,
where the value lies within them.
So I work mostly withconsultants, professional
service entrepreneurs who wantto level everything up and get
this premium client.
So we look at where's yourbiggest opportunity and also
something that you know you candeliver.
(17:05):
So when I work with people thathave been in business, it's
actually really easy to do,because they can't see the value
that they can bring.
They're just working in theirbusiness and they're just not
seeing it, which is why I canusually level them up really
easy, because they're missingthings that they don't even
realize they've done or that arehighly valuable to the market.
(17:26):
So that's a big piece.
But if somebody's just startingout but maybe they're coming
from a corporate career andthey've had amazing success, or
maybe they've been running agreat business, they've been
successful and now they want tostart coaching or consulting.
I'm going to find out what werethe things that you did really
great in your business, what arethe things that you know, the
(17:46):
obstacles that you overcame, andmaybe you figured out a
different way to do things andthat's, so we're looking for
those differentiators and thenbut then, but we don't keep
pieces out and this is whathappens.
A lot, you see, a lot of I callthem one trick ponies.
Somebody will specialize, butthey'll be like okay, I'm going
to help you build a Facebookgroup and monetize it.
(18:07):
Okay, that's great, but whatother pieces are you leaving out
that I really need to build mybusiness with.
So if I see someone that sayswith, building a Facebook group
and monetizing that is like onepiece of what I hope you do.
Like who do you think I'm goingto want to go to the person
(18:28):
that it's part like?
They offer all these otherthings too.
So a lot of times people leaveout a lot of value for what they
do.
I like to say I'm an A to Zkind of consultant.
I help you.
It can be from concept all theway to million dollar plus leaps
, or it can be taking whatyou're doing and how can we
(18:49):
generate and really scale thisfaster and get those big leaps.
Janice Hostager (18:54):
One of the things that I hear you saying is
that you can really pull inkind of aspects of somebody,
maybe their personal brand.
I use branding, but really Ithink I'm talking about
positioning.
I think I use those twointerchangeably.
But we have transferable skillsright, so it could be even
personal skills, like if you'vegone through a bankruptcy, for
(19:17):
example, and you learned, orjust burnout which I personally
have gone through with my agencybusiness that I had, you learn
some things and I share a lot ofthose things with my audience,
or my audience, yes, but alsowith my clients, my one-on-one
clients, because I can see thesigns of burnout and I can see
(19:40):
when they're working too hardand they're putting in weekends
and all of that, and yet I don'treally talk about that.
But that would be somethingwhich I could probably just like
pull in right, it could bepulled into your offer
Absolutely, and it could helpset you apart too.
Right yeah, so it could be smallthings like that that we don't
even think about, that we'vegone through that really make us
(20:01):
unique?
Right yeah, not necessarily,and especially as entrepreneurs.
I think our personal lives andour business lives blend
together so much that it couldbe things with someone's
personal life too.
So I love that.
Ann Carden (20:15):
Yeah.
A good example of this is I'vebeen married for 45 years.
So if I was working with, say,a power couple, okay, in
business, or if I wanted to pullthat into my consulting like I
could actually position myself.
Oh, I work with power couplesso they can have a strong
marriage while they explodetheir business growth.
(20:37):
So that's a good example of howsomething like that could be
pulled in.
So it's finding those ways todifferentiate yourself and
there's so many ways like it cango so deep and you can really
micro niche.
But you'll be surprised.
A lot of people are afraid tolike niche down because they're
afraid they're going to miss outon all this business.
But there's more business thanyou could possibly get in any
(21:00):
niche, unless you're just in aniche where there's nothing
going on, right?
That's not the case with mostpeople.
Janice Hostager (21:07):
Right, right.
I 100% agree with that.
It's a big pie.
Ann Carden (21:10):
It is.
Janice Hostager (21:13):
So if my listeners only take away one
thing from this, what should itbe.
Ann Carden (21:18):
You have to set yourself apart.
Don't be afraid of settingyourself apart in the industry
and do it around where you arethe most confident, but also
where it can have the most valuein the market, and then and
really get positioned that way.
But look different.
You should be in a category ofone.
Look for how you can putyourself in a category of one
(21:41):
and if you do that, you willnever compete.
You will be able to attract theright people and you'll repel
the people that are not a fit,which is a great thing, right,
that's a great thing.
It leverages your time.
I'm very clear about who Idon't work with and who isn't a
good fit for me, and I'm veryclear about who is.
(22:02):
So I don't get a lot of.
I don't waste a lot of time oncalls with people that are the
wrong people for me.
I don't.
It's just very clear.
And they also.
The other piece of that is theyalso know when they come to a
call with me.
I know, you know I don't knowwhat you charge, but I know I
want to work with you.
That's what strong positioningcan do.
(22:25):
It can pre-sell you, so that'show your positioning should be
for you.
So look for ways to do that.
Janice Hostager (22:32):
Love that, and that is so true.
I mean, if you find somebodyand you say that's what I need.
Ann Carden (22:36):
Yeah, I've been looking for you.
Janice Hostager (22:38):
Yes, yep, that's so true.
So how can people find out moreabout you?
Ann Carden (22:45):
Yes, you can go to my website at annlcardencom.
My books are on there.
I've got some free resources onthere.
You can see my podcast on there.
We just hit episode 300, so I'msuper excited.
Janice Hostager (22:57):
Yay, that is great.
Ann Carden (22:59):
Episode 300.
And so that's on there.
Janice Hostager (23:03):
What's the name of your podcast?
Ann Carden (23:06):
Expert in You.
Janice Hostager (23:07):
I love it, love it.
Ann Carden (23:14):
So I have a free magazine, so I'm a publisher of
a magazine.
You can get that on there.
So there's lots to do there.
Janice Hostager (23:17):
Okay, I'll put all the links in the show notes
for today.
Thank you so much, Ann.
I have loved our conversationand I have learned a lot too.
Ann Carden (23:25):
Thank you, it was my pleasure.
It was great being here withyou.
Janice Hostager (23:29):
What I love about repositioning yourself as
the expert is the simplicity init all.
You don't have to be louder orcheaper or hustle harder.
You just need to find a way tobe positioned as the go-to
expert in your own unique way,and I love that.
So take a minute today and askyourself how can I stand out
from the masses?
(23:50):
What little mindset shift canchange everything about the way
you show up in business and howyou position yourself?
So to learn more about anythingwe talked about today, visit
myweeklymarketingcom.
Forward slash 123.
And I would love your help.
If this episode spoke to you,send me a DM on Instagram at
(24:10):
Janice Hostager Marketing.
Thanks for listening today.
I'll see you next time.
Bye for now.
I'm Janice Hostager.
After three decades in themarketing business and many
years of being an entrepreneur,I've learned a thing or two
about marketing.
Join me as we talk aboutmarketing, small business and
life in between.
Welcome to My Weekly Marketing.
Hello, and welcome back to MyWeekly Marketing.
(00:30):
If you've ever felt like whenyou're in business, you're in a
crowded marketplace whereeverybody's offering the same
thing you do and the only way tostand out is to slash your
prices or maybe hustle harder,then today's episode is going to
feel like a win.
I'm sitting down with Ann Carden.
Ann is a top business growthconsultant, the founder and CEO
(00:53):
of a media and marketing agency,marketing and sales strategist,
speaker, four-time author andpodcast host, and we're going to
talk about something that Idon't think gets enough airtime,
and that's all about how youposition your business in the
marketplace.
So we'll unpack what expertpositioning really means and why
(01:16):
competing on price will alwayskeep you stuck or in a race to
the bottom, and how to shiftinto being the obvious choice
for your ideal clients.
If you've been wanting to stopchasing clients and start
attracting them while chargingmore and who doesn't want that
then you're in the right place.
Here's my talk with Ann.
Hey, Ann, thanks for joining metoday.
Ann Carden (01:39):
Thanks so much for having me, Janice.
It's a pleasure.
Janice Hostager (01:47):
I love this topic.
Repositioning I think that, asa marketing nerd, positioning is
one of my favorite topics, butwe don't really talk about it.
I don't really talk much aboutit, and you have such a strong
perspective on what it means toposition yourself as an expert.
So was there a turning point oran aha moment in your journey
where you said, well, I don'twant to compete anymore.
(02:09):
That was going to be importantfor you and for other business
owners.
Ann Carden (02:13):
It's really interesting.
I have always, withoutrealizing about positioning or
really even knowing that it wascalled that, I've always done
this in all my businesses.
I've always how can I stand out, how can I be at the top of my
game, how can I be top of themarket?
And so I have always looked forways to do that.
(02:35):
And when I started coaching andconsulting and it became a
thing, positioning became athing and I started teaching it
to other people I knew howpowerful it was, especially to
build a premium business, whichis what I help people do.
So if they want to be premiumand they want to get the best
clients at the best prices, theyare the best customers.
They have to be positioneddifferently and really stand out
(02:58):
in the market.
Janice Hostager (03:00):
So, before we go any further, let's define
what positioning is.
A lot of listeners that are newin business.
Why don't you define that forus?
Ann Carden (03:20):
Yes, so positioning, think about positioning as the
outside perception of how peoplesee you.
I like to say it's kind of likeyour storefront.
If you think about somebody whosees you or they meet you.
What are they going to do?
They're going to try to learnmore about you.
They're going to go to yourwebsite.
They're going to Google you.
They're going to try to findout.
Why should I talk to thisperson?
Why should I trust this person?
So positioning encompasses notjust that feeling and that first
impression that people get whenthey come across you, but it
(03:43):
also encompasses how trustworthyyou are, how credible you are.
Are you an authority?
Are you kind of a beginner orstartup?
Are you budget?
Are you premium Like?
Positioning can encompass allof those things.
So when it's done really well,you look like the person that
can command higher prices.
(04:04):
You look like the person thatcan command higher prices.
You look like the person thatis credible, that people
wouldn't question oh, can youreally do this?
Or why should I trust you?
Or why should I believe you?
Janice Hostager (04:15):
And it's different from a brand.
Ann Carden (04:17):
It is yes.
Janice Hostager (04:19):
Tell us how.
Ann Carden (04:20):
Yeah.
A brand is more the visual andpositioning and more the
identity.
But positioning goes deeper.
Positioning is aboutcredibility, authority, again
trustworthiness, and then alsothat just are you for me or are
you not for me?
(04:40):
So positioning can actuallyrepel the wrong people and it
can attract.
It's all about attracting theright people to you.
So that's what positioning cando.
Janice Hostager (04:51):
And isn't it a little bit too about how you
stand out in the marketplace,like blue ocean versus red ocean
,
Ann Carden (04:58):
Absolutely.
Janice Hostager (04:59):
Kind of like that too.
So it's like how you're, justbasically how you set yourself
apart,
Ann Carden (05:05):
It is.
Janice Hostager (05:12):
Gotcha.
Ann Carden (05:12):
Okay, so how are you different from everybody else?
Yes, and that that is all partof it as well.
Yeah, I guess I didn't say thatas I was going through all the
things that it included, ofcourse.
Janice Hostager (05:18):
Well, and you know so much, so much of
marketing overlaps too.
So, yes, positioning overlapswith branding, and branding you
know it's also talks.
This sort of overlaps withidentifying your ideal client
avatar, and so I mean all ofthis sort of meshes together, so
it's difficult to delineate,like, where one thing ends and
where another begins.
So I think you did a perfectjob of explaining that.
(05:39):
So so many of my listeners andsometimes I do too too feel like
you're one of many in a crowdedspace.
So can you do you have a storyof a client, or maybe yourself,
that you went from blending into really standing out?
Ann Carden (05:57):
Absolutely.
So, the first thing people haveto think about whether you're
small business owner or, youknow, an entrepreneur, a lot of
people are not positioningthemselves online to build
influence the way they could be,and I see this all the time.
They really are blending in.
There's nothing different aboutthem.
Their message isn't different.
(06:18):
They look the same, they'reselling the same stuff and all
of that is going to cause you tokind of play in the shark
invested water, so to speak.
But when you strengthen yourpositioning, you rise above and
you become the only one.
(06:38):
You are seen as the only onewho does what you do, and when
you do that, you stop competingand that means you can demand.
You can really demand higherfees and higher prices.
You aren't price shopped, youdon't look like a commodity.
All of those things.
You don't want somebody to saydo I want this kind of coffee or
(06:59):
this kind of coffee?
You want the right person tosay, oh my gosh, I've been
looking for you.
That's very different.
Janice Hostager (07:25):
And I think even in an industry where there
are a lot of options.
Such as retail, right.
You've got your Walmart, andyou've got your Target and your
Kohl's, and so you've got likean array and every one of those
has a different audience andthey're all positioned so
differently.
Right.
Ann Carden (07:30):
Exactly.
If you look at, if you looklike a Tiffany and Company right
, Tiffany and Co, they're a veryspecific buyer.
And if you look at Kohl'sselling jewelry, that's going to
be a very specific buyer.
Or Walmart selling jewelry,that's going to be a very
specific buyer.
The great thing about that isthere is enough to go around for
(07:53):
everyone, which a lot of peopledon't get this.
A lot of times, people getintimidated.
Like there's so many people inthat market, there's so many
people in that space, and don'tlook at it like that.
Like how can I rise above that?
That's what you want to bethinking about.
How can I get above all thenoise?
How can I be seen as who I wantto be seen as for whoever that
(08:16):
is?
Janice Hostager (08:17):
Right, right, yeah, and it can be scary to do
that, especially when you'restarting out your business.
To get really narrow on whothat person is right.
Ann Carden (08:27):
It is scary, but I think if people realize, you
know I always help peopleposition themselves in a way
that it really aligns with them.
So I help people really buildtheir expertise into something
and when I really show them howthey can build a business around
what they're so good at doingalready, it's kind of the
(08:50):
positioning becomes very natural.
Positioning becomes verynatural.
So I think where people getstuck or they get fearful is
they're trying to do somethingthat maybe just doesn't align
with what they want to be knownfor or where they're really good
, if that makes sense.
Janice Hostager (09:07):
It does.
That's really interesting.
So if you're working with abusiness, what are some signs
that they're kind of stuck inthe competitive space really,
instead of positioningthemselves to be like standout?
Ann Carden (09:18):
That's really interesting.
That's that's a really easyanswer, because if I go to your
website and I go to yourcompetitor's website and all I
have to do is switch the logosand I won't know who's who,
that's a good sign that you areplaying in the same space as
everybody else.
The other thing is being able,it's so easy to see when people
(09:40):
are really positioned well andthey're positioned above their
market you get like this wow,kind of thing.
Like you get this feeling.
Let's think about a brand thatcomes to mind.
I like to use Lamborghini versusa cheap used car.
Okay, you're going to go get acheap used car.
(10:01):
You're going to get a used car?
Okay, well, they're a dime adozen and just go pick which one
you think is going to give youthe best value for your money
and the one you like.
But if you're going to get aLamborghini, you're not going to
price shop it.
You're going to be like I'mgetting the Lamborghini, right,
I've got the money, I'm going togo get this.
I'm going to go to the dealerand I'm going to get this.
(10:22):
Like you know, you want aLamborghini and that's really.
If you think about it in brandsand you think about positioning.
That's the way positioningshould be.
People, if you're premium so Ihelp people in the premium
market.
If you're premium, they shouldknow you're premium.
(10:42):
They should be able to see thatin your marketing and your
positioning.
They should be able to see thatyou're different.
There is nobody out there thatdoes anything the same way I do
it, and that's very clear whenthey dig into what I do in my
marketing and that kind of thing, there's not even anyone out
there.
Like even if you go to myLinkedIn headline, there's not
(11:03):
even anyone out there that'spitching the same thing that I
am pitching, and so.
But you also see, like justLinkedIn is a great example.
Go to my LinkedIn profile.
You're going to see my books.
You're going to see my books.
You're going to see that I'vebeen on lots and lots of
podcasts.
You're going to see thatpositioning that shows me.
You're going to see me with amicrophone All the things that I
(11:25):
want my market to see about me,because those are the things I
help them do.
So if they don't see it from me, I'm not walking my talk right,
and so that's positioning.
Yeah.
Janice Hostager (11:41):
Right, yeah, and actually I was going to
bring your positioning upbecause I have written down what
you have on your bio, so youreposition what they've already
built into a business, brand andlife that reflects their
brilliance, with premium offers,market authority and strategies
that drive real wealth, withoutthe grind.
It's like wow, that is totallythe best positioning paragraph
I've ever read.
I mean because it's like Idon't know anybody else that
(12:03):
really does that combination,just like you said, that
combination of things together,and you explain it so clearly as
well.
Ann Carden (12:11):
That means I did a good job.
I'm walking the talk yes,that's great.
Janice Hostager (12:17):
So how can positioning yourself as an
expert actually justify premiumpricing and increasing your
revenue?
So it's one thing to say I'munique and we want to charge
high prices.
Obviously, if we are offering apremium service, we want to
offer premium price.
How do you do that?
Like, let's take, walk methrough the steps to go ahead
(12:39):
and do that.
Ann Carden (12:40):
Yeah, so it's some of the things I talked about
before.
So when you, when you discover,when you really decide what you
want to be known for I am veryknown for the premium market.
People know I mean, they'veknown that for years and there
aren't very many people in thatsame market in the same way so
when you really decide what youwant to be known for, you sing
(13:01):
that message everywhere.
You really get it out there.
It should be cohesive.
So it doesn't matter whetheryou go to my YouTube channel,
whether you go to my LinkedIn ormy Facebook or my website.
You're going to see the samekind of messaging.
So that's a really importantpiece.
The other thing is when you arecall out who you want, like
(13:23):
that's really important too.
So part of your message shouldbe really calling in the right
people, the people that you wantto work with, the people that
you want to see you, and a lotof people kind of miss that
piece.
They don't call in.
They kind of they're too broad.
You know I helped when I firststarted 15 years ago.
I helped small business ownersgrow their business.
(13:45):
I remember pitching that at anetworking event and somebody
would say, how do you like?
What does that mean exactly?
I mean, do you help them growat a dollar or do you help them
grow at a million dollars?
It's very different, right?
So all the messaging andeverything people see should be
cohesive and it should be reallybuilding up that foundation,
(14:06):
that solid brand.
But also you have to think aboutthe market that you're
targeting.
You can't get premium pricingif you're in a broke market and
you can't get premium pricing ifyou look like the cheap used
car and not the Lamborghini.
So all of these things play apart in that.
And then also you have to buildyour authority and your
(14:29):
credibility.
Be like get seen, I'm doing itwith you right now, Janice.
I'm on here, you'reinterviewing me, I'm sharing all
of my expertise and you'reeither going to think she knows
what she's talking about.
Or you're going to walk awaythinking, she has no clue, right
.
And o that's all part ofbuilding that premium
positioning is people have to beable to see that you know what
you're doing.
You can't command premium feesif you don't know what you're
(14:59):
doing, if you're winging it.
So it's having more of astrategic plan.
Janice Hostager (15:05):
So it boils down to confidence in that
respect.
Ann Carden (15:08):
When you align your business in the right way, you
already will have confidence,Like I have no doubt, about what
I can do for my clients and howI can help them, and that comes
through.
I'm very bold about saying thatand so when?
But?
But it's because I know that Ican do it, and so this is why
when I help people, a lot oftimes they're trying to do
(15:30):
something that isn't reallytheir expertise.
Let's say, for example, you'regoing to sell websites.
You've never built a website.
Well, how confident, or are yougoing to learn as you go?
You're going to have a hardtime convincing people that
you're the website expert, rightbut if you've built a lot of
(15:56):
websites.
And you say I'm going to becomethe website expert for
financial advisors.
Now you know that you can goand build that and you're going
to become the go-to and they'regoing to see you as a specialist
, not a generalist.
So all of those things areparts.
All of that is part of buildingup that premium brand and being
seen having that strongpositioning.
Janice Hostager (16:18):
And then, of course, messaging.
Ann Carden (16:20):
And messaging is part of it.
Absolutely.
Janice Hostager (16:23):
So what advice for that would you say?
That was one of the reasons Iwanted to read what you had
written, because it wasbeautifully written and put
together and it really did setyou apart and showed very easily
what you did and how you weredifferent.
So how do you go ahead?
And if you're doing workingwith somebody that wants to do
that, how do you pull thattogether?
Ann Carden (16:45):
I find out first what they really are good at,
where the value lies within them.
So I work mostly withconsultants, professional
service entrepreneurs who wantto level everything up and get
this premium client.
So we look at where's yourbiggest opportunity and also
something that you know you candeliver.
(17:05):
So when I work with people thathave been in business, it's
actually really easy to do,because they can't see the value
that they can bring.
They're just working in theirbusiness and they're just not
seeing it, which is why I canusually level them up really
easy, because they're missingthings that they don't even
realize they've done or that arehighly valuable to the market.
(17:26):
So that's a big piece.
But if somebody's just startingout but maybe they're coming
from a corporate career andthey've had amazing success, or
maybe they've been running agreat business, they've been
successful and now they want tostart coaching or consulting.
I'm going to find out what werethe things that you did really
great in your business, what arethe things that you know, the
(17:46):
obstacles that you overcame, andmaybe you figured out a
different way to do things andthat's, so we're looking for
those differentiators and thenbut then, but we don't keep
pieces out and this is whathappens.
A lot, you see, a lot of I callthem one trick ponies.
Somebody will specialize, butthey'll be like okay, I'm going
to help you build a Facebookgroup and monetize it.
(18:07):
Okay, that's great, but whatother pieces are you leaving out
that I really need to build mybusiness with.
So if I see someone that sayswith, building a Facebook group
and monetizing that is like onepiece of what I hope you do.
Like who do you think I'm goingto want to go to the person
(18:28):
that it's part like?
They offer all these otherthings too.
So a lot of times people leaveout a lot of value for what they
do.
I like to say I'm an A to Zkind of consultant.
I help you.
It can be from concept all theway to million dollar plus leaps
, or it can be taking whatyou're doing and how can we
(18:49):
generate and really scale thisfaster and get those big leaps.
Janice Hostager (18:54):
One of the things that I hear you saying is
that you can really pull inkind of aspects of somebody,
maybe their personal brand.
I use branding, but really Ithink I'm talking about
positioning.
I think I use those twointerchangeably.
But we have transferable skillsright, so it could be even
personal skills, like if you'vegone through a bankruptcy, for
(19:17):
example, and you learned, orjust burnout which I personally
have gone through with my agencybusiness that I had, you learn
some things and I share a lot ofthose things with my audience,
or my audience, yes, but alsowith my clients, my one-on-one
clients, because I can see thesigns of burnout and I can see
(19:40):
when they're working too hardand they're putting in weekends
and all of that, and yet I don'treally talk about that.
But that would be somethingwhich I could probably just like
pull in right, it could bepulled into your offer
Absolutely, and it could helpset you apart too.
Right yeah, so it could be smallthings like that that we don't
even think about, that we'vegone through that really make us
(20:01):
unique?
Right yeah, not necessarily,and especially as entrepreneurs.
I think our personal lives andour business lives blend
together so much that it couldbe things with someone's
personal life too.
So I love that.
Ann Carden (20:15):
Yeah.
A good example of this is I'vebeen married for 45 years.
So if I was working with, say,a power couple, okay, in
business, or if I wanted to pullthat into my consulting like I
could actually position myself.
Oh, I work with power couplesso they can have a strong
marriage while they explodetheir business growth.
(20:37):
So that's a good example of howsomething like that could be
pulled in.
So it's finding those ways todifferentiate yourself and
there's so many ways like it cango so deep and you can really
micro niche.
But you'll be surprised.
A lot of people are afraid tolike niche down because they're
afraid they're going to miss outon all this business.
But there's more business thanyou could possibly get in any
(21:00):
niche, unless you're just in aniche where there's nothing
going on, right?
That's not the case with mostpeople.
Janice Hostager (21:07):
Right, right.
I 100% agree with that.
It's a big pie.
Ann Carden (21:10):
It is.
Janice Hostager (21:13):
So if my listeners only take away one
thing from this, what should itbe.
Ann Carden (21:18):
You have to set yourself apart.
Don't be afraid of settingyourself apart in the industry
and do it around where you arethe most confident, but also
where it can have the most valuein the market, and then and
really get positioned that way.
But look different.
You should be in a category ofone.
Look for how you can putyourself in a category of one
(21:41):
and if you do that, you willnever compete.
You will be able to attract theright people and you'll repel
the people that are not a fit,which is a great thing, right,
that's a great thing.
It leverages your time.
I'm very clear about who Idon't work with and who isn't a
good fit for me, and I'm veryclear about who is.
(22:02):
So I don't get a lot of.
I don't waste a lot of time oncalls with people that are the
wrong people for me.
I don't.
It's just very clear.
And they also.
The other piece of that is theyalso know when they come to a
call with me.
I know, you know I don't knowwhat you charge, but I know I
want to work with you.
That's what strong positioningcan do.
(22:25):
It can pre-sell you, so that'show your positioning should be
for you.
So look for ways to do that.
Janice Hostager (22:32):
Love that, and that is so true.
I mean, if you find somebodyand you say that's what I need.
Ann Carden (22:36):
Yeah, I've been looking for you.
Janice Hostager (22:38):
Yes, yep, that's so true.
So how can people find out moreabout you?
Ann Carden (22:45):
Yes, you can go to my website at annlcardencom.
My books are on there.
I've got some free resources onthere.
You can see my podcast on there.
We just hit episode 300, so I'msuper excited.
Janice Hostager (22:57):
Yay, that is great.
Ann Carden (22:59):
Episode 300.
And so that's on there.
Janice Hostager (23:03):
What's the name of your podcast?
Ann Carden (23:06):
Expert in You.
Janice Hostager (23:07):
I love it, love it.
Ann Carden (23:14):
So I have a free magazine, so I'm a publisher of
a magazine.
You can get that on there.
So there's lots to do there.
Janice Hostager (23:17):
Okay, I'll put all the links in the show notes
for today.
Thank you so much, Ann.
I have loved our conversationand I have learned a lot too.
Ann Carden (23:25):
Thank you, it was my pleasure.
It was great being here withyou.
Janice Hostager (23:29):
What I love about repositioning yourself as
the expert is the simplicity init all.
You don't have to be louder orcheaper or hustle harder.
You just need to find a way tobe positioned as the go-to
expert in your own unique way,and I love that.
So take a minute today and askyourself how can I stand out
from the masses?
(23:50):
What little mindset shift canchange everything about the way
you show up in business and howyou position yourself?
So to learn more about anythingwe talked about today, visit
myweeklymarketingcom.
Forward slash 123.
And I would love your help.
If this episode spoke to you,send me a DM on Instagram at
(24:10):
Janice Hostager Marketing.
Thanks for listening today.
I'll see you next time.
Bye for now.
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