We all know about the elevator pitch — the 30 second positioning statement that is supposed to capture the minds and business of people you are trying to court (of course, I’ve never seen anyone talk in an elevator, so I’m not sure why it is called an elevator pitch, but…)

Anyway, Mark LeBlanc offers a new twist on this pithy statement. In a speech at the Minneapolis convention center to the Minnesota Small Business Conference and Expo, the marketing legend said you can position yourself in three ways — and two of them stink.

You can position by title, like “lawyer” or consultant.
You can position by product, like “financial management” or “retirement planning.”
You can position by concept, like “I help you achieve a retirement without financial worries.”

Not only don’t the first two tactics not work, LeBlanc says “They actually repel people.”

The third tactic clearly paints a picture of the benefits of the service. When LeBlanc realized this point many years ago, he turned his entire business around.

We conducted an in-depth interview with Mark in January on “How to have your best year ever” and it included many of his ground breaking marketing strategies and tactics that will help you grow your business. You can order the transcript for $10 at:

Click here for transcript.

You can order the CD for $30 at:
Click here for the CD