Business Posture: How to Play the Posture Game and Crush Your Competitors

business posture

Posture Building Techniques to Attract New Customers Like Bees to a Honey Pot

 Introduction

I’ve had a long and varied career in sales and marketing.  But I didn’t learn about posture till many years after I set out on this pathway.

I first learnt about posture from an author by the name of Robert J Ringer, when I read his provocative book, Winning Through Intimidation (How to Be the Victor, Not the Victim, in Business and in Life)

While reading that book, I was gobsmacked at the gall of the guy.  He was using posture building techniques to close million dollar deals with clients he barely knew.  Although the title of the book includes the word ‘intimidation’, the reality is that he wasn’t using intimidation techniques at all.  Robert Ringer was a practitioner of the posture game, pure and simple.

After reading the book, I decided to employ some of his techniques.  So I created a new business card.  Not just your standard small size business card, but a fold out card with a pic of me, nice graphics and some value statements included.  This card sent a signal to the recipient that I was more than just another insurance salesman (my vocation at the time).

I also created a brochure and sent it to the prospect before I spoke to them on the phone.  By the time I called, they were more receptive than had previously been the case.  Having good posture works!

What Is Posture?

Just as a dog can smell fear on a human (and may attack him), the same dog can approach someone who shows no fear, and give him a warm welcome.

In the human world, the person with posture and confidence is the one who will usually attract more customers than the proverbial blushing violet.

So what the dickens is posture?  In some respects, it’s another word for confidence.  But I think it’s more than this.

A definition I like is this: ‘to behave in a way that is intended to impress.’

Yes, that’s it.  We want to create an overwhelmingly favorable impression in the minds of our prospects.  It’s not just about confidence – it’s also about respect and authority.  The more we have, the more likely it is that people will do business with us.

You Don’t Necessarily Need to be a Confident Person to Have Great Posture.  This is a critical point.  People think that people with great posture are naturally super confident. Not true.  In fact, people who use posture building techniques in their marketing often use it to mask an inherent lack of confidence in the way they conduct themselves.

Bottom line: These techniques work great for people who are not naturally super confident.

How to Use Posture in Your Business

Different industries have different requirements, therefore, different techniques can be used to increase posture.  But your objective should be to project confidence and authority (and hence posture) in the marketplace. Here are some ideas:

You’re a Blogger

Mitch Mitchell runs a blog called I’m Just Sharing.  Mitch projects posture in his writings, but also in other ways.  For instance, he features a kind of T&C statement under the Comments section. Take a look:Posture 1 - Mitch Mitchell

You Run a Main Street ‘Local’ Business

There are different ways to project posture and confidence.  Here are a few ideas:

First up I would ensure that my website projects my brand values.  Those values would revolve around professionalism and competence.  You want to convey to visitors that you are the leader in your industry.

I would also make it very clear about the way I do business which would include trading hours, terms of service etc.  Further, I would educate my audience about the pitfalls of doing business with inferior competitors (the ‘pick a fight’ technique, see below).

Also, I would look for pain points that my audience experiences, then use effective messaging techniques to remind them of their pain.

This is gutsy stuff.  But here’s the thing.  You will increase your marketplace posture and authority when you display courage with your messaging.   People want to do business with the alpha leader – your job is to prove to people that you are.

You’re a Consultant

Create a Report.  It’s such an effective tactic, so why don’t more consultants and coaches use it?  Beats me although laziness and lack of vision and courage are three possible reasons that spring to mind.  Make it a free report initially.  Down the track, you may want to charge for it.  You can use the report to attract leads, but you can also use it to establish authority in your niche – a sure way to boost your marketplace posture.

When you write the report, focus on one pain point or problem, that is commonly experienced by people in your niche.  Your objective is to highlight the pain point and then offer a conceptual solution.  In other words, show them what they need to do, but don’t  necessarily show them HOW to do it.

Make it a free report initially.  Down the track, you may want to charge for it.  You can use the report to attract leads, but you can also use it to establish authority in your niche – a sure way to boost your marketplace posture.

You’re a Salesman

Record a posture building video then load it to YouTube.  Send the link to your prospects via a well-written, personalized email.  Use monitoring software to track open rates.  If she opens your email, call her – even if she hasn’t made a formal inquiry.

You’re a Practitioner

If you run a professional service firm, I have three strategies for you today.  Here is the first one:

1). Start a Blog

If you already have a blog, read this anyway and learn how to upgrade it.

Rather than make your blog an afterthought, metaphorically tucked away in an (almost) hidden recess of your website, do this instead: elevate it front and centre.

Because a blog is so potentially dynamic, it makes no sense for it to play second fiddle to the other pages on your site.  So, this strategy will give due prominence to your blog.  Why?  Your blog is potentially the greatest posture enhancing tool you have.

For more ideas on how to craft posture building messages via your blog, go here:

How to Use Laser Targetted Messaging to Attract Highly Profitable Customers 

2). Write a Commitment to You Statement

So what is a commitment statement?  It’s a simple concept.  Traditionally it has been used by switched on business owners to convey to potential customers exactly what they can expect from the firm.  This is called Our Commitment to You statement.  This technique works well for professional service firms and consulting businesses, but other companies can also use it to good effect.

This technique works well for professional service firms and consulting businesses, but other companies can also use it to good effect.

Here is an example of a customer ‘commitment to you’ statement from Heart and Soul Marketing:

Persuasion Pursuit - Commitment Statement

3. Write a Commitment to Us Statement

Most businesses that use a commitment statement leave it at that, which is ok.  But if you want to set the cat amongst the pigeons you should take one extra step and create a Commitment to Us statement.

Essentially this statement turns the table on potential customers/clients by asking them to make performance promises to the service providor, before they’re accepted as a client.

You could include points such as:

  • You’ll Implement Our Recommendations.
  • You’ll Treat Us With Respect.
  • You’ll Pay Us. On Time Payment.
  • Tell Us If You’re Not Happy.

Action Coach uses a modified version of the Commitment to Us statement.  Although the copy is poorly written, it certainly conveys posture.  Take a look:

Persuasion Pursuit - Commitment to Us Statement

Why It Works.  People like and respect strength, and will tend to gravitate to those who display it.

Posture Enhancing Techniques

Posture Enhancing Technique 1: This Is How We Do Business

Don’t be all things to all people.  Focus on what you’re good at and aggressively target people who will love your message.   All good businesses transmit to their audience exactly what they’re on about, what they are good at, and how they do business.

Posture Enhancing Technique 2: Press the Pain Button

People are motivated primarily by two things:

  1. Desire for gain
  2. Fear of loss

Without a doubt fear of loss is the most powerful motivator.  Therefore, it makes sense to hone in on the typical pain points experienced by people in your niche, as already mentioned.  Don’t hold back  – your audience will thank you because you’re talking directly about the issues that concern them.

Empower Business Coaching, used the disturb technique to highlight the pain that’s experienced by many companies by creating a video around the concept of ‘why businesses stay small’ (note the headline below the video graphic):

Posture 2 - the Disturb

Posture Enhancing Technique 3: Establish Authority

This one is a bit of a no-brainer, but if you can create the perception that you and/or your business are the market leaders, more people will want to do business with you.  Use of posture enhancing tools such as free reports (as discussed), proof building and testimonial style  videos   will powerfully increase your marketplace authority.

I wrote a blog post on the topic of credibility and authority building.  Check it here:

How to Use a Blog to Give You Instant Credibility, Even If You Don’t Have Any Now

Posture Enhancing Technique 4: Tools of the Trade

Other than the aforementioned blog and free report ideas, I also suggest you look at the following posture building strategy:

  • Autoresponder System. You need this so you can communicate regularly with people who have opted into your list.    As you would expect  the content of your emails should be designed to further enhance posture for your business.

To set up your autoresponder system you will need to open an account with a good company.

Posture Enhancing Technique 5:  Your Brand Is the Bomb

Projecting aesthetic values that suggest quality will also enhance your marketplace posture.

Posture Enhancing Technique 6:  Use Provocation

Posture can be further enhanced by using the provocation technique.  Ideally, you will use it with some of your blog posts and emails.  Be careful not to overdo it, but used effectively it can transform your messaging from the mundane to the exciting.  Here are a few examples of my own provocative email headlines:

  • “Way To Go Monkey Brain”
  • “Gay Boy, a Martini, and Me”
  • “13 Work At Home Pitfalls The Get Rich Quick Crowd Won’t Tell You”
  • “Fat Bastard and Mini Me. What they taught me about business”
Posture Enhancing Technique 7:  Pick a Fight

This strategy is a gutsy approach because it requires courage to use it.  But it can be a super effective way to enhance your posture.  Apple computers had a lot of success with this strategy when they chose to pick a fight with the enemy – Microsoft in particular, and PC’s in general.

Perhaps you remember the tv ads from Apple.  The dull guy on the left was the Microsoft archetype, whereas the one on the right was the cool and hip Apple guy.

Apple Macintosh versus microsoft ad

The above is a good example of picking a fight without being overly aggressive.  Indeed, humor was the main weapon and it worked brilliantly.

Here is another example – a headline from one of my blog posts:

The Daily Blog Post (and Awesome Content) Myth

Posture Enhancing Technique 8: The Takeaway

The thinking behind this technique is simple – people are more included to want something if they think they’re going to miss out.  That’s why marketers use techniques like limited time offers etc.  Another way to use the Takeaway is to let them know that you don’t need them as customers.  If you run a consulting or professional service firm you can extend the idea by making people know that you don’t need everyone as a client – not all prospects will be a good fit for your business.

Another way to use the Takeaway is to let them know you don’t need them as a customer. I gave an example earlier of the Commitment To Us statement, which represents a good example of the Takeaway technique in action.If you run a consulting or professional service firm you can extend the idea by making people know that you don’t need everyone as a client – not all prospects will be a good fit for your business.

If you use the Takeaway strategy your posture will be enhanced.  The funny thing is that if executed properly, you’ll likely attract more customers not less.  Why?  People are naturally drawn to those who show posture.

Next Steps For You

I suggest you select one or two of the strategies listed and make a commitment to impliment them.  If you need help let me know

Your Turn – Time to Comment!

What was your biggest takeout from this post?

After reading this post are there any ideas that you will now embrace?

Make a comment below!

 ****Special Free Offer****

I will give you 30 minutes of my time (by phone or Skype) for brainstorming, including specific strategies on your USP, customer messaging, and narrative development.  That’s a $300 value. I’ll always focus on skyrocketing your income by showing you how to attract clients who pay you top dollar.

All at no cost to you.  All I ask for in return is a testimonial and the opportunity to build a valuable relationship.

Results matter, so that will be my focus for you – to give you useful ideas you can use straight away.

Schedule a Time HERE

17 thoughts on “Business Posture: How to Play the Posture Game and Crush Your Competitors”

  1. Wow Kim,

    This is wonderful. I’ve learned how to “posture” many years ago with my offline business. To be able to do that I wrote 2 books. No…not ebooks this was way before the internet days. It was snail mail order all the way. When I made enough of cash, I opened my own shop and continued to do business there.

    It is like the analogy you have given about the dogs. People have the same intuition. They see a “published author” Errr…it was self published back then….but they received the message that I had some authority. They purchased the book and then came to me via in person or by phone to consult.

    Posturing is important and we don’t have to fake anything. That’s where some get confused lol. As a blogger we need to take control like Mitch did in the example you have given. I love that guy!

    Posturing is important and one needs it in business. If there is one take-away I need to do after reading this it is to write a commitment statement to show a little strength.

    Thanks so much for this because it has my wheels spinning in my head for my soon to be additional blog I’m crafting. It is quite different than my usual one…an add on per se, but a completely different niche. I do need to apply something strong there. Something like “our promise to you” Now while it’s in my mind…I have to sketch it out so I don’t forget.

    Thanks so much for these amazing tips.

    -Donna

  2. Hi Kim,

    I totally know how this works. Because I had a posturing shift recently.

    Raised my prices on eBooks and services and blogging courses because ya get what you put out there, energy-wise. I had the posture of a piss poor earthworm for a bit with my eBook pricing. Then I got a loud and clear signal from the Universe: raise prices. Across the board.

    I listened. I did A-OK. Because people seek leaders to follow, not followers. Peeps crave confidence and clarity and all that good stuff.

    Love how this cat closed big dough deals without even knowing the folks involved all that well. People respond to posture. Energy thing. Super post dude.

    Ryan

  3. Hey Kim!

    Ideas were spinning through my head as I read this, particularly for my eCommerce business. We’re having our own product made and I go into every venture thinking I can dominate.

    Anyway, I definitely know that I’m going to have to market this from a position of power and really be bold with attacking my competitors. 1 brand in particular makes 50% of the sales for this type of product. I’ve found the exact manufacturer they’re using and know just about everything regarding their manufacturing process. I’m making a few changes and am now in a position now to make their project look like cheap junk. This is about a month out, but I’m very excited.

    So, sort of the same ideas you presented regarding running a local business. Although I’m going all out on the retail side of things too – paid a ridiculous amount of money for really premium looking design / packaging. I ran a huge survey and found out my target market is willing to pay a ridiculous premium for this type of product if they feel it’s higher quality, so I’m milking that for all that I can.

    Anyhow I did not mean to go off about myself but it’s funny how I run into this article now since I’ve been thinking about these concepts throughout the day. Right on and I agree – people need to stop being so afraid to stand out. Money follows attention!
    – James McAllister

  4. I do believe my comments wouldn’t be finding it’s way into the spam folder. Hahaha! Mitch indeed really have some strict policies as far as getting one comments approved.

    Now, can I move back to business? The issue of posture can of course relate to how feels either the person is confident or otherwise. I quickly had to Google the book you recommended and than God I got it on pdf.

    1. Hi Emmanuel

      I am pleased you got hold of the Robert Ringer book. It was written a long time ago but there are some great ideas to be gleaned from it.

      Thanks for dropping by

      Kim

  5. Hiya there Kim!

    Wow this is seriously a great blog post. You have really hit the nail on the head regarding posturing. It is seriously important to do so especially out here in the blogosphere if you want to be perceived a certain way.

    Again great post….take care 🙂

  6. Hello Kim Willis,

    This is great stuff for every one.
    Posturing is very important, it reveals about the characteristic of a human beign.
    One can gain almost half of the things about any person, by noticing their posture.

    Posturing can help to boost up your business.
    Thanks for sharing this amazing tips among us.

    Shantanu sinha

    1. Hi Shantanu

      Thanks for visiting my blog

      Yes you are right – having good business posture is vital. It helps to attract more customers because it sets the business apart from all the others that project in a mediocre way.

      THanks again

      Kim

  7. Thanks for the burst creative idea inspiration Kim!

    And BTW, I remember seeing, but unfortunately
    never reading Robert Ringer’s book you referenced.

    Sounds like I need to get with program!LOL!

    You expertly demonstrated how to proactively use posture,
    in a lot of extremely positive and potentially profitable ways!

    For ex; I really like techniques #’s 2 & 6. Especially number six!
    Great job as usual Kim! Thanks for sharing another eye opening post!

    1. Hey thanks Mark

      Yeah, the Ringer book was a game changer for me. He also wrote another book, Looking Out For Number 1 – a great read.

      Thanks for your comment

      Kim

  8. Hi Kim

    There’s so much in this. Techniques we used a while back ‘in the old days’ are ignored with the slick new marketing era. But selling is selling, and always was.The ancients all knew this stuff as they plied the oceans, networking the Silk Road and selling their wares around the empires of old 3000 years ago and striking up KLT sales relationships. Nothing has changed.

    Shaolin monks used to avoid combat at all costs, relying heavily on posturing, ‘strutting their stuff” and showing their moves. I think we are sometimes scared to be aggressive or show authority in what we do. Aggression and intimidation don’t necessarily have to result in confrontation or combat, but can be just a confident show of intent as you said in your post.

    I am also now actively tracking down Robert Ringer to add to my collection as we speak. One book I enjoyed a time back is an ancient tome by Wallace D Wattles ‘The Science of Getting Rich’ It’s a fascinating fun read, if you can weave between some of the more unusual philosophies he advocates.

    A quick story…Yesterday we had an engineer around to check the heating system. I had my desktop set up with ‘The Ninja Blogger’ page showing, as I always do. He noticed this and quickly told me he wants to sack his boss and work smart. As James said, offline marketing is alive and well, and I now have a new client to work with, all through posturing.

    Thanks for this stirring post
    Richard

    1. Oh wow. What an awesome comment Richard

      And congratulations for winning yourself a new client, thanks to posturing

      I do hope you can track down the Ringer book – I think Amazon is offering a few 2nd hand versions. I still have my dog-eared original.

      I loved your stories from the ancients (actually I thought you were talking about me!).

      The Wallace Wattles book is a classic although I found it a little hard to read due to the rather stilted and formalised language used.

      You’re right – we don’t need to be aggressive. Assertive, yes. Posturing is possibly the best law of attraction technique there is. Do it right and people lean forward and WANT to do business with us. Your engineer story is a perfect example of that.

      Thanks again, Richard

      Kim

  9. Hi Kim,

    Great post. This reminded me of an occasion just a few days ago when I decided to suggest that a good friend of mine should have a look at my business because the passive income side of it had been accelerating.

    After she’d heard the video presentation, she said (along the lines of) “Well, I’m not really interested, but I’ll buy something just to help you” .

    For the first time ever,I was able to draw myself up to my full 5ft 3in height and say completely truthfully, “Really, don’t bother, I have 7,000 people in my team. Because there’s a passive option to the business I thought I could be doing YOU a favor.” And I closed down the laptop. She made a purchase, and then suggested someone else who might be interested:-)

    I am looking forward to using a variation (yet to be decided upon) of this at my local networking group where, 3 months ago, a distributor for another company, on hearing about my business, told me “You’ll never make any money with THAT”. I can’t wait 🙂

    Joy – Blogging After Dark

    1. Wow, great story Joy

      You were showing posture for sure. And isn’t it easier to show posture when you already have some success happening?

      The crazy thing about posturing is that often when we show it prospect want to do business with us more than they did before. They instinctively know you have something they want.

      I love this story, Joy

      Power to you

      Kim

  10. haha…Loved your dog example buddy.
    So true, it does happen.

    Have been trying to work on postures for myself,
    and this post looks a good one, to reinforce my belief on the power of postures.

    I did had some bosses in my career, who hardly knew anything about the real business stuff,
    but they did close deals with the way they carried themselves…totally worth.

    Looking forward to more such thought provoking posts!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *