You Choose
Of course, no one can force you to market yourself. You can
reject the entire system and insist on being yourself. That's your
privilege.
If you don't consciously choose a position, you still have one. It
may be muddy, inconsistent and difficult to detect, but just about
everyone you meet is going to pick one for you anyway. You may
think, "I don't want to do any marketing for myself." But that just means
that the marketing you are doing, consciously or unconsciously,
probably won't help you achieve your goals.
This is one of the key messages of marketing. You must choose
a position or have it chosen for you.
Be Consistent
Successful marketers learn early on that they must select their
own position, that they must consistently use it and they have to stick
with it. The position you choose for yourself will determine who you
become friends with, where you work and how high you get promoted.
Of course your position will evolve. It can grow and change with you.
Capture Your Essence
The message behind positioning yourself isn't to invent
something brand new out of whole cloth. In fact, it's exactly the
opposite. You position yourself well when you capture part of your