Know Your Position in the Market

✍️ By Shawn Bearman | The Coach's Coach | Join World Referral Network for FREE

Law #7: The Ladder — The strategy you use depends on which rung you occupy in the mind
(From The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing)

Every market has a ladder.

Not a visible one—but a mental one.

When someone thinks of a category, they don’t see dozens of options.

They see a short list.

A ranking.

First.
Second.
Maybe third.

And that’s it.

The Reality Most Ignore

Customers don’t evaluate all choices equally.

They organize them.

They assign positions based on what they’ve heard, seen, and remembered.

And once those positions are set, they rarely change.

Which means your strategy isn’t just about what you offer.

It’s about where you already sit.

The Dangerous Assumption

Most businesses market as if they’re number one.

They talk like leaders.
Position like leaders.
Promise like leaders.

But if you’re not actually first in the mind…

that message doesn’t land.

It creates resistance.

Because people don’t accept claims that contradict what they already believe.

The Smarter Approach

Your strategy must match your position on the ladder.

If you’re first:

Reinforce your leadership.
Stay simple.
Own the category.

If you’re second:

Don’t imitate the leader.
Position against them.

Highlight the difference.
Give people a reason to choose you instead.

If you’re further down:

Don’t fight for a higher rung.

Create a new ladder.

Because climbing a ladder you didn’t build is slow, expensive, and uncertain.

Building your own is often faster—and far more powerful.

What This Looks Like in Practice

If the leader is:

Safe → you might be bold
Established → you might be modern
General → you might be specific

Not randomly.

Strategically.

Because each rung requires a different message.

And using the wrong one keeps you stuck exactly where you are.

The Shift That Changes Everything

You don’t get to choose how people rank you.

But you do get to choose how you respond to that ranking.

And the moment your strategy aligns with your actual position…

things start to move.

Because you’re no longer trying to change reality.

You’re working with it.

If you don’t know what rung you’re on…

you’re not really marketing.

You’re guessing.

#MarketingStrategy #Positioning #BrandStrategy #CustomerPerception #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship #Clarity