Brand Positioning

Design Is the Interface Where Customers Meet Your Business

Design is the interface where customers meet your marketing, products, and services. It's the critical touchpoint that determines the entire customer experience, not just how things look.

Find the Overlap Between Customer Problems and Your Passion

Look for the overlap between customer problems that aren't being solved and areas you're passionate about. Focus on what people would love a solution for if they thought it was available.

Better to Be First in the Customer's Mind Than Best

It's better to be first in the customer's mind than to be better - humans create mental categories for new information, and once those categories are full, it's hard to add new things.

The Rolls Royce Headline Communicates Luxury Without Stating It

The Rolls Royce headline 'At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise comes from the electric clock' communicates luxury without directly stating it through specific, layered psychology

How to Turn Your Talents Into High Income

Usability refers to how easy and intuitive something is to use. It's become an important focus on the web, though most design everywhere still treats usability as an afterthought.

Narrow Your Category to Own It

Create specific enough categories to be first - instead of general 'health' coaching, narrow down to something like 'natural weight loss for women' to find a category you can own.

Elevator Pitch Seconds to Make an Impression

An elevator pitch must be compelling enough that someone would want to do business with you by the time you reach your floor - you only have a few seconds to make this impression

Marketing Should Start Upstream in Product Design

Marketing should start upstream and influence product design itself — products designed with customer needs in mind are much easier to market than products designed as good ideas

Southwest Airlines Model: Constancy of Purpose in Action

Southwest Airlines exemplifies proper constancy of purpose by never changing their low-cost strategy while continuously improving the customer experience within that framework

Alignment Between Message and Messenger Drives Influence

Be the message you're trying to communicate, don't just say it - the most influential leaders in business, spiritual, religious, and government are aligned with their message

BlackBerry Won on Repetitive Sound; Palm Lost When Shortened

BlackBerry became the universal name for handheld devices because of its memorable repetitive sounds, while Palm lost market share when they shortened Palm Pilot to just Palm

Ask What Problems Customers Have That No One Is Solving

Shift focus from what makes you different to what problems your customers have that aren't being solved. Ask what's important to them rather than analyzing your competitors.

Naming as the Ultimate Leverage Point in Business

Naming is the ultimate leverage point in business - nowhere do you get more bang for your buck than choosing the right name for your concepts, products, and business

Double Your Dating — A Brand Name Built for Memory

Double Your Dating uses anapestic meter, alliteration with all d's, and when combined with the pen name David D'Angelo creates an impossible to forget brand system

Coke vs Pepsi — Why First Wins Over Better

Coke beats Pepsi despite Pepsi tasting better in blind tests because Coke was first in the mind - being the original creates a lasting advantage over being better.

Be the Only Place Your Customer Needs to Go

Be the only place your customer needs to go - stop thinking small, stop thinking competition, and start thinking of being the best friend you can to your customers

Name It Impossible to Forget Not Just Easy to Remember

Create names that are impossible to forget, not just nice or easy to remember - focus on the sound primarily since the mind remembers names by sound, not by sight

Replace Customer With Business Friend to Change the Dynamic

Replace the term 'customer' with 'business friend' to fundamentally change your relationship approach and eliminate the power dynamic that creates disconnection

Mass Nicheification Drives Demand for Micro-Specialists

The mass 'nicheification' of the economy has created demand for modern gurus who specialize in solving very specific, granular problems in emerging micro-niches

Open a Broadband Portal Where Customers Feel Deeply Understood

The goal is to open up a broadband communication portal where customers feel they're in the presence of someone like them who gets their problem and solution.

Form Follows Function in Design Decisions

The design principle 'form follows function' is remembered because of alliteration, but it's also a great concept where function should lead design decisions

Two Questions Every Prospect Asks When Encountering Marketing

Prospects ask two fundamental questions when encountering marketing: 'Who are you and why should I trust you?' and 'Do you know what you're talking about?'

Speed of Implementation — The Distance Between Learning and Action

Once you find the benefit currency, repeat it endlessly - customers never get tired of hearing about what they want most, just like hearing their own name

Seven Plus or Minus Two — How Mental Categories Fill Up

Human minds can only remember about seven plus or minus two pieces of information in any category - once a mental category is full, no new items get added

BlackBerry Won by Sound; Palm Lost by Shortening Its Name

BlackBerry used repetitive sounds that made it memorable, while Palm lost market advantage when they shortened the memorable 'Palm Pilot' to just 'Palm.'

Design Is Where Company Meets Customer

Design is the interface where your company, products, and marketing meet the customer - it's the critical touchpoint that determines customer experience

How Long to Spend Developing a Powerful Product Name

Spend anywhere from a couple hours to several weeks or even months working on names as a project, keeping files and writing down words for associations

Find Unmet Needs Instead of Trying to Differentiate

Instead of trying to differentiate, focus on starting different by identifying unmet customer needs in your market and being the first to address them.

Transformational Vision vs Small Improvement: 10x the Value

The difference between small improvements and transformational visions can be 10x in value - like losing 5 pounds versus total lifestyle transformation

Create a Category and Position Yourself as the Originator

Don't just create a product or service - create an entire category and position yourself as the originator to attract premium partnerships and clients

Make Each Product Its Own Category to Block Competitors

Create competitive barriers by making each product its own category so competitors must compete with entire categories rather than individual products

First in Category Beats Better Product Every Time

It's better to be first in a category than to have a better product - people choose the first thing they remember, not necessarily the better option

Unique Positioning Through Learning Teaching and Combining Two Skills

Learn two different skills, teach both to simplify them into models, then combine them to create unique positioning that few others can replicate.

Every Sizable Market Has Underserved Groups With Unmet Needs

Yes, Eben believes that in any sizable marketplace, there are always groups of people with unmet needs that existing companies aren't addressing.

Synthesizing Knowledge Into Digital Products That Build Authority

Create digital products by synthesizing your knowledge in an accessible way that builds trust and establishes you as the authority in your niche

Apple Treats the iPod as Software in Beautiful Hardware

Apple views itself as a software company that makes hardware, treating the iPod as 'wonderful piece of software wrapped in beautiful hardware'

The Archetypal Power Behind the Name David

The name David was strategically chosen because David was the little guy who made it against the big guy, adding archetypal power to the brand

Neutrogena's Narrow Niche That Won a Category

Neutrogena became #1 in their categories by starting with the narrow message of 'use every couple weeks to wash off residue from other soaps'

Differentiation Requires Doing Something Fundamentally Different

Differentiation in the market requires doing something fundamentally different from what everyone else is doing, not just minor improvements

Study Apple Product Launches to Create Instant Desire

Study Steve Jobs and Apple's product launches to learn how to create products that make people immediately say 'I need to get one of those'

Affluent Clients Respect Confident Pricing

Elite affluent clients prefer working with professionals who are confident about their pricing rather than embarrassed about getting paid

Premium Prices Attract Clients With More Skin in the Game

When you charge premium prices, you attract a different caliber of client who has more skin in the game and greater commitment to results

Names Impossible to Forget vs. Easy to Remember

Create names that are impossible to forget, not just easy to remember - these are two different things that require different approaches

Creating the Dating Advice for Men Category from Scratch

Eben created the "dating advice for men" category by focusing on getting dates rather than relationships, generating millions in revenue

Position for Where Your Industry Heads in 10 Years

For personal positioning, look at where your industry is heading in 10 years and position yourself as the expert in that emerging niche

Think of Yourself as a Brand, Not Just a Person

Coaches must think of themselves as a unique brand, not just as a person, to gain perspective and understand how others perceive them

What Makes a Virtual Business Different from Traditional Business

Avoid cute names and funny names because spending money is serious business and most people don't want to laugh when they're doing it

Professional Packaging for One Hundred Dollars Wins Shelf Space

Professional packaging costs only $100-300 but provides significant competitive advantage because people judge books by their covers

Elite Clients Have Options — They're Free From Survival Behaviors

Elite clients have many options and choices, which frees them from social survival behaviors that less affluent people must maintain

Creating Each Product as Its Own Defensible Category

Transform your product strategy from a product line to a product curriculum by creating each product as its own defensible category

Without a Niche You Are Completely Stuck

When you don't know your niche, you literally can't take a step in any direction and feel completely paralyzed in your business

Win with Niche Selection Before You Market

Win beforehand with proper niche selection because it's very hard to make up for a poor niche choice later with good marketing

Names That Promise Results — Treat Naming as a Marketing Act

Use names that promise results, benefits, and solutions - treat naming as marketing that promises a benefit if at all possible

Three Separate Positioning Exercises — You Product and Business

Position yourself, your product, and your business as separate positioning exercises - consciously position all three elements

Replace Customer With Business Friend to Shift Your Entire Mindset

Replace the term 'customer' with 'business friend' to fundamentally shift your business mindset and approach to relationships

Rhythmic Name Patterns Create Musical Memorability That Sticks

Names with rhythm patterns create musical memorability that makes them impossible to forget rather than just easy to remember

Start Different by Addressing Unmet Needs Rather Than Fighting Competitors

Instead of trying to differentiate yourself from competitors, focus on starting different by addressing unmet customer needs

Your Life Becomes Your Marketing as a Coach

Your life becomes your marketing when you're a coach - people subconsciously evaluate whether they want to be more like you

Drill Into Sub-Niches to Dominate a Category

Drill down to find sub-niches where your specific knowledge creates unique solutions and allows you to dominate a category

Why Double Your Dating Name Works — Specificity

Double Your Dating works as a name because it's specific and uses the word 'dates' that men use to describe what they want

Offer Value First Present the Next Step as Convenience

Build business friendships by offering value first, then presenting the next step as convenience rather than manipulation

Specific Results-Focused Messaging Can 10x Your Conversion Rate

Conversion rates can jump dramatically from 4% to 40% when you change from general to specific, results-focused messaging

Integrated Experiences Beat Single Products

Competitive advantage comes from integrating diverse elements into high-value customer experiences, not single products

Why Business Titles Create Entitlement

Traditional business titles create entitlement by giving people symbolic power they can use to claim special treatment

Name for Results Not Process or Theory

Focus on results in your naming, not process or theory - customers only think about how to get the result they want

Any Two Skills Combined Create Unique Positioning

Any two skills can be combined for unique positioning - even seemingly unrelated ones like cooking and productivity

Tell Your Origin Story to Teach Prospects Why You Know This

Tell your story specifically to teach prospects how you learned what you know and developed your product or service

Educate Prospects to Highlight Your Unique Advantages

Create educational content that highlights your unique advantages by teaching prospects how to make good decisions

T-Shaped Expertise Broad Knowledge Deep Specialization

Aim for T-shaped expertise: broad knowledge across many areas but deep specialization in one high-leverage skill

Packaging Your Offer as a Proven System

Transform your offering from a product or service into a proven system or method that delivers specific results

Escape Price Competition by Reframing Around Life Goals

Escape price-based competition by repositioning around the customer's bigger life goals and long-term outcomes

Being First in the Customer's Mind Creates Automatic Differentiation

Being first to deliver a specific result or outcome in the customer's mind creates automatic differentiation

Lead with Education and Value Before Presenting Core Service

Lead with education and value before discussing your core service to establish yourself as a trusted advisor

Curation Eye Becomes More Valuable as AI Scales Creation

The critical eye for curation and aesthetic fundamentals becomes more important as AI democratizes creation

The Name Is the First Impression — and the Value Signal

The name is the headline, opening line, and introduction - people judge value based on what they hear first

Teaching What You Learn Immediately Accelerates Your Own Learning

Price testing can reveal that higher prices actually increase both sales volume and revenue simultaneously

Find the Overlap Between Customer Needs and Your Passion

Find the overlap between unmet customer needs and your personal passions for optimal business positioning

Starting with Content Positions You as Instructor Not Leader

Starting with content immediately positions you as just an instructor, not a transformational leader

Combining Multiple Skill Models for Unique Positioning

Combine multiple skill models to create unique superpower positioning that few others can replicate

Telling Someone No Makes Their Respect Go Up

When you tell someone you don't want to work with them, their respect for you goes up, not down

Style and Taste Become the Primary Skill in an AI Era

Style and taste development becomes the primary skill as AI handles technical visual execution

Use an Emotion Value Scale When Naming Concepts and Products

Use an emotion value scale from 1-100 when evaluating potential names for concepts or products

Move the Free Line — Give Massive Value Upfront

Move the free line by giving away massive value upfront to build instant brand recognition

Narrow Focus to Create Category Leadership

Narrow your focus to create category leadership rather than expanding to serve everyone

Confusing Company Names Kill Conversions

A confusing company name creates the wrong customer expectations and hurts conversions

Names That Are Impossible to Ignore or Forget

Create names that are impossible to ignore or forget, not cute or catchy names

Position Your Product as the Original Leader in Your Niche

Position your product and company as the original and the leader in your niche

Your Company Name Is the Most Important Marketing Decision

Your company name is the most important marketing decision you will ever make

Specific Customer Fears Become Powerful Headlines

Specific customer fears become powerful headlines and product positioning

Using Alliteration to Make Your Company Name Memorable

Use alliteration in your company name to make it stick in people's heads

First Mover Advantage Outlasts Product Superiority

Humans create mental categories for new information, and once those categories are full, it's very difficult to add new things. Being first in the customer's mind creates a lasting advantage that's hard for competitors to overcome, even with superior products.

Create a New Category Instead of Competing in a Crowded One

Instead of trying to compete in categories where customers' minds are already full of competitors, create an entirely new category that you can be first in. This gives you automatic leadership position rather than fighting for space in crowded markets.

Why Customers Want Humans Not Faceless Corporations

No. While you want to appear established, customers want to communicate with individual humans, not faceless corporations. Big companies are actually moving toward more personal approaches using individual spokespeople rather than corporate messaging.

Be First in a Category You Create

Create a new category that you can be first in, rather than competing in crowded existing categories. Position yourself as the original and leader of that category, which gives you tremendous leverage when persuading customers.

Position Every Product as the First of Its Kind

Try to position every new product as its own category, saying 'this is really the first product of its kind.' Name the category and promote the category itself, not just the product, to establish leadership position.

Business Model Lifecycles Are Shortening Across All Industries

Yes, because people judge books by their covers. Professional design only costs $100-300 but provides significant competitive advantage, especially when starting out. Good packaging is essential for credibility.

Create a Unique Niche and You're Automatically the Original

Position your product and company as the original and leader by finding a unique niche you can fill. You don't need to be established for decades - creating something unique makes you the original by definition.

Every Customer Interaction Becomes the Entire Business to Them

Customers think of businesses as people with personalities. Whoever they interact with becomes the entire business to them emotionally, making every customer interaction critical to brand perception.

Charisma on Command Conversion Lift After Renaming

Despite losing Google search rankings from the redirect, Charlie Houpert saw much better conversions after renaming his company to Charisma on Command following Eben Pagan's advice.

Alliteration Makes Company Names Stick in the Head

Eben Pagan loves alliteration because it helps company names stick in people's heads and makes them more memorable.

Why Your Company Name Is the Top Marketing Decision

According to Eben Pagan, the name of your company is the most important marketing decision you will ever make.

Development Speed Is the New Competitive Advantage

Nowadays, development, it is competitive advantage in business. Because most don't develop very quickly. When you do, it becomes your competitive advantage.

Start Different So You Never Need to Differentiate

I think a better strategy than differentiation is to start different. So you don't need to go through differentiation. You're already different.

Thinking from Inside Your Head Instead of Outside Their Needs

You're thinking from inside your head, from your perspective. You're in here. You're not out there asking what's important to them.

Design the Form to Facilitate the Function

you start with the function and then you design the thing to facilitate the function

Company Name as the Most Important Marketing Decision

the name of your company is the most important marketing decision you will ever make

The First Commandment of Business — Know Thy Customer

The first commandment of business success is know thy customer as well as thyself.

Alliteration That Sticks in the Head

you want an alliteration that sticks in the head

If You Love Software, Make Your Own Hardware

if you love software you make your own Hardware