Let’s talk about positioning.
Not in the way most marketers do—with brand pyramids and mission statements and cute taglines.
Let’s talk about the way positioning actually plays out when it’s time to book real meetings with real prospects.
Because most agencies think they have a positioning problem solved.
But if the pipeline’s dry?
If qualified leads aren’t showing up?
If every conversation feels like a pitch, not a pull?
Then no matter how good your slide deck looks—your positioning is still broken.
What the Traditional View Gets Wrong
Here’s the traditional view of positioning:
- Pick your niche
- Say you’re different
- Write a clever tagline
- Drop it on your website and call it done
But here’s what that really creates:
A lot of agency websites that sound exactly the same.
Everyone’s “strategic.”
Everyone’s “data-driven.”
Everyone “gets results.”
It’s generic. Safe. Sanitized.
And it kills curiosity before it creates action.
Here’s the Reality: Positioning Only Works If It Creates Movement
If your positioning doesn’t pull someone in,
If it doesn’t get the right people saying, “Finally—someone who gets it,”
Then it’s not positioning. It’s decoration.
Because real positioning doesn’t live in a sentence on your homepage.
It shows up when your calendar starts filling up.
It shows up when your outbound messaging gets a response.
It shows up when prospects say, “That post you wrote? That’s exactly what we’re going through.”
If you’re not getting that?
Then your “positioning” is just a placeholder.
Why Most Agencies Don’t Realize This Is the Problem
Because they’ve been sold the idea that positioning is about what you say about yourself.
But it’s not.
It’s about what your best-fit client believes about you before they ever get on a call.
If they still show up asking:
- “So… what exactly do you do?”
- “How are you different from other agencies?”
- “Why is this so expensive?”
You don’t have a messaging problem.
You have a positioning problem.
What to Do Instead
Positioning that works in real-world sales conversations starts with three things:
- Own a problem your ideal client actually feels.
If they’re not feeling the pain today, they’re not buying tomorrow.
- Be the “only” not the “also.”
“We also do X” never wins the deal. Be known for something others can’t claim.
- Speak in their language, not yours.
Nobody cares that you build funnels or optimize conversions. They care that they’re stuck in founder-led sales or burning ad spend that’s not converting. Match their mental model, not your internal process.
Final Thought
Positioning isn’t a branding exercise. It’s a growth engine.
When it’s right, it opens doors.
When it’s wrong, it closes them quietly.
If your agency’s not booking meetings like it should be—
Don’t double your outbound yet.
Don’t rewrite your ads.
Fix the thing that actually moves the needle: positioning that creates action.
Frequently Asked Questions About Agency Positioning That Books Meetings
What’s the difference between messaging and positioning?
Messaging is what you say. Positioning is the perception you create before you say it. One follows the other.
How do I know if our positioning is off?
If you’re getting ghosted, fielding low-quality leads, or having to explain your value from scratch every time—you’re off.
Is narrowing our niche always the answer?
Not always. Sometimes the win isn’t vertical focus—it’s anchoring your offer to a deeper problem that cuts across industries.
We already have a tagline. Isn’t that enough?
Not even close. A tagline doesn’t book meetings. Clarity, specificity, and resonance do.
What should our positioning actually do?
It should attract the right buyers, repel the wrong ones, and set up every sales conversation as a fit-check—not a feature dump.