Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #688: Modern so-called “Positioning” – and What That Means to Coaching

One of the things that makes it hard to coach people is when their whole on-air position is just a catch phrase. A TV station in my hometown uses “On Your Side” as its ‘positioning’ statement. It’s in all their stupid promos. But it’s meaningless.

“On my side” for what? A lawsuit? A basketball game at the gym? A street fight? My political affiliation? My battle with every restaurant to not put onions or garlic in my food?

Their “position” is actually prone (as in “lying face downward” or “lying flat,” according to the dictionary).

Radio stations are plagued with “Positioning” about things that people don’t really care about anymore. Take music, for example. Those old, outdated claims — “The Best Music, or “The Greatest Hits of the 80s, [song clip] 90s [song clip], and Today [song clip]” (also still used on a station here). So silly. Music is everywhere, people. Sirius/XM, iTunes, Amazon Prime, Spotify, etc. etc.

What’s unique about you, and why does that matter to me? The relevance ship seems to have sailed.

Hint: What do people think about you that’s positive? THAT’s what you should Position.* THEN, it’s valuable to have some coaching on how to live up to that on the air.

*(You might want to do some research, instead of just making something up.)