{"id":2803,"date":"2025-06-04T17:13:30","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T21:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/?p=2803"},"modified":"2025-06-04T17:13:31","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T21:13:31","slug":"from-yes-but-to-thats-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/from-yes-but-to-thats-us\/","title":{"rendered":"From \u201cYes, But\u2026\u201d to \u201cThat\u2019s Us\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Coaching through positioning resistance. Why great positioning fails without conviction and how to build it internally or for your client. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why This Article Exists<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve spent any time helping founders, CEOs, or leadership teams work through positioning, you\u2019ve likely heard this line:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cYes, this makes sense\u2026 but it won\u2019t work in our space.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This article is for those of you (positioning experts, advisors, coaches) who sit in the room after that sentence is said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m writing this because I\u2019ve seen how often positioning work stalls out, not because the framework is wrong, but because <strong>the psychology is unaddressed<\/strong>. The team nods at the theory, then drifts back into old language, old behaviours, and old defaults. Nothing changes. Not because they don\u2019t understand. But because they don\u2019t <em>own it<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is also useful reading for CEOs: if you&#8217;ve ever hired someone to help clarify your positioning and felt like the work didn\u2019t quite land or your team didn\u2019t really run with it, this will show you why. And what you can do differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What You\u2019ll Get from This<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn\u2019t a walkthrough of frameworks. You already know those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a coaching playbook for <strong>turning strategic resistance into ownership<\/strong>.<br>It will help you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Understand why even smart, experienced clients resist positioning work<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spot the difference between polite agreement and real conviction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use guided discovery instead of expert lectures to build psychological ownership<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Move from theoretical clarity to operational action<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use the <em>Four Levels of Positioning<\/em>: Territory, Concept, Category, and Execution as a coaching spine<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout, we\u2019ll pull from thinkers like <strong>Roger Martin<\/strong>, <strong>Rory Sutherland<\/strong>, <strong>Al Ramadan<\/strong>, and <strong>Christopher Lochhead<\/strong>, as well as behavioural psychology and first principles logic. Just the tools to help you do the work better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start where all resistance starts: <strong><em>fear.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Real Reason Clients Say \u201cIt Won\u2019t Work Here\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When a CEO says, \u201cThat\u2019s great, but not in our industry,\u201d they\u2019re not rejecting the logic. They\u2019re protecting identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re not worried that the strategy won\u2019t work.<br>They\u2019re worried about what it means if it does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Positioning isn\u2019t about messaging. It\u2019s not about differentiation. At its core, positioning is a decision about identity. It answers the question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWho are we willing to become in order to matter?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>And that\u2019s where the resistance shows up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><em>Status quo bias says:<\/em><\/strong> don\u2019t change what works.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Loss aversion says:<\/em><\/strong> don\u2019t narrow and lose leads.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Confirmation bias says:<\/em><\/strong> don\u2019t trust what contradicts what we already believe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Not-Invented-Here syndrome says:<\/em><\/strong> don\u2019t listen to outsiders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As Roger Martin writes in <em>Playing to Win<\/em>, strategy is about choice. But choice always creates fear. And fear creates delay, confusion, and endless loops of internal debate disguised as &#8220;alignment.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Coaching vs Consulting: You Don\u2019t Need Better Answers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The mistake most positioning experts make is trying to fix this with clearer explanations or more polished slides. But this isn\u2019t an IQ problem. It\u2019s an EQ block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Consulting gives answers. <\/strong><br><strong>Coaching creates discovery.<\/strong><br><br>Clients implement what they believe they discovered for themselves, not what they were told. Research shows that when clients arrive at insights through guided discovery, their implementation success improves by over 40%. Why? Because they\u2019ve built <strong>psychological ownership<\/strong>. They\u2019re not complying with your insight. They\u2019re committing to their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is why questioning, appreciative inquiry, and first principles deconstruction matter far more than your sixth slide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Four Levels of Positioning: A Coaching Framework<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t start positioning with words. You start with gravity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>Four Levels of Positioning<\/em>, based on the mental model hierarchy (Territory \u2192 Concept \u2192 Category \u2192 Execution), gives you a structure to coach through resistance in stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s walk through each one, with practical coaching moves and real-world patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Territory: <em>Own the Ground Before You Build the House<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Pushback<\/strong>: \u201cWe can\u2019t stand for one thing. The market\u2019s too crowded.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the <em>uniqueness illusion<\/em> in disguise. Most companies overestimate how different they are, and underinvest in owning something simple, specific, and true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rory Sutherland once said, <em>\u201cThere is no such thing as a rational decision. What we call rational is just familiar.\u201d<\/em> That\u2019s what\u2019s happening here. They\u2019re clinging to what\u2019s familiar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Coaching Move:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask: \u201cWhat human frustration do you resolve that no one else is brave enough to name?\u201d This bypasses the product pitch. It forces emotional clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exercise: Two-Circle Map<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Circle 1: Market clich\u00e9s (speed, scale, ease)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Circle 2: Human tension (fear of irrelevance, insecurity, pressure to perform)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Draw the gap. That\u2019s where the positioning lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Progress Signal:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>They stop saying, \u201cWe\u2019re efficient.\u201d<br>They start saying, \u201cOur buyers are scared of being left behind. We help them stay ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Concept: <em>Name the Noun You Will Own<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Pushback<\/strong>: \u201cWe already say we\u2019re innovative and trustworthy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This is what Christopher Lochhead calls the \u201cbetter trap.\u201d When companies can\u2019t commit to a noun, they pile on adjectives. They dilute themselves trying to sound smart, rather than ownable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Great brands don\u2019t describe. They symbolize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Red Bull = Energy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Salesforce = Cloud<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tesla = Future<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As Al Ramadan wrote in <em>Play Bigger<\/em>, \u201cCategory kings become the category by defining the problem and linking it to a powerful solution. That requires a <em>point of view<\/em>, not a list of features.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Coaching Move:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask: \u201cIf your brand were a noun, what would it be?\u201d Then ask: \u201cCan anyone else claim that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exercise: Noun Scorecard<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>List five nouns. Score each:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Relevance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Credibility<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Differentiation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Pick one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Progress Signal:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>They stop saying, \u201cWe\u2019re more agile.\u201d<br>They say, \u201cWe are momentum.\u201d <br>Or: \u201cWe are certainty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Category: <em>Change the Rules, Don\u2019t Just Compete Inside Them<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Pushback<\/strong>: \u201cWe can\u2019t change how our customers think.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This is status quo fear wrapped in logic. But the most successful brands don\u2019t follow the market, they reframe it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Lochhead says, <em>\u201cIf you don\u2019t name the problem, you don\u2019t get to name the solution.\u201d<\/em> Category creation is about making your offer inevitable by rewriting the criteria for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Coaching Move:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask: \u201cWhat rules used to matter but no longer serve your customer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exercise: Before\/After Script<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Before<\/th><th>After<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Speed = value<\/td><td>Confidence = value<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Features = value<\/td><td>Clarity = value<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Everyone = customer<\/td><td>Only the best = customer<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Write three pairs. Read them aloud. Repeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Progress Signal:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>The founder or CMO repeats the story (without the deck) in their next team meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Execution: <em>Prove It With Action, Not Just Words<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Pushback<\/strong>: \u201cWe\u2019re not ready to execute this across the business.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Here comes regret aversion. The team sees the truth of the positioning, but fears operational exposure. They don\u2019t want to say something they can\u2019t yet deliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But positioning isn\u2019t what you say. It\u2019s what you prove. As Roger Martin reminds us, <em>\u201cThe real test of strategy is not its elegance. It\u2019s what it changes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Coaching Move:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask: \u201cIf this positioning is true, what changes tomorrow?\u201d Then make that one small change visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exercise: Evidence Audit<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Pick five touchpoints:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Homepage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Onboarding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pricing model<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hiring criteria<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Internal rituals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Score each: Does this reinforce the noun?<br>Pick one to update in 30 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Progress Signal:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Customers notice the change before the marketing team announces it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Coaching Habits That Make It Stick<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Stay curious.<\/strong><br>Keep asking until the client says it themselves.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use small bets.<\/strong><br>Conviction follows behaviour, not slides.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Audit language.<\/strong><br>Replace adjectives with the chosen noun. Weekly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Celebrate proof.<\/strong><br>Never let the slide deck be the finish line.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Word: Positioning Is Not a Slide. It\u2019s a Shift<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Positioning doesn\u2019t fail because the framework is wrong.<br>It fails because no one commits to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The job of a positioning expert isn\u2019t to write better lines. <strong><em>It\u2019s to coach people into strategic self-honesty.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This takes time, structure, and trust. But when it clicks, it\u2019s not just a messaging shift. It\u2019s a gravitational one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t position what you sell. You position what they believe.\u201d<br>\u2014 Paul Syng<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>So next time a client says, \u201cYes, but\u2026,\u201d don\u2019t explain harder. <em><strong>Coach deeper.<\/strong> <\/em>That\u2019s when \u201cThat\u2019s us\u201d finally gets said, and meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator alignwide has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ready to Own Your Mental Territory? Start with the Free CEO Clarity Starter Kit<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"http:\/\/claritytoscale.biz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CEO-Clarity-Starter-Kit.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2710\" srcset=\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CEO-Clarity-Starter-Kit.png 800w, https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CEO-Clarity-Starter-Kit-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CEO-Clarity-Starter-Kit-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t let misalignment hold your business back. The Free CEO Clarity Starter Kit gives you the tools to diagnose your positioning gaps and start building a strategy that sticks \u2014 all in minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Includes<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Clarity Audit<\/strong>: A 2-minute quiz to score your strategic clarity (0\u201340 scale).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Clarity Advisor<\/strong>: To help you answer what business you\u2019re in.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>30-Day Positioning Mastery Course<\/strong>: A 30-day video series to align your team and market presence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Join thousands of growth-stage CEOs taking control of their mental territory. No cost, no catch. Just clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em><a href=\"http:\/\/claritytoscale.biz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get Your Free Clarity Starter Kit Now<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coaching through positioning resistance. Why great positioning fails without conviction and how to build it internally or for your client. Why This Article Exists If you\u2019ve spent any time helping founders, CEOs, or leadership teams work through positioning, you\u2019ve likely heard this line: \u201cYes, this makes sense\u2026 but it won\u2019t work in our space.\u201d This [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2803"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2805,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2803\/revisions\/2805"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}