The Hilliard Outcome Positioning System™

Stage 1

1

Establish the Commercial Reality

Understand what the business sells and can actually deliver.

Why it matters

A message can only be as strong as the offer behind it. Promising what you cannot deliver erodes trust quickly.

What you'll work on

Clarify the product or service, how it is delivered, the business stage, and real capacity.

What you'll produce

A plain description of what you sell, to whom it is currently sold, and how it reaches them.

Example

A bookkeeping firm confirms it serves monthly clients with up to 50 transactions — not enterprise audits.

Stage 2

2

Identify the Buying Situation

Identify the priority customer and the circumstances that create demand.

Why it matters

People buy in moments. Knowing the situation that triggers a search makes your message relevant when it matters.

What you'll work on

Choose one priority customer and describe what is happening in their world when they start looking.

What you'll produce

A customer profile anchored in a specific buying situation.

Example

A new restaurant owner, three weeks before opening, realizing they have no system to track food costs.

Stage 3

3

Determine the Value Exchange

Define the meaningful outcome the customer wants.

Why it matters

Customers pay for outcomes, not features. The outcome is what makes the price feel reasonable.

What you'll work on

Translate features into the result the customer is trying to achieve and why it matters to them.

What you'll produce

A clear outcome statement plus an observable indicator of success.

Example

Not “cloud-based scheduling,” but “a fully booked week without back-and-forth texting.”

Stage 4

4

Establish the Evidence Boundary

Determine which claims are credible, measurable, and appropriately qualified.

Why it matters

Credible claims build trust; exaggerated ones invite doubt and can create legal or reputational risk.

What you'll work on

Sort each claim by the evidence behind it, and add timing and limitations where needed.

What you'll produce

A list of supportable claims and the qualifiers each one requires.

Example

“Most clients see their first booking within two weeks” only if records actually support it.

Stage 5

5

Construct the Market Message

Develop a clear, customer-centered positioning statement.

Why it matters

A focused statement aligns your website, sales conversations, and marketing around one idea.

What you'll work on

Combine customer, situation, outcome, and evidence into one statement and a few alternatives.

What you'll produce

A primary positioning statement and two to three alternatives to test.

Example

“For first-time restaurant owners who need control of food costs before opening day…”

Stage 6

6

Deploy, Observe, and Refine

Create marketing assets, test the message, and improve it using evidence.

Why it matters

A message is a hypothesis until real customers respond to it.

What you'll work on

Publish in one or two channels, gather reactions, and note where people are confused.

What you'll produce

A simple test plan, observations, and a refined message.

Example

Testing two homepage headlines with ten prospect conversations and noting which one they repeat back.