Three questions will determine your success in any aspect of your business such as launching a blog, a product or a marketing campaign

You need to know exactly:

• Who is your target market?
• What do they want?
• Why should they buy it from you?

Knowing these three factors will enable you to develop a clear 'positioning' that helps you stand out from the competition.

Your ability to find the right market and to create a distinctive positioning will be key to the success of your business, your blog or your marketing campaign.

Yet the reality is that most business owners either miss this step out entirely or they spend very little time on it. Without a clear positioning, they face all sorts of problems:

• Harder to stand out from the competition and attract customers
• Unable to develop a reputation as an authority in any field
• Temptation to compete on price

The problem is that most people would rather rush into the more interesting and seemingly lucrative parts of running a business instead of spending time on getting to know the market.

But the truth is that a bit of time spent on research can make your business much easier, more profitable and more interesting.

Here are seven keys that will help you develop the most effective positioning:

1. Make time for research: Many people are so keen to get started that they don't do proper research into the market or they cut corners with it. Research will not only save you time, it will help you make more money.

2. Build on what you have: It's quite likely you've already got a picture of your market and what works. The best starting point is to look at people you're already working with and then work out how to get more of your ideal clients and customers.

3. Be different but not ground-breaking: Although you need to be distinctive, it's best not to move into completely new territory. Generally it's best to look at markets where there is existing competition. That suggests there is demand for what you offer.

4. Put profit before passion: If you are building a business around an interest or hobby, you are very lucky. Some say if you love what you do, profit will follow. However being too close to the subject can cause you to make bad decisions. So take your personal interests into account but remember it's a business and not a hobby.

5. Focus on wants not needs: People (and businesses) will almost always spend more on things they want than on things they need. In the best markets, people already know they want what you are offering. It takes more time and money to persuade people they have a need they haven't already recognized.

6. It is usually better to solve problems than provide opportunities: People are usually more ready to spend money on solving problems - or anticipated problems - than on making their life better. Good marketing often focuses on solutions to problems. But you need to think about your offer both in terms of how it solves problems and how it makes people's lives better.

7. Be specialist rather than generalist: Most business owners seem to think they can provide a solution that makes everybody happy or they just tailor what they do to any need that arises. But being a specialist helps you to identify the people you want to talk to and ensures that they are interested in what you want to say. It gives you more chance to be an authority.

Here are some ways that you can make sure you find something special about your business that enables you to attract top-paying clients.

Author Robert Greenshields is a copywriter and marketing coach who helps consultants, coaches and other independent professionals attract more clients and make more profit by packaging and promoting their expertise as a high-value product. Download his free Productize Your Expertise report at http://www.mindpowermarketing.com