ARC Positioning Intake Questionnaire

Status / authority: Current client-readable positioning intake artifact; legacy filename
Effective date: Authority clarified 2026-08-04
Dependencies: ../LEGANT_METHOD_REFERENCE.md §5; current client Operating Manual and positioning context
Supersedes: Earlier ad-hoc positioning intake. A later Legant-named revision may supersede this file without rewriting completed client responses.

Naming notice: ARC is retained in this filename for compatibility. Current use is an Innate Edge applied protocol of the Legant Method.

You know your Innate Edge - how you're wired. Now we translate that into positioning that makes you word-of-mouth-able.

Good positioning does five things:

People know exactly when to call you (and when not to)
The right work finds you; the wrong work doesn't
You stop getting scope-creeped into roles that waste your edge
You command better terms because you solve a specific problem better than alternatives
Every project reinforces the same reputation instead of scattering your credibility

Most people fail at positioning because they describe themselves generically ("I'm a consultant/PM/developer") instead of owning a specific problem they solve distinctively.

This questionnaire is about understanding your competitive landscape from the buyer's perspective. What are they actually choosing between? When do they need YOU specifically? What result justifies choosing you over alternatives?

Your job: Answer honestly from the buyer's viewpoint. We'll handle the translation.

SECTION 1: LOCK THE CONTEXT

1. Vehicle Confirmation
What is the specific role/service/offering we're positioning?
(e.g., "Implementation Partner for HR Consultants," "Fractional COO for early-stage SaaS," "Strategic Project Lead for organizational change")

2. The Decider (The Money Flow)
Who is the specific person (role/title) who says YES to hiring you, buying from you, or bringing you on?

If it's a service: who writes the check or approves the budget?
If it's a job: who makes the final hiring decision?
If multiple people are involved: who has final approval?

SECTION 2: COMPETITIVE ALTERNATIVES

3. The Actual Alternatives (Behavioral Reality)

What are the 3-5 actual alternatives this buyer considers when they have this problem?

Think behaviors (what they DO), not just competitors (who else they might hire).

Include options like:

Specific competitors or alternative service providers
DIY/internal solutions (what does that look like?)
Different service categories they might consider instead
Doing nothing / living with the problem
Patchwork solutions (free tools, freelancers, partial fixes)

Alternative 1:
Alternative 2:
Alternative 3:
Alternative 4: (optional)
Alternative 5: (optional)

4. The "Good Enough" Substitute
Which alternative is most dangerous - the one that works well enough that they might not choose you?

5. The Comparison (Trade-offs & Differentiation)

Think of the last 2-3 people who do similar work (colleagues, contractors, people the decider might hire instead of you).

Part A: When are they the better choice?
Let's be honest about the market. For what specific type of client or situation is the Alternative actually the better choice than you?

Part B: Where do you work differently - what do you naturally do that they typically don't?
(Not "better" - just different. What's your default mode vs. theirs?)

6. The Boundaries (What You Don't Do)

Part A: Which specific tasks or responsibilities are NOT your domain?
(What stays with the client, what you refuse to touch, what you're not equipped to handle)

Part B: Which tasks have you done in the past that you want to STOP doing moving forward?
(Where has scope crept? What drains you? What should you delegate or eliminate?)

SECTION 3: BUYING TRIGGERS & STAKES

7. The Trigger Moment (The Call)
What's happening in their work/life when they START looking for this solution? What's the catalyst that makes them act?

At what specific moment in their situation would they realize, "I need this person/solution," and reach out?

8. Stakes/Urgency (What's at Risk)
What's at risk if they DON'T solve this?

Financial cost?
Career/reputation risk?
Team/organizational dysfunction?
Opportunity cost?
Competitive disadvantage?

9. Success Definition (The Finish Line)
Fast forward to after they've hired you or implemented this solution and you’ve delivered.

From the decider's perspective: what specific result would need to be TRUE for them to think "this worked" and feel confident recommending you to others?

END OF QUESTIONNAIRE

What happens next:
We'll use your answers + your Innate Edge to engineer your positioning - mapping your unique attributes to the specific outcomes these buyers care about, relative to their actual alternatives.