home / skills / coowoolf / insighthunt-skills / bar-test-positioning

bar-test-positioning skill

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This skill helps you craft positioning statements that sound human and bar-friendly, validating clarity before drafting website copy.

npx playbooks add skill coowoolf/insighthunt-skills --skill bar-test-positioning

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md

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---
name: bar-test-positioning
description: Use after drafting positioning statements, before writing website copy, or when marketing language sounds corporate rather than human
---

# The Bar Test Positioning Framework

## Overview

A role-play exercise to ensure positioning statements sound like **human conversation** rather than corporate jargon. If you can't explain what you do to a friend at a bar, you have a positioning problem.

**Core principle:** Positioning must be colloquial enough to say to a friend.

## The Process

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  STEP 1: SET THE SCENE                                          │
│  Imagine you're at a bar with your target persona               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  STEP 2: THE TRIGGER                                            │
│  "Hey, I just started using [Product]..."                       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  STEP 3: THE EXPLANATION                                        │
│  Speak the Benefit + Category naturally                         │
│  Structure: What is it + Benefit + Differentiator               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  STEP 4: THE VALIDATION                                         │
│  Does the friend nod, or ask "What do you mean?"                │
│  If they ask for clarification → Test FAILED                    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

## Examples

| ✓ Human (Pass) | ✗ Corporate (Fail) |
|----------------|-------------------|
| "Turns your iPad into a cash register" | "Leverages tablet hardware for merchant transactions" |
| "Notes that write themselves" | "AI-powered documentation solution" |
| "Your company's search engine" | "Enterprise knowledge management platform" |

## Banned Words

Words people don't speak aloud:
- "Leverages" → "Uses"
- "Empowers" → "Helps"
- "Solution" → [the actual thing]
- "Platform" → [be specific]

## Common Mistakes

- Trying to sound "smart" or "corporate"
- Using words you'd never say in conversation
- Assuming jargon makes you sound legitimate

---

*Source: Arielle Jackson (First Round Capital) via Lenny's Podcast*

Overview

This skill runs the Bar Test Positioning Framework to turn dry, corporate-sounding positioning into natural, conversational language. Use it after drafting positioning statements and before writing website copy to verify your message would make sense in a casual chat. It focuses on clarity, benefit-first phrasing, and removing jargon so your target persona can easily repeat what you do.

How this skill works

Role-play a short bar conversation where someone says, “Hey, I just started using [Product]…” and you respond with a single-sentence explanation. The response must state what it is, the core benefit, and a simple differentiator in everyday words. If a friend would ask “What do you mean?” you iterate until the explanation passes the test.

When to use it

After drafting initial positioning or tagline options
Before finalizing homepage or marketing copy
When your messaging sounds overly technical or corporate
When testing clarity with non-expert reviewers
While simplifying product descriptions for sales or support

Best practices

Speak aloud: say the line to a friend or read it out loud to test naturalness
Follow the structure: What is it + Benefit + Differentiator
Replace banned words with plain verbs (e.g., 'uses' not 'leverages')
Prefer concrete examples and metaphors a real person would use
Iterate until the listener immediately understands without follow-ups

Example use cases

Convert a technical product elevator pitch into a casual one-liner for founders
Quickly vet multiple tagline candidates for homepage clarity
Train sales reps on a single conversational framing for demos
Edit agency copy that feels too formal before publication
Help designers create microcopy that reads like spoken language

FAQ

What counts as a failure on the Bar Test?

If the listener asks for clarification or looks confused, the test failed — simplify the wording and try again.

Are all buzzwords banned?

Not all, but avoid words people don’t use in casual speech (e.g., 'leverages', 'empowers', 'platform', 'solution') and prefer concrete descriptions.