Your USP – As Crucial as Oxygen for Solo Professionals

Your USP sets you apart from all the rest of the schmucks out there who have a similar business plan. So what exactly is it? How do you figure it out? If you’ve been in business for a while, you may have come at your USP back-asswardly. You’ve written sales copy, you’ve made presentations, done proposals, maybe even gotten some extra letters after your name to help you stand out from your competitors. But it’s important to take a step back, and approach your USP head-on. The USP: Why You’re Awesome. Maybe someone out there can tell you why USP is the acronym that stuck. There are undoubtedly better, more memorable ways to say “This is the one thing that I can do for my clients better than anyone else out there.” But, the jargon has caught on, and we are left (for now) with “USP:” Your Unique Selling Proposition. There are plenty of reasons why you’re Unique. But, step back for a moment, and try to put yourself in the mind of your client (or potential client). Is it because you’ve mastered the art of making millions of dollars through your sales copy? (see <a href="../../../members/chris-haddad">Mr. Moneyfingers</a>) Is it because you keep e-commerce running so your clients can sleep at night, knowing their online storefront works so smoothly? The first thing to look at when working through this whole USP thing is that it has to stay CLIENT-FOCUSED. Your client isn’t really concerned if you can code in the latest and greatest Ruby on Rails environment. What your client is concerned about is “does my web application do what I need it to do.” Your USP should never be about process, or anything having to do with your experiences. It should take what it is that your clients perceive you to do best. Sometimes, that’s not as easy to figure out as it sounds. In my publishing business, I started out thinking that my USP would be something like Abecedary Press coordinates all aspects of print design and production, leaving you free to focus. In talking with satisfied clients, I realized that they had no idea that print design and production coordination was so freaking complicated, and they were not sold by that. They were sold by the fact that we can take ideas thrown out in a meeting, and translate those ideas into visual concepts on the first try. So, Abecedary’s unique selling proposition became more like We turn your manuscript into your book. If you already have an established client base, sometimes the easiest thing to do is talk to them. Take them out for lunch, or at the end of a call, transition the conversation to your business. Even if you already think you know what your USP is, this can be a helpful litmus test to see if it’s what your clients perceive too. Also – your USP almost certainly will change over time. I have a friend whose USP is currently “the only yoga teacher in South Park.” (Yeah, your location can make you unique, especially if you need clients who are physically present.) But next year, if a second yoga class opens up, then Traci’s USP will have to change. A second scenario of when you need to revisit your USP is when you get imitators.  For example, Domino’s Pizza started out with a simple USP – Hot Pizza to your door in 30 minutes or less. But, that’s no longer unique. And it seems like maybe they haven’t yet latched on to new a truly *unique* selling proposition. Using your USP Everytime someone asks me, So, Beth, what do you do? I have to size them up, and determine which of my businesses I’m going to tell them about first. And, depending on how interested they look, the second thing that will come out of my mouth is that business’s USP. With my primary line of work, creation of <a href="http://www.yockeycommunication.com/">books for businesses</a>, The USP and business description get a bit smooshed together. I say, We create engaging books for businesses which capture that business’s legacy and celebrate its history. What’s unique about my company as opposed to some other companies who also do business history books is that we tell the stories. The stories of people make our books engaging. So for Yockey Communication, we take our uniqueness and use it in all of our collateral material. It’s our tagline. But, in my “elevator speech,” I put that uniqueness into a longer description of what we actually do for the client. You need to identify a quick way to use your USP.  It may be your tagline. (Biznik: Business Networking that Doesn’t Suck.) It might be repackaged into all your marketing and advertising. You might wear it on a teeshirt. But – everytime you tell a friend or a friend-of-a-friend or a stranger on the bus the answer to “what do you do?” – you NEED to use your USP.   Editor's Note: If you enjoyed this article, you may be interested in attending a related workshop taught by article author Beth Yockey Jones and Chris Haddad: <a href="https://biznik.com/events/2008/4/3/youre-awesome-and-heres-why-or-all-about-your-usp">You’re Awesome and Here’s Why: All About Your USP.</a> This itensive workshop will be taught on April 3, 2008, in Seattle. 2008-03-21T19:23:38Z

2008-03-21T23:24:43Z

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your-usp-as-crucial-as-oxygen-for-solo-professionals

2008-03-21T23:24:12Z

If you’ve been in business for a while, maybe you've come at your USP back-asswardly. You’ve written sales copy, proposals, perhaps even gotten some extra letters after your name. But it’s important to step back and approach your USP head-on.

Your USP – As Crucial as Oxygen for Solo Professionals

2009-02-24T09:43:31Z