If you’re interested in business, at some point you’ll learn about the need to have a unique selling proposition. The Entrepreneur.com encyclopedia defines a unique selling proposition as follows:

The factor or consideration presented by a seller as the reason that one product or service is different from and better than that of the competition.

Let me ‘humanise’ this for you. A unique selling proposition (USP, also seen as unique selling point) is a factor that differentiates a product (or you) from its competitors (the others), such as the lowest cost, the highest quality or the first-ever product of its kind. A USP could be thought of as “what you stand for, and what you offer that competitors don’t.” Ultimately, it’s what you’ll becomes known for.

But what does that mean? How will a unique selling proposition help you? How will you stand out from the flock?

Think about your company. Your Sales & Marketing people take the time to identify what it is that your company does or is different to all the other competitors. Companies spend loads of time and money creating amazing USP’s in business.

Good & Bad news about USPs:  

So the Bad News is, coming up with a powerful and compelling USP is not easy – that’s why most companies never do it, or never do it effectively.  

But the Good News means that if you are willing to do the work of creating a great USP for you or your company, you will have a huge edge over your competitors.  

A good way to better understand a USP is to look at some great examples.  I bet you can probably name every single one of these companies when you read their USP slogan – that’s the power of a great USP!

“When it absolutely, positively, has to be there overnight.”

“Pizza delivered in 30 minutes or it’s free.”

“Because I’m worth it.”

“The ultimate driving machine.”

“Finger lickin’ good.”

Interested in the kind of success those companies have had?  Aren’t we all? 

To have the kind of impact those have, your USP has to be short, concise and compelling.  Just saying you have great service isn’t going to cut it.  If your customer service really is the very best out there, and that’s what sets you apart, you have to find a way to express it that gets people’s attention. 

Now you can see how companies do this so well! Think about now how you can create a powerful and effective USP for yourself?

Here are some ways to approach it and develop it, but please remember, be patient with yourself.  It can take some time to develop your USP, and it usually involves asking help and advice from more than one person, so discuss it with other people in your team or your tribe.

Here is a list of questions to ask yourself as you begin to develop your USP:

• What makes you unique?
• What need do you produce or address?
• What pain or discomfort do you do, to alleviate or take away?
• What do you do better than the competition (are you faster, more thorough, more knowledgeable, more reliable, etc) and why, specifically, does that make a difference to your employer?
• Do you have a technological edge, a process or specialised knowledge, skill or equipment that no one else has, and why does that make a difference in what you can provide your customers?
• Character/personality – what’s your unique “voice” or point of view?  How can you capture that in a few words?
• Education – do you do a great job of educating your customers, teams or peers?  What does that provide for them (e.g., peace of mind in their purchase)?
• What hopes, fears or concerns do customers have about purchasing your product or service, and what can you do or what do you currently do to address those hopes, fears or concerns?
• Why do your customers or peers come to you for advice? Why you and what do you offer them?

If you find these questions hard to answer, even daunting, please remember that you are having exactly the kind of reaction that most people have, and that is exactly the reason why most people never develop a compelling USP for themselves.  It is hard, and most people put it off or ignore it,  something else seems more urgent.

These days, getting a job is one thing. Creating your career is another

Click here  to start the journey that you need to get your career started now and get the USP you need.