Nailing Down Your USP

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Just found this – completely written .. and then forgotten.

At least I *think* I haven’t posted it somewhere before lol.

Ah well, either way was a good re-read for me and I hope you enjoy it as well.

Hmm, I smell a common theme in the stuff I’m writing these days…

See if you can spot it.

Andrea

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Been doing a lot of traveling lately (a LOT of traveling – as in 4 marketing workshops and events in the last month and a half or so and number five rounding out the run next weekend) and since most of them have been clear across country …

I’ve seen more plane seat time in that period than in probably the last decade of years combined.

Yep things can change that on-a-dime rapidly in this online arena.

Sitting still for so many hours (and having each flight include two plane changes on average… wouldn’t trade my 3-gate regional airport for the world btw) there’s been ample time to catch up on reading.

Have not had this much free time to read since growing up in NYC where
I rode the subways everywhere.

Even did most of my homework over the years while in transit – usually the morning it was due :-p

Being without kids popping in every 3 minutes has helped too

Yes, there’s been plenty of time to read.

So I’ve been reading …

Dan Kennedy to be specific…. And I’ve decided I like the guy.

In case you’re unfamiliar, he’s a prolific baby-boomer generation writer and speaker who’s best known for his work in direct response marketing circles.

Will tell you something about the book of his that I’m reading in a bit, but first let me tell you about the man.

Dan is a likable sort in an unusual curmudgeon-y sorta way.

For me anyway.

He’s plain-spoken and blunt …very blunt … and perhaps most importantly, he is unapologetically 100% himself.

All the way .. all the time.

And I think that’s what makes him so attractive.

See I don’t need to agree with someone in order to appreciate them.

I don’t even necessarily want to be ‘friends’ with them in order to be able to really enjoy them.

In fact I think the ‘friend’ idea …

… even before the liberally over-used online version of it these days thanks to the Facebook …

… is pretty highly overrated and only serves to help people to feel comfortably categorized.

I hate categorizing people.

Or maybe that it’s that I seriously dis-like being categorized…

Having been asked the “what’s your heritage” question in multiple and varied PC and non-PC ways since I was old enough to understand the question …

(In case you’re wondering – let’s nip that in the bud right here and right now … not that it matters a lick but because I’ve resigned myself over the years that it’s just a whole lot easier to let oneself be categorized – for other people’s comfort – than it is to constantly be going against the tide I’m at peace with the idea.

Though I have been and continue to be, absent the multiple choice option of “Grey of New England Origin” always been adamant about ticking the
“other” box when required.)

Yep, I’m not Puerto Rican, Ethiopian or from the Middle East.

My mother is white, my father is black and they both hail from Ohio.

It’s that last sentence that usually satisfies curiosity. Weird.

Hopefully it does yours as well.

So back to the book …

I’m currently drinking in my second one – and plan to read it with my mastermind group (hasn’t happened but I think it’s that important that we all be on the same page – literally …) it’s called:

“No B.S. Wealth Attraction in the New Economy”

It’s actually the first one I read – recommended by both Mark Hoverson and Daegan Smith (two of my personal mentors who are equally good at this USP nailing premise that we started off this article with) – recently that caused me to think … hmm … I’d better hop to it … it is that book,

“The No B.S. Guide to Price Strategy”

Where I first saw the idea that I was again reminded of this morning:

“If your product is ordinary, it is a commodity [without any pricing or marketing advantage].” – Dan Kennedy, “No B.S. Wealth Attraction in the New Economy”

Ordinary just doesn’t cut it.

Now back to our nail/hammer convo … to wrap it nicely with a bow and also be done writing before this the first leg of my last flight for several months comes to a stop …

Ready?

To stand out in our marketplace – we’ve each got to nail down our USP.

And I … as Dan both touts and exemplifies .. happen to believe that the right hammer for the “nailing” begins with just plain being you.

If you find you’re not magnetic to the people you want to be…

… guess what …

…. that’s totally within your power to change.

And you don’t have to change the core of you in oder to get the results you’re seeking – but you may have to change some of your stories.

The ones you tell other people AND the ones you tell yourself.

And I bet there are a heap of habits that need to be reexamined – I know
I still have a big ‘ol list I’m working on….

But once you find the vision of what you want to accomplish and why …

… a profound certainty washes over you – you’ll know that you’re willing and able to make the changes that need to occur to get the outcome.

Be brave

Be you.

Your perfect audience is waiting.

Time to stretch and meet them

Andrea