You're Special! You're Unique!
Why? Let's Look at Your USP...

Your USP, or Unique Selling Proposition, is what makes you...well....you!

Each and every one of us is unique.

We all have our own special talents, abilities and skills.

And what we have can benefit others.

What's this got to do with a USP...and more to the point, why is that important?

Well, any company that markets a product will go through the same marketing process that I'm teaching you with this site. When they are designing their marketing plan, they will write down what is so special, or so unique about their product or service. What is it exactly that sets their product apart from their competitors'?

Think about it for a moment. What car do you drive? Why? Probably because some marketing somewhere persuaded you that it was the car for you.

"Oh No" I hear you say. "I'm not persuaded by advertising. No, not me."

Are you sure?

Absolutely sure?

OK, why do certain people choose Volvo's?

Because they are safe. They have special side impact feature that mean, if you were unlucky enough to get hit from any angle, you would have a good chance of staying alive (quite a strong benefit too, I would say). They are reliable and go on forever (I know because my mum drives one!). They have loads of space so you can fit your 2.4 children in, as well as the dog, picnic hamper, football boots, wellies etc etc etc.

And why do you know all of this? Because some marketing communication piece somewhere told you that.

And they told you that because Volvo's marketing team know precisely what their USP is, which I suspect is along the lines of safety and reliability.

How about a Porsche?

Ahh..speed, they look good, they go round corners easily, and you can show off to all your friends in one! ;o)

Why do you know that? Get the idea?!

A USP is vitally important for any company that sells something. The company needs to know what sets it apart from its competitors - that is, their Unique Selling Proposition - and we, the customer, need to know why we're buying it.

If you're looking for a safe, family car, you may well consider Volvo, not the Porsche. But if you've been doing your marketing properly and your network marketing business is finally paying you the money you deserve to buy the car of your dreams to show off to your friends...then the Porsche showroom is probably on your hit list.

So, let's come back to you.

You need to know why you're special too? Why?

Because in this wonderful world of network marketing, people choose us. In fact, that's true of any industry. You'll buy something generally because you like the person you're buying it from.

Whether it's our customers or our prospects, they will choose us over someone else because they like us, trust us, have confidence in us, respect us or whatever.

If someone doesn't choose you, then that's OK. (Actually, it is!)

There will be someone else out there that they do want to work with.

I turned down the opportunity to get into network marketing the first time it was offered to me. Somehow, I just didn't feel the person offering it to me had any credibility. It was all a bit messy, and I just didn't feel comfortable (and, if I was honest, I thought it was a scam!!).

Two years later, someone else approached me in a very different way (oddly, it happened to be for the same company). I trusted her, liked her, had faith that she could get me to where I wanted to go...and the rest, as they say, is history!

So you need to know what is unique about you. Why should people choose you as their distributor or sponsor? Could you help provide a solution to their particular problem?

Onto Exercise 3 in your marketing plan...Writing Your Own USP.

Write down all your personal attributes. Some of them maybe on your swot analysis.

Write down your values: What's important to you? Is it your honesty, integrity, punctuality and so on?

How do you want to be seen? Are you actually like that?

What skills do you have?

What about natural talents and abilities? (Although your amazing ability to scare the rest of the household whilst you sing in the shower, may not be so relevant!).

What about your real interests? The things that you get absolutely passionate about? (Marketing is one of mine...can you tell?!)

Please be honest with yourself. There's no point putting down something because you want to be seen like that...but you're actually not like that at all. You can't fake being you, and nor should you.

You should end up with a list or description of the real you. You are absolutely allowed to be you, and the very special you at that, so don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. And for that matter, live the life that YOU want, not what someone else thinks you should want.

It's an interesting exercise to give your list to someone else to look at. Make it someone you trust to take it seriously. You'll be quite amazed what they can add on that you didn't realise about yourself.

What you should end up with is a list of all the unique things that make up you. In other words, your USP. Your very own Unique Selling Proposition. This will give you the basis for all your marketing efforts. It will empower and enable you to say "no" (you too can say "no" to prospects if you don't want to work with them..I do...and you know the funny thing? You end up attracting the right people to you who you are excited to work with).

Your USP will also give you the give you the underlying tone to all your messages - whether spoken or written marketing pieces. It will give them strength.

Your USP will give you credibility and will enable you to sell your product or opportunity with integrity.

Somehow, through knowing your USP, you will gain an inner strength, find a happiness in being you, and an inner peace that you didn't know possible.

So take some time over this element of your marketing plan (and don't skip it - it's important), before we go onto the next stage of knowing who our customers and prospects are!

If you're wondering when on earth we're going to get to the actual getting customers and prospects bit, we will I promise.

But the beginning of any marketing exercise is all the preparation and ground work. Most small business owners I know who struggle with their marketing, do so because they haven't done the ground work.

If you've ever seen a house being built, you will know that a long time is spent on making the plans and then digging and building the foundations. After they've done that, the house bit goes up relatively quickly. If they didn't spend time on the planning and foundations, the house would fall over relatively quickly (if no foundations), or end up a mess (if no plans).

So spend some time...you've hopefully written your plan by now with setting your smart goals. And you're now laying the foundations with your SWOT Analysis and now your USP, or Unique Selling Proposition.

Spend your time here, and you will build yourself a strong foundation for your business.

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