Are You Irresistibly Attractive?

If you've done any reading on the subject of marketing, you've certainly heard the term "Unique Selling Proposition" or "USP."

As a reminder, your USP is what positions you in the marketplace --- are you, or what you sell, the best, the cheapest, the fastest, the easiest, the longest lasting, the most reliable, the most prestigious? Your USP is what makes you distinct from your competitors, but it's often the thing first-time business owners don't fully understand.

Lara and I just started working together last month, and one of the first things we had to tackle was her USP. As a web site designer, she is part of a well-developed marketplace often competing with several other companies for every job.

"I really don't know why they keep picking the other guy. It's so frustrating after I've worked so hard to get in the door in the first place. The only way I feel like I can get the job is if I underbid it, but I'll never be able to keep my business running that way."

"Well, you're right," I replied. "You shouldn't have to lower your prices just to get every job. There are certainly web designers out there who are charging less than you, but there are probably an equal number of them that are charging more. So, if we assume that there are companies hiring your higher- priced competitors, then maybe price isn't what every prospect bases their decision on."

"It sure has been for me. That's always the reason they say they didn't choose me. It makes me think that I'm going to have to lower my prices in order to get any work, but like I said, I'm not charging anything out of the ordinary. My hourly rate is at the market average as far as I can tell."

There were a couple of issues that we explored during the rest of the conversation, including her pricing, her competitors, her target market, her mission, etc. But the one that really hit home was her USP.

Up until this point, Lara didn't realize that she was the one forcing her prospects to make their decisions based on price. She was marketing using the Competition Model instead of the Distinction Model.

In the Competition Model, your prospects see you as offering the same service as your competitors. In their mind, there is no delineation between what you and your competitors offer and how you offer it. So the only decision-making factor they are left with is price.

If they think all web designers offer the same level of web site design, can complete it in the same time frame and will be equally professional, what's left? That's right ? price.

Think about how you make buying decisions. If you are getting your clothes dry-cleaned every week and you think that the three local dry cleaners all do a decent job, will have your suits ready in two days, and are equally friendly or disagreeable, aren't you going to go with the cheapest one?

But some dry cleaners pick up and deliver don't they? Some offer tailoring and mending services in addition to dry cleaning. Others set up shop inside large grocery stores, so you can knock out two errands in one stop.

These things make them distinct from their competitors. There are people who will pay a little more in order to have their dry cleaning picked up. There are others that will pay a little more to be able to drop it off and pick it up at the same time they are buying their week's groceries.

If you don't want to compete strictly on price, you've got to be DISTINCT from your competitors. That way, your prospects have something, besides price, to base their decision on. By emphasizing that distinction in your marketing efforts, you will naturally attract those prospects who value your distinction.

And when you are Irresistibly Attractive, the sales pressure is off. You just go out there, show them who you are and what you can do, and they come to you!

So how do you make you and your business DISTINCT and, therefore, Irresistibly Attractive? By creating your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

What makes you different than your competitors? Are you faster? Do you deliver better quality? Are you more responsive to their needs? Are you closer in proximity? Do you specialize in a particular industry?

Take a moment to put yourself in the mind of your prospects. If you were hiring someone to perform your kind of service, what would you want?

You can practice by thinking about your own buying decisions. If I was hiring someone to clean my house, I would want them to:

  • do an impeccable cleaning job

  • show up on the scheduled day/time

  • avoid breaking/taking things

  • smoke outside of my house, if they smoke

  • charge $100 or less

If I could find someone to do these things for $65, I would hire them. But, if I would have to sacrifice the quality of their work or their reliability in order to pay the lower price, I would go with someone else. It's important to me to have a clean house and to know that I can count on that person to show up on Thursdays before I have guests arrive on Friday.

So, here's the process:

  • make a list of the things you would look for if you were a prospect hiring someone to do your service

  • put that list in priority order

  • gather all of your sales materials together (e.g. printout of web site, business cards, letterhead, brochures, email signature lines, proposal, trade show displays, newsletter, sales letter, direct mailers, cold calling script, elevator speech, etc.)

  • set aside 1-2 hours to review all of your materials to see what message you are sending to your prospects

  • revise your materials as needed

    When you review your materials, try to look at them with fresh eyes as a prospect would. After going through them once and making notes about the impression they set, go through them again specifically looking for the top two distinctions from your list.

    Do your sales materials/tools really bring your message home? Are your top 2 distinctions clearly emphasized in your materials? Are there things you need to add, omit, or revise in order to create your distinct impression on your prospects?

    Once you are communicating a very specific and consistent message about yourself and your business, you will find that you no longer have to sell. Business comes to you - and it's the kind of work you like that pays you what you deserve.

    About The Author

    Kimberly Stevens is the author of the ebook series, *The Profitable Business Owner: A Step-by-Step System for Starting & Running a Successful Service Business*. Download Sample Chapters & get her free MiniCourse, *The 10 Most Common Mistakes Business Owners Make & How To Avoid Them* at: http://www.askthebizcoach.com/ebooks.htm

    kim@askthebizcoach.com

  • More Resources

    You Cant Direct the Wind but You Can Adjust the Sails
    Dear Friend,First of all, let's take a look at the meaning of the word "metamorphosis" and how it can possibly be of interest to IT Service Management. Metamorphosis: Noun (plural metamorphoses - say metuh´mawfuhseez) ? "the change of form, structure, or substance, as transformation; the structural or functional modification of a plant organ or structure during its development.
    Body Language
    Body language is fascinating. People rarely recognize how much information they give off and how noticeable it is to the human eye.
    Change Your Mind, Shift Your Life
    Everyone can draw from the Universal Reserve Bank. What is it, you ask?It has taken me years of inner searching to realize the answer!I have come to believe each human being is wealthy.
    How To Bypass Your Conscious Mind and Program Yourself For Success
    Emile Coué, the French psychotherapist once said: "When theimagination and will power are in conflict, are antagonistic, itis always the imagination which wins, without any exception."Then you can program yourself for success by understanding thepower of imagination.
    Universal Law
    Have you ever had "one of those days" when absolutely everything goes wrong? Have you ever wondered why some people are successful, while others spend their entire lives struggling? Do you ever get the feeling that someone is out to get you because everything you touch goes wrong?If you're like most people, these thoughts do occur to you from time to time. But what is the answer to these questions? Is it a question of luck, could it be fate or is there something else going on here of which most people are unaware?The answer is both all around us and within us, and is called Universal Law.
    What Goes Around, Comes Around

    My Assignment ... If You Didnt Create It, Then Its Not Yours!
    Life consists of lessons. Living is continual learning.
    Feng Shui with Style! Working with Your Element Type
    When you begin to study feng shui, you quickly realize the importance of the qualities and characteristics of the five feng shui elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. This knowledge is essential to selecting appropriate colors, furnishings, and accessories for your home.
    Follow Your Passion
    The key to a successful life lies in following your passions. When you do this the Universe responds in a dynamic way.
    Creating Your Own Destiny
    If you don't know where you are going, you won't know how to get there. How can you get a sense of purpose or meaning in life unless you have dreams or visions of what you want to achieve? Goals are dreams with deadlines, which propel you on your journey of self-discovery and self-achievement.
    Abundance Flourishes in an Atmosphere of Integrity
    There's no way to fake INTEGRITY. You are either are IN INTEGRITY offering a PURE positive vibration which the Law of Attraction responds to.
    Security Is An Inside Job
    While I was growing up, my dad repeatedly told me that when I completing my schooling, I needed to get a good job. In fact, I should try to land some sort of good paying job, preferably one that was done indoors.
    Basic Intuitive Timing for Business and Life
    "There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries." [William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar]It has been said many times that timing is everything.
    You Teach People How to Treat You
    So often we hear people ask the question, "Why does he/she/they treat me/us so badly?". The honest answer, in most cases, is "Because you let him, her or they!"If that seems too simple an answer, think of it this way.
    Better Than a Million Dollar Lottery Win
    Do you remember the feeling of seeing someone you were attracted? It makes the heart bump, doesn't it?Have you ever stood on stage in front of a sea of faces that you know well and pulled out your notes to make a speech? Boy does the vibration of shaking liven you up!Have you ever felt the breeze on your face, either during a hot-air balloon ride or by sticking your head through the car sunroof? It wakes your senses up, doesn't it?And on a scale of 1-10 how much does your heart bump, body shake and senses wake when you do your day job? I bet you can practically do the tasks with your eyes shut. In fact I bet there are days when you feel like you did have your eyes shut?Most people don't feel awakened by their day jobs.
    Jerry Green's Top Ten Adversity Busters
    I've navigated plenty of speed bumps on life's road. My father's death led me to an entirely different career than my planned one.
    Appreciation Attracts Prosperity
    Did you know that appreciation is one of the most powerful forces in the Universe for manifesting and attracting prosperity? According to teachers like L. Ron Hubbard (father of Dianetics), Abraham-Hicks and Drunvalo Melchizedek, appreciating yourself and your life can literally boost you to the highest vibrations.
    Rising Above the Average
    There is nothing more motivating than reading a story about someone who comes from a poor, difficult life and rises above it to do so much with their life. Reading about a person who had so many obstacles in their way and they overcame them to be the most incredible people.
    How to Make Self-Improvement Work Every Time!
    There is an inherent problem with the approach most people take to self-improvement of any kind. There is a presupposition that there is something wrong that needs fixing.
    The Metrosexual Male vs. The Cowboy - What Do Women Want?
    He always looks perfectly put together. He can be in a t-shirt and jeans or heading out to a black-tie event.

    More Attraction Information:

    Related Articles

    Finders Keepers
    Do you remember your younger years when you and your friends played all sorts of fun games all day long? I'm sure you do. If there is one thing children know how to do, they know how to have fun.
    Making New Friends
    How do we make friends? More importantly if dropped into a new city or a new job or a new school, how do we go about making a new friends? Most of us don't really think about it, but just sort of allow people to float in and out of our lives without really paying any attention to how we pull new people into our lives.Years ago, my son was four years old and starting preschool.
    Appreciating and Communicating Your Value
    It's a common scenario. Although the specific circumstances may differ, the challenge often remains the same: we professional women seldom understand our true value.
    The Manifestations Of Self
    A man is captive within himself. He dwells in a freedom which is confirmed to bounds, he breathes in an ambience ensnared to limits, he nurtures a shriveled valiance with the quaint promises of trepidation, he is infinite to his content and eternal only to his perception.
    Your Authentic Self
    Our journey through life can lead us to surprising and unexpected destinations. Life as in nature has no straight lines.
    7 Simple Tips For Cultivating Tons Of Confidence
    Confidence without competence is a dangerous combination. Make it easy for yourself and only engage in Self comparison when you are assessing your progress.
    A Look In The Mirror
    That's all it takes to change the world. Take a long hard look in the mirror and really notice who you are.
    5 Practical Shyness Tips That Work Everytime
    We all experience a little shyness at times with people who we find intimidating.Here are some useful suggestions and ideas that can help you overcome shyness and speak up when you need to in order to achieve your goals.
    Digging To The Root Of Your Problem
    Most people have some aspects of themselves that they would like to change. But how often do you dig deeply to find the root of the problem?You have to address the issues that need to be changed.
    Your Gut Instincts & Ability to Get Along Quiz
    How well do you understand how gut instincts - yours and others - influence likeability, decision making and even attention span? Want to find out? Here are nine questions. Some answers may surprise you.
    Whos World Is It? The World Is Yours - Invite Success
    Who's World Is It?Who's world really is it? Is it a man's world? There is a song by James Brown. "This is a mans world" is the chorus.
    Abundance Of Money - Abundance Of Love
    How much happiness is there in a piece of paper with the word "happiness" printed upon it? It depends on the person who holds that piece of paper..
    Harvest Moon Lessons
    The full moon in September is often bigger and brighter than full moons in other months. It is usually referred to as the Harvest Moon.
    How to Get Rich
    Got your attention, didn't I? I figured that title would get you to sit up in your chair and take notice. How to get rich? Hmmmm, let's take a second and think about how nice and wonderful it would feel to "be rich.
    Attract Your Ideal Relationship Using the Law of Attraction
    First, I'll need to explain what Law of Attraction is and how it works. You see, the Law of Attraction states that you'll attract to your life whatever you give your attention, energy and focus to, whether wanted or unwanted--emphasis on the unwanted.
    A Sweep of Vanity: How To Burst Your Own Bubble
    "Hoy-day! What a sweep of vanity comes this way!" --William Shakespeare, "The Life of Timon of Athens"If there's one characteristic we hope we don't have, it's vanity. We'd rather be considered aggressive, driven, petty, even mean than have others feel that we think too much of ourselves.
    Our Fascination with Pop Culture and What It Says About Us
    I took a look at the top 500 hits on the Internet and found that at least 90% of them are related to pop culture. Who is dating who, singers, actors, gossip, etc.
    What Next?
    When we are faced with making a change we often feel like we don't know what to do. The kicker is that USUALLY we do know what to do - it just happens to scare us a little bit.
    Manifest Your Desires Using Natural Hypnosis
    Seth, the very high level, spiritual teacher and guide channeled many years ago by Jane Roberts, impressed me with his great wisdom and I started applying his exercises and concepts as soon as I discovered his books. One of the exercises I practiced and loved was his natural hypnosis exercise.
    My Assignment ... If You Didnt Create It, Then Its Not Yours!
    Life consists of lessons. Living is continual learning.