The Desert of Arizona
Rain 39 Degrees
Sometimes, some of the simplest truths are the most powerful.
For years, I tried to figure out what was unique about the service I offered to the world.
I tried a lot of things. Some were quite dumb. Others really just plain missed the mark. To be frank, I was taking guesses out for a spin hoping something would stick.
Just picture me in front of a big blank wall, throwing stuff up against it hoping something would stick. Nothing did!
The funniest part was this: I was making all of these “big” marketing changes in front of a world that wasn’t even paying attention. I did a lot of work that absolutely no one (except my poor wife who had to hear about all my grand plans) noticed.
A lot of service providers struggle with how to make themselves unique in the marketplace.
(I even do this work for a lot of people because it can be a challenge. It’s often hard to see what’s right in front of your face.)
Understand THIS: You are already unique in the service you provide. The problem is that you are blind to what others see.
Today, I’m going to give you a shortcut to getting your answer. This won’t be right for everyone, but it WILL be enough for some to move forward. The catch? It takes time. You pay in time.
The truth is, you can get around having to come up with a USP (Unique Selling Proposition.) It’s not that you won’t have one, it’s that you can “reverse engineer” it so that it comes to you.
But you need a Platform.
In case that word is new to you, a Platform is simply a newsletter, podcast, or something similar that’s strategically built for the clients you want to attract.
It’s consistent, it’s interesting, it’s a demonstration of your expertise.
I’ve strategized so many of these with clients, I’m quickly getting it down to a science.
Anywho… the way this relates to the idea of the USP is that, when you power a Platform for long enough, your prospect develops their OWN USP for you.
You might not even know what it is right away, but they’ll know why to choose YOU over anyone else. They will have sold themselves on YOU in a way you never could.
Over time, your USP(s) will present itself to you via responses from subscribers consuming your Platform.
But you need the Platform. Without it, all you’ve got left is “advertising.”
A new session of the Platform Lab starts Jan 5. If you are ready to put the power of the Platform to work for you in 2015, register now.