Unique Selling Proposition (USP) in Personal Branding

As soon as you start applying for jobs or finding clients as a freelancer, you become a product. This is why having a unique selling proposition (USP) is crucial in personal branding. Your USP is the characteristic that sets you apart from your competitors and covers what your audience need and what you are good at. In this article, we will discuss the importance of USP in personal branding and how to find your own.

What is USP?

A unique selling proposition is a statement that embodies what differentiates you and your competitors. In personal branding, your USP is the one thing that makes you different from your colleagues. It is a succinct, one-sentence description of who you are, your biggest strength, and the major benefit that a company will derive from this strength.

Why is USP important in personal branding?

Having a well-defined USP is essential in providing a focus for your brand. Trying to be everything to everyone will dilute your results and drive you into the background. A well-crafted USP can also help you communicate your advantage in a clear and appealing manner.

How to find your USP?

Here are some steps to help you find your USP:

1. Know your target audience: If you try to sell to everyone, then you are selling to no one. Ask yourself what kind of environment you would thrive in, what kind of business problem do you want to solve, and what experience would help you advance your career.

2. Step in your customers' shoes: Try to answer the following questions: What does your prospective customer want? How can you solve their problems? It can be improving efficiency, enhancing customer satisfaction, or increasing sales, depending on who you sell to.

3. Know your strength: Ask those around you what they think you do well. It can be awkward, but you would be surprised how much potential you can unleash.

4. Map out your USP: Once you have identified your target audience, customers' problems, and your strengths, you can map out your USP. It should be a one-sentence summary of who you are, your greatest strength, and the significant benefit that a company will gain from that strength.

Example of USP creating process.

• My strengths:
  Attention to detail, Reliable, Creative, Collaborative, Effective communication, Deliver on-time, Resourceful in the product design field, Taking initiative.

• Mapping out:
  🖤 Enhance customer satisfaction -> ship fast and reduce error -> Deliver on-time, detail-oriented
  🖤 Improve efficiency -> cut meetings and decrease development effort -> effective communication, working autonomously

  So, what's my USP looks like?"

So, do we have a deal? 😉