6 Ways to Improve Your Personal Unique Selling Proposition Now

What is a Personal Unique Selling Proposition?

You’re likely familiar with the term “Unique Selling Proposition (USP)” when it comes to brands or businesses. But, maybe not when it comes to your own personal brand. Regardless of whether you consider yourself an influencer or thought leader, you do have a personal brand.

Your personal brand is simply how you market yourself and your career, which is the specialized skills and accreditations that set you apart from others. Your personal USP could be anything that puts you above your competition. Such as a portfolio of past work, the credentials you’ve earned, or a prestigious title.

Improve Your Personal Unique Selling Proposition

But what if you’re moving into a new career or industry, just starting, or wanting to fast-track your success? And you don’t always have the time to wait around to earn new titles or to gain years of experience.

The good news is that you don’t have to! You just need to leverage your Personal Unique Selling Proposition. Here are six ways you can improve your Personal USP right now.

Re-skilling/Up-skilling

The marketing world is continually evolving, especially in today’s digital climate. The latest tools, trends, technologies, and best practices are shifting at an unprecedented pace. There’s always an emerging new platform or an updating algorithm to learn about.

Advance your personal USP by re-skilling or up-skilling. Whether it’s attending a webinar, workshop, or course, you’re bound to find a continuing education option that works for you.

Many of us are dealing with challenges in the face of coronavirus (COVID-19). The first step to ensure a successful recovery is to build your re-skilling/up-skilling muscles now. One of the critical factors to success in the post-pandemic new normal is to prioritize continuing education. Freely share the latest information you acquire, and you’ll quickly position yourself as a winner.

Get Certified

Obtaining a professional certification is a guaranteed way to signal that you’re a skilled and committed professional in your chosen field. Certification is a recognition of your competency that you can use to attract both clients and employment offers.

When you display certification badges next to your name, people know that you have a certain level of knowledge and skill. This is a highly effective way to build trust with potential clients or employers.

Choose current, relevant certifications and give you a high ROI to best upgrade your personal USP. If you are ready to take action, you can apply for the time-limited free digital marketing certifications here.

Write Something

Writing blog posts, articles, books, or e-books is one of the best ways to build up your personal USP. Publishing your work boosts your visibility and positions you as an expert or thought leader in your field. When you become an authority in a specific field, you can quickly expand your clientele, consulting fees, or employment opportunities.

You can grow your reach by guest posting on powerful industry channels or publishing on a platform like Medium or LinkedIn. There are also many options for self-publishing books and e-books.

Hit The Stage

Want the opportunity to captivate a room of people, positioning yourself as an expert that everybody wants to know and talk to? Seek out speaking engagements and opportunities. As a featured speaker or panelist, you gain authority the minute you step on stage.

You’ll inspire others by sharing your expertise, and you’ll find it easier to connect with valuable colleagues and clients. The “can-do” energy of someone who presents at events will automatically draw people to you. And since most panels or events these days are recorded on video or audio, your reach increases beyond those attending.

Mentorship Opportunities

No matter what phase you are at in your career, you can benefit from having a mentor or a mentee. Mentorship is a two-way street where both parties reap benefits as they work towards their goals. It’s also one of the most fulfilling ways to grow your relationships and your personal unique selling proposition. You can find mentorship opportunities at work, through a professional organization, or in-person or online networking.

The power of mentorship is enormous and can have a lasting impact. You also gain access to a pool of emerging talent and distinguish yourself as a role model who serves others. On the other hand, connecting with your mentor allows you to bypass traditional education channels to explore different points of view. You’ll also feel an increase in confidence when you know you have someone to turn to for guidance.

“Think Outside of the Box”

And finally, you need to “think outside of the box” if you want to set yourself apart with your personal USP. Aside from just thinking differently, you’ll need to step out of your comfort zone to try new things. If you’re serious about transforming your career or taking your business to the next level, you’ll need to innovate.

Thinking outside of the box enables you to position yourself differently. It requires creativity, inspiration, motivation, and encouragement. Many prefer to play it safe, sticking to a familiar routine–and routine is the enemy of innovation. Thinking outside of the box happens spontaneously when you prime yourself with continuing education and forward-thinking people.

Use This Guide to Take Action

Now that you know the importance of improving your Personal Unique Selling Proposition, it’s time to take action. Use the Action Points below to craft your own personal USP and brainstorm specific ways to reach your USP goals. Save this guide as a reference, and look back to measure how your personal USP improves!

Action Points:

Use these action points to make the most of your Nimble Marketer’s Guide and start improving your Personal Unique Selling Proposition today!

1. Write a Personal Unique Selling Proposition for yourself based on the skills and assets you have right now.
2. Write the Personal Unique Selling Proposition you want to have.
3. Think about the six ways to improve your Personal Unique Selling Proposition you just read about. Which of these will help get you to that ideal Personal USP?

Make a plan:

Brainstorm ways to implement the strategies you’ve chosen and what research or resources you need to seek out.