I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. And I think LI is fantastic. But I see a lot of people’s profiles that totally miss the mark on the message it sends. Too many people still have that old mindset of trying to lift themselves up and put themselves on a pedestal. All the things they’ve accomplished. How many degrees they have. Me, me, me. Look at me and how great I am. Friends, if you’re on LinkedIn or Instagram, or whatever platform you’re using, and you’re using it to try to get clients, you might want to think about how to maximize your profile so it actually works for you instead of against you. So..what does a social media profile have to do with creating a USP? I’ll get there and connect these dots. Just stay with me for a bit. When people have a problem they need to solve, they’re looking for a solution from someone that knows how to help solve the problem and from someone that wants to help. My whole sales approach comes from the ‘I can help you with that’ perspective. The people that get their business are those that have a very different perspective. They give. They serve. They have a natural ability to focus on the needs of others. Not to just put the spotlight on themselves. And I’m speaking from the perspective of being a client here as well. I give my money to those that have proven themselves worthy of my money. They pour out content that helps solve problems. I contact them because they’ve already given me some great advice (for free) and I want to take it further. They get my money because they’ve been able to communicate what they do, the problem they solve and how I need them. This is the foundation of a great USP. The unique selling point.   What is a USP? It’s the distinct and appealing idea that sets you and your business, favorably apart from every other generic competitor. Now, I think a great USP answers the following questions: 1.    What’s in it for me? 2.    Why do I need you? 3.    What makes you unique? 4.    Why should I pay you?   And in order to answer those questions, you’ll want to: ·      Keep it Simple (because attention spans are short) ·      Keep it Short (because attention spans are short) ·      Show the benefit (how it solves a problem) ·      Address an emotion (because even though we’d like to think we look at things from different angles and use our intellect to make decision, we really buy on emotion) ·      Make it memorable (say something that stands out..how I end each Podcast episode) Now, in your USP, Is your product or service: ·      Easier ·      Faster ·      More widely available ·      Simpler ·      Cheaper ·      Have a better guarantee ·      Prettier ·      More efficient ·      Smaller ·      A better value ·      A better design ·      Of higher quality ·      Cutting-edge ·      More time-tested? What’s your message? Have you figured this out yet? Can you sift in a little story in your pitch? Do you have a pitch? If you need help with a pitch, look up Martin Barnes on LinkedIn. He started Pitch Club and he’s been helping people with their pitches for many years now. To answer the question: Why do I need you? This is where you’ll be addressing how you solve a specific problem in the pitch. To answer the question: Why should I pay you? There are a lot of people doing the same thing that you’re doing, but if you’ve proven that you can provide real value for doing that ‘thing you do’, AND if they like you (because personality has a lot to do with getting new business), then they’ll pay you..and gladly pay you. When my business coach sent email offers for products and services he was selling, I gladly pulled out my credit card and bought e-products as well as 6 months of coaching on a specific topic. Why? Because I liked him. And that can be you as well. Be helpful. Be