2007 November | Men With Pens

Leveling the Playing Field

rugby Ever lose something and drive yourself nuts trying to find it again? Well, I’ve been trying to find a blog post I read recently that got me thinking, and for the life of me, I can’t. (Whoever wrote something pertinent to what follows, let me know who you are, would you?)

Anyways, the post asked how you would respond to a level playing field. Assume that, suddenly, everyone else is identical to you in skills, talent, training, knowledge and ability – what makes you different? What little bit extra do you offer your clients?

That question has had me thinking of my answer ever since.

“What’s your USP, James?” Ah, the unique selling proposition, the eternal question of, “Why should I choose you over the next person offering the same service?” I’ve been asked that question more times than I’d care to mention. People are smart shoppers these days.

Each time someone asks about our USP – what makes us unique from the rest – my mind goes blank. It’s the pressure of the moment, the spotlight shining and the “Oh god, I’d better not give the wrong answer or I’ll lose the contract for the team…” I end up tailoring the perfect words for the moment – but it never quite feels right. There isn’t that perfect fit, not yet.

The days that follow have me questioning much of who we are, what we offer – not our skills, not our talent or our ability. We offer plenty of that. I question what makes us different. For each trait, benefit or quality I come up with, I think, “Nah, that’s not it.”

So I dig a little deeper, and deeper again, unveiling layers of not only me as a writer but me as a person.

While I may not have come up with the perfect catch-all USP yet, I have discovered a few things about myself that I’m very proud of: confidence, integrity, honor, trustworthiness, loyalty, dependability… each time I wonder what our USP is, I learn a little more about me.

Maybe I over-think. (Shaddap, Harry.) Maybe I should focus on the business aspect and leave “me” out of the picture.

But I can’t help thinking that “me” has a lot to do with being unique.