Unique value proposition (UVP) is an old, reliable business tool that under the right conditions has contributed to success forever. Decades if not longer.
It’s like the magic wand in Harry Potter – one of a few things you can use to help you get to where you need or want to go. It’s not all — you also have spells, secret passageways, bridges, your invisibility cloak or whatever other resources available. You use these things, including the magic wand, by what is going to work best for the need/situation you have. UVP isn’t the only tactic you can use but it can be an important and effective one.
That is why UVP is and has been talked about in business and the media a lot. It can work and has for a long time. It applies universally to everything. Companies of all stages and sizes, individual people, products, services, ideas. This includes people are on-demand/freelance/contract — “Gig Economy,” — workers. It can be a differentiator in anything or anyone’s success. UVP has this super power.
I talked about it a lot for this reason. It’s in my first book, Sell Local Think Global, and in my latest book, The Gig Is Up (link below). I use a process I created here to bring it out of projects and people. UVP is important and it helps to answer the #1 question we all need to answer clearly: WHY CHOOSE YOU?
Finding your UVP and putting it into practice in every part of your work can help you become more successful and generate more opportunity and income.
How to get your UVP on:
- Know It: A Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is a tool that communicates the special contribution you are able to provide to people or the market in a way that is different from your competitors. Knowing what it is and why you should use it is your foundation.
- Find It. Why do you think customers or employers choose you? What makes you their choice? How does that differ from other resources that offer what you offer? Why are you irresistible? Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself how they might think and why they pick you. Write down what answers might come to mind. Sometimes it’s about what you are uniquely set up to do that no one else can do it well, or maybe you are willing to do something that others will not, and sometimes it’s as simple as being available at the right time. Dig and get to know why choose you.
- Name It. If you don’t know what something is, you can’t really use it or use it to full benefit. Ask others or look at your reviews. Then, take what you wrote down above to make a simple, short list of what you offer and why it is beneficial. It can be expertise, work experience, special skills, things you have done well, issues and problems you can solve, talent, education, your unique personality or character and more.
- Use It. If you can clearly communicate your UVP, then there will be some sort of impression formed in the mind of the person doing the choosing. If you can’t communicate a distinct difference, something worse happens: there’s no impression formed. You’re ignored; you’re an afterthought. In other words: talk about your UVP, use it on your website or social network pages. Put it to work!
This year, I’ll be offering more resources about effective tools and tactics (like UVP!). You can sign up for early notification and other special content and perks on the Chunk of Change email list here.
