How to Develop a USP for the Most Important Client You’ll Ever Have

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. "
– Calvin Coolidge, 13th President of the United States

In Issue #167

Editor’s Note: We’ve been talking about how to survive the first phase of your copywriting career in the face of a less-than-rosy economy. As I look back at what both Krista and I have written, I notice a theme emerging: In challenging times, you have to step it up, not pull back, if you want to achieve your goals. So we’re stepping up our support to help you increase yours. First, a guest essay that anyone making their first stab at marketing yourself will appreciate. Then, a limited time special offer for CP readers onlyfrom Accelerated Training Services that you won’t want to miss. Plus, a challenge for anyone who wants to go to the AWAI Writer’s Retreat and thinks you can’t afford it. I dare you to take me up on it.

How to Develop a USP for the Most Important Client You’ll Ever Have
by Chris Allsop

If a client asked you to develop a USP for a new vitamin product, chances are you would know how to do it – and even come up with something pretty compelling. An exercise video? No problem. An investment service? Piece of cake.

After all, the USP or Unique Selling Proposition of a product or service is one of the cornerstones of the AWAI Basic Copywriting Course. As Don Mahoney wrote in one of the chapters it’s “…one of the most important elements of your letter.”  It’s that special “something” that catapults your product above a crowd.

But what if I asked you to do a USP for yourself? What makes you special among other copywriters?  How will your self-marketing letter stand out in the pile sitting on the desk of the marketing director for your dream client?

Feel like a deer in the headlights? Yeah, so did I.

I am in the Copy Protégé Mentoring Program, and this is exactly what Monica asked me to do as part of my effort to market myself as a freelance copywriter.

“OK,” I told myself, “no problem.”  I thought about it for a few minutes, jotted down a sentence or two then sent it on to Monica for review during our weekly conference call.

It took her a grand total of twenty seconds after reading it to tell me it didn’t hit the mark. Not even close. I needed to dig a lot deeper to find the real benefits I offer clients. But how?

Fortunately, one of my fellow ‘mentorees’ (with apologies for the newly created word) gave me a copy of a worksheet she received in her ATS Course “Getting and Keeping Clients.”  [from the Getting Clients program – see below for special offer.]

It’s titled “Finding Your Personal Brand (USP) Worksheet.” It walks you through thirteen questions on your background, training, accomplishments, even the life lessons you’ve learned. Then, you review your answers to find inherent benefits – those little gems – that you can offer clients. Finally, you polish these ‘gems’ to create a one or two sentence USP.

After scanning the sheet I thought, “Great! I’ll get this done right after dinner.” I settled down to work. The clock ticked steadily on as I lost track of time. As I drilled through each question, I found myself recalling long forgotten experiences – good and bad. I thought about why I really want to be a copywriter. I acknowledged how past obstacles actually played a vital role in bringing me where I am today.

I looked at my work experience in a new light. I realized I’ve been selling a lot of different projects and programs for a long time. And sometime during this process, it dawned on me…while I might be new to copywriting, my work and life experiences can truly benefit prospective clients – as well as their customers.

Two full evenings later, I finished my worksheet. It was almost midnight when, bleary eyed, I emailed it on to Monica. I had my USP – in a bit of rough shape – but it was essentially there. And there was an added bonus.

When looking over the benefits I had listed, I discovered I’d written a good part of my marketing letter.  I no longer feel like I’m staring at a blank slate, wondering where to begin. I now have a pretty good idea of the direction my letter will take. I have a lot more confidence about marketing myself. And just to have that, as the saying goes, is priceless.

So, with special permission from ATS, I’ve listed below the entire worksheet. This is will help you when you’re ready to develop your USP:

Step 1 Answer the following 13 questions:

  1. Why did you choose to become a copywriter?
  2. What are you most passionate about?
  3. What are your three strongest skills or talents?
  4. What are you three most positive personality traits?
  5. How does/can copywriting take advantage of your strongest skills and talents…and how are you utilizing them right now?
  6. What training/education have you completed, and what did you gain from those experiences?
  7. What new business skills have you learned in the past year?
  8. Which professional organizations are you associated with, and what do you contribute to those groups?
  9. What business or work success (current or past) are proudest of having accomplished?
  10. What are the three most interesting things you have done or experienced in your life?
  11. What obstacles have you overcome to get where you are today (both professionally and personally), and what essential lessons have you learned from your mistakes?
  12. How do you spend your time outside of work…including hobbies, interests, sports, family and volunteer activities?
  13. In what way(s) are you making a difference in people’s lives?

Step 2:  Make notes regarding interests, skills and experiences from your worksheet that complement one another. You may find several sets of complementary interests, skills and experiences. That’s okay. Choose the one group that appeals to you most – provided you can see a way it will benefit potential clients.  AS your business grows and develops, your USP can evolve with it.

Step 3: Summarize your USP using the group of complementary items you selected from your notes. Keep it to one or two brief sentences. Be sure it expresses a benefit for your prospective clients.

This process will take some time. If you’re like me, a lot more time than you initially planned. But it could make the difference between floundering for weeks to come up with a USP – or worse, coming up with something very vanilla that could describe any copywriter – rather than a compelling expression of your unique service.

So just look at the time it takes as the necessary research for servicing your most valuable client: yourself. Who could be more important?

Resource Referral: Getting Clients Just Got Cheaper and Easier

When Chris sent me this article, I knew I had to call my friend at Accelerated Training Services, Scott Rempe. First, I had to make sure he didn’t mind if we included this exercise in its entirety. After all, it’s part of their signature Getting Clients program. He graciously agreed – but that’s not all he agreed to do for Copy Protégé Readers.

I told Scott I thought the Getting Clients program was more important than ever and asked him when the next one was scheduled so I could refer our readers his way. That’s when I learned they didn’t have another one currently scheduled.  

“C’mon,” I said. “This is the number one need of new copywriters. They need to start making money as soon as possible. They need clients. And they’ll do it that much faster if they have a proven approach to getting them.”

“Of course,” Scott agreed. “But…the economy. People are spooked.”

I had a solution…but I wasn’t sure he’d go for it. Lucky for you, and me, he did.

“Schedule a Getting Clients program and offer it to Copy Protégé readers for half off.” Honestly, I wasn’t sure he’d go for it. But I figured it didn’t hurt to ask. And lo and behold…he agreed!

So, please, don’t let this one pass you by. Scott is keeping the window open for the next two weeks only – and you must sign up through this link to get the deal, or tell them on the phone that you are a CP reader if you call. It was such a last minute, spur of the moment decision, the copy you’ll click to has the original price! You won’t see the new price until you click to the order device. But trust me, you’re getting half off what the promotion says.

This program wasn’t developed until after I was already in business. But I can tell you, if it had been, I wouldn’t have hesitated to take it. I’ve watched so many people try to reinvent the wheel when getting started. You lose so much precious time and money doing it the hard way when it’s just not necessary. The process of getting clients is so much simpler when you follow a proven system.

Check out the ATS Getting Clients program. And take Scott up on this special offer. It could be just the thing to take your passion for making a career change…and turning it into a steady stream of income.  

A Copy Protégé Challenge: Do The Math

Speaking of the economy, I also hear from several CP readers that they wish they could attend the AWAI Writer’s Retreat, but are hesitant to make the investment. This is the event where four of the top copywriters will be working with you personally on either paying or spec assignments. In an idyllic setting in Virginia during one of the most beautiful times of the year, to boot.

I’ll tell you what I’ve told them. You’re crazy if your miss it.

Now, you might think it’s easy for me to say. I probably don’t understand the financial sacrifice it would be for you to go, right? Dead wrong. I understand more than you might realize – but I also want to issue a challenge for you to stretch your idea of what is possible. Let me show you how…

A couple months after I got the AWAI copy course, I learned about bootcamp. I wanted to go so bad I could taste it…but there was no way I could swing it. I barely had two sticks to rub together – not to mention a new baby, a new mortgage, and a spouse who had just made a career change himself.

But then, the math changed. I landed my first client and a $3,000 project. Now, I was tempted to start making money, really, I was. To pay for the course and start feeling in the black would have been great at that point. Prudent. Wise.

But I knew that my chances of scoring more projects and clients that would pay me at that level would increase dramatically if I took a radical step and went to bootcamp. I was right. So I took every penny from that first project, and dumped it into attending bootcamp. My friends and family thought I was nuts, as I packed up my two kids.

In the next three months after that first bootcamp I attended I made over $17,000. Was it worth it to forego any profit from my first assignment and invest it into attending bootcamp? Absolutely.

So here’s my challenge to you. AWAI is offering a writer’s retreat – with four of the top copywriters in the business on hand to work personally with attendees on actual assignments. Used right, it’s one of those opportunities that could help you turn the corner in your career as a freelance copywriter. Resolve today to get a project (or two) that will pay you what it costs to attend the retreat.

This is exactly what today’s guest essayist did. She approached a business and told them she would have the hands-on help of four of the top copywriters in the business while working on their project. She just needed an assignment – and a fee – that would enable her to go. They were more than happy to take her up on it.

What worked for Chris can work for you too. You just have to try.

Listen, the economy isn’t going to change any time soon. It took a while to make this mess, and it’s going to take a while, not to mention an administration change, to turn this ship around. In the meantime, it can only benefit you and your family to augment or outearn your current career. In other words – you have everything to gain and not much to lose. At least not if you do it this way: