sets you apart from everyone else in your space?" my students usually don't have an answer. And off we go on a discovery mission. Often it takes just one to two coaching sessions for the two of us to discover and develop a powerful USP, even for students transitioning from careers that seem entirely unrelated to the field of business they're working in, or transitioning to.

This is one of my favorite moments in coaching, because it's usually an "ah ha" moment for my students. Once they have a well-defined USP, they can suddenly see the power of their own positioning. No longer will they feel insecure when dealing with potential clients, because they can say with confidence, "THIS is why you should hire me above all others!"

Your unique selling proposition should become the underlying message throughout all of your marketing materials.

Do You Have An Offer?

Every direct mail promotion has an offer. That's a fundamental of direct marketing. And you, as a solopreneur, should be using the strongest offer you can come up with.

Your offer is the "lead capture mechanism" of your business. If you support your USP in your offer, you strengthen your positioning with "proof."

For instance, I trade on a history of higher than average response rates. I support it with my free "Direct Response Scorecard," which lists the results of many of my direct mail and online projects. In a separate document I add even deeper support with Case Studies of many of the "mentions" found in my Scorecard.

Whatever you decide to offer potential prospects, make sure it's something they'll want, rather than something you'd like to create. Since few copywriters offer a Direct Response Scorecard, I believe that my offer plays upon a certain level of curiosity.

My coaching students offer valuable free information, such as a White Paper or free report. In every case however, their offer supports their USP. By creating an offer that supports your USP, your marketing materials can do most of the selling, allowing you to close the sale with much more speed and confidence.

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Marketing coach Chris Marlow publishes a free newsletter for freelancers who want to land the high-quality, high-value clients. Sign up at:Copyright 2007 Chris Marlow, all rights reserved


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