Your Unique Selling Proposition is Like Fishing

So the Corona Virus has given us all a chance to take a step back, think, and maybe come up with better ways of doing things. One of the things it has given me is the chance to do something I really enjoy -- fishing. Surprisingly, your unique selling proposition is very similar to fishing.

First, what is a unique selling proposition? Here is a great article about a USP.

So, bare with me on this one. When you fish you have two options for bait, live or fake. The fake bait (plastic works, spinners, spoons, etc.) works and sometimes they work well, IF you pick the right type, the right color, retrieve it at the right pace. But, the first option, live bait, always seems to out perform fake. I was fishing the other day trying all sorts of artificial baits and nothing. I had bought a minnow trap a few days before and decided to try some minnows. 2 minnows later I had caught 2 fish. What's more, I didn't have to worry about all the other variables. I just put a bobber on the line and cast it out and waited, enjoying the cool breeze and scenery.

"Well, that's great Eric but I don't get customers with fish" and in that statement you would be correct. But, think about the analogy. What are you offering your customers? Is it "real", or is it "fake"? Are you just throwing out things with different colors and styles hoping that one of them will work, or are you offering something the customer can see is the honest-to-goodness thing? Fish can easily tell if the bait is fake and presented wrong, it is only when you trick the fish to thinking the bait is real that the fish takes it. Your customers can see the same thing. In sales on in trying to find new customers they can tell if you are throwing a fake lure or if you are offering something that is honest and genuine. We all know when someone is trying to trick us and we don't like it at all.

Try to look at your public-facing message (your unique selling proposition) from your customer's view. Or, take it a step further and find someone you know you can trust to tell you the truth and ask them to give you feedback. Have them tell you if your message seems genuine or does it seem like you are just trying to trick someone. And, like fishing, have the patience to let the live bait do it's thing. Fishing with artificial bait is a very active process, but live bait, you have to have patience (something fishing is great at teaching!) Don't expect instantaneous results (though sometimes that does happen.) This doesn't mean you just sit back and wait, you still have to be active and keep yourself in front of your customers. But, if you stay the course, your results can be fantastic.

Eric Zdanowicz, MBA, is a business owner of two businesses (Millennial Center of Excellence, LLC and CFS Atlanta South), consultant, and a retired US Air Force veteran with almost 40 years of leadership experience. Eric lives in the Middle Georgia Area. For questions, feel free to email him at [email protected]