What Makes YOU Unique as a Coach? | By Cari Maines

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In the marketing world, knowing what makes your business unique is known as your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is whatever makes your business distinct and different from similar businesses. This is becoming increasingly important as the online business space gets more and more crowded.

After all, you're not just a coach. There's something you do differently than other coaches in your niche—and if you don't know what it is yet, we're going to figure it out!

In this article we're going to focus in on what makes your business unique, and you're going to create a 'Headline' and a 'Tagline' that will help you:

  • Narrow down WHO you market to—making marketing easier and less stressful.
  • Become known for a SPECIFIC thing—being the go-to person for "x".
  • Write and communicate more easily—by being YOURSELF.
  • Create a client-attracting "ABOUT" Page.

An Example of Finding Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Beth is a life coach who works with couples and helps them improve their relationships. She chose this area because she got divorced and now wants to help other couples going through the same struggles she experienced.

But she's having trouble finding clients. The market feels saturated. She doesn't know how to stand out from the rest of the coaches working with couples who are having relationship troubles.

During a business brainstorming session, Beth searches online for life coaches who help individuals (not couples) throughout and after divorce. She sees that there are only a couple of coaches doing that. She does some more online research (on google and social media) and finds out that people want and need this service, and she can provide it.

This research helps her discover her new USP. She chooses to work specifically with women because in her research, many coaches are already working with couples. She focuses on after divorce because she sees a need to help people adjust to a new single life.

Beth is now the life coach who works with women,after divorce and helps them adjust to a new life - and way of being.

Why Should People Buy From Beth?

Using the example above, Beth could say, "Because I've been there. I know what it's like to feel lost, lonely, angry, and need to rebuild your life during all of it. I can help." This is a strong message to the client, creating trust in Beth that she can guide you through this time in your life.

What's Unique or Special About Beth?

  • Unique about her personality: caring, intuitive, the fun friend
  • Unique about her coaching practice: she's been through divorce, she rebuilt her life
  • Unique about her ideal client: they feel lost, overwhelmed, and are grieving due to divorce

Beth now knows to use a caring but fun tone in her writing which helps her clients trust her and makes them feel safe. She uses her fun nature to keep things light-hearted when appropriate and infuse humor into her consultations, which can sometimes be emotional for the client.

If we weave this all together to create a "Headline" and "Tagline" for Beth's business we get:

  • Headline: Need support in rebuilding your life after divorce?
  • Tagline: Let me take your hand and walk with you into your new life.

So, What Makes You and Your Business Unique?

Let's do an exercise (or at least start the process) to figure out what makes you and your business unique.

1) Open a fresh document or grab a pen and paper

  • List one to three things that are unique or special about your personality.
  • List one to three things that are unique or special about your coaching practice.
  • List one to three things that are unique or special about your ideal clients.

2) Why should people buy from you?

  • What's your message? What unique experience do you have? Why should they trust you?

3) Now take the answers to the above questions and create your own 'Headline' and 'Tagline'

  • Review Beth's example above for inspiration and ideas.
  • Make sure you clearly express what you do, and who you serve.

Wrap-up

Pulling all this information together gives you the focus to market directly to your ideal client.

It also makes it easier to find your clients online, as well as at local events and gatherings. Then with this clarity, you save time and energy to put into your clients (instead of endless marketing and networking with little return).

And now that you've defined what makes you and your business unique, you can also write and communicate what you do more easily—simply by being your wonderful self.

The next step once you have this information? It's time to write, or re-write, your Client-Attracting "About" Page (sister article to this one).

Contributing Author: Cari Maines is a Freelance Copywriter and Content Writer. She specializes in soulful copywriting and blog posts for big-hearted brands.

If you liked this article on defining what makes you unique, you may also like:

Categories: Find Your Niche, Guest Author, Marketing, Your Brand

Image of Smiling Businesswoman by Odua Images via Shutterstock

Image of Smiling Businesswoman Holding Tablet by Odua Images via Shutterstock

9 Comments

  1. Ela

    Thank you so much! This step by step quide accompanied by a clear example was exactly what I needed to realise and sharpen my USP! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Saqib Irfan

    Thank you so much!

    I am glad I came across this article and it helped me tremendously in my Coaching Assignment and I am sure I will be Certified.

    Reply
  5. Ruth-Ann

    This is a great guide with a helpful example. Thanks to Cari for writing and letting you share.

    Reply

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