The three step process to carve a unique offering.
How should you carve a differentiating message? I am sharing a framework to be used whether you are trying to communicate a message for yourself, a product you are building or if you are making a case for a new initiative. Imagine three circles which are intersecting.
Circle of your Strengths
The first circle is what do you bring to the table. This covers your strengths, your USP, your team’s abilities and everything under that.
Circle of Customers
The next circle captures what your customers really want. What are their core needs? Separate the must-have from the nice-to-have. Customers can be the people you interact with. It can be the team right after yours that depends on your work.
Circle of Competition
Here we capture what is the competition not giving your customers. Your competition could be other people – in the event you are vying for a job, and know similar candidates. What is it that they are not doing? What are they not communicating to the same customer base? Important to state that you are not putting yourself on a higher pedestal. You are just being factual that this is what they are not giving.
The intersection of these three is where your unique differentiation lies. And that’s what your message should focus on.
To sum it up, here are the key action items to carve your differentiation:
- Reflect on your strengths and the value your team brings.
- Conduct research to understand customer needs and desires.
- Analyze the competition to identify gaps in their offerings.
- Brainstorm ways to align your unique differentiation with customer needs.
- Develop a clear and compelling message that highlights your unique differentiation.