Identifying your unique selling point

In the good old days, you knew who you were doing business with. Maybe it
was Ted the TV guy, Melvin the milkman, Beatrice the beautician, Clare the
cleaning lady, Fran the financial planner, or Ralph the Realtor (always thinking
of Me, Incorporated). In a small town there was usually one person known
as the go-to guy or gal for each product or service. Nowadays, particularly in
big cities, you may find dozens or even thousands of suppliers from which to
choose. To stick out (in a good way, of course), you want to pick something
about you that’s unique or create some memorable persona, so when
prospective customers think of the product or service you’re selling, they
immediately think of you.

Several years ago, I decided to make an 11-foot-tall, 500-pound nail my unique
thing. You can skip to Chapter 9 to find out more about it or visit
www.BigNail.com. I purchased the Big Nail on eBay, stuck it on a trailer,
and pulled it around town to various fundraising events for special causes. I
also placed the Big Nail logo on all my marketing materials. Needless to say, it
created a lot of positive buzz.

Discover your Big Nail and make it the center of your self-promotional campaign.
A clear, central focus on something that can really get you pumped up
can generate a lot of energy and, more importantly, draw a lot of attention.