What do I mean when I talk about UHP – Unique Human Proposition®? We have all heard about finding our USP – Unique Selling Proposition, a phrase coined in the 1970’s and 1980’s but why is the ‘Human’ element so much more important in sales and marketing today?
UHP® stands for Unique Human Proposition and is a process I created to help everyone realise that YOU are your greatest asset. Many entrepreneurs are searching for the ultimate qualification or the best benefit in a product that will tempt customers to buy from them, but by focusing on these things you are entering a world of competition. Others can do the same and maybe even better than you. Of course, business isn’t easy and will always be challenging, but we often ignore the one thing we have that no one else does – our UHP – Unique Human Proposition®
Sales have traditionally been driven by targets and revenue. Everyone was under pressure to go that extra mile, make one more call, and push relentlessly. Pre-internet days this worked. The buyers didn’t have the knowledge they have today, and no one really thought there was another way.
The sales landscape has changed and so has the buyer. Your customer is far better educated than ever before, and in most cases, they are 60% further along their buying journey before you engage with their world. They have already made their shortlist of who they would like to talk to, and in many cases, they have decided what they want to buy!
What does that mean for you, the business owner?
Simply put, YOU are your best business asset. Nobody else has your story to tell and your knowledge and experience to share.
I’m currently writing my second book and it is all about UHP@ – it digs really deep because there are so many layers to this wonderful business asset. For now let’s just cover a couple of key areas to think about when it comes to using your UHP® in Sales and Marketing.
Start telling your unique story
Storytelling is a crucial tool when it comes to building brand awareness and boosting your visibility. People buy people, and your customers will connect with your human-centered content because we, as humans, are naturally curious about each other.
Here’s a statistic I love to share, although ironically, I’m using a statistic to make the point that stories create a greater impact than statistics – stay with me!
63% of customers remember stories over only 5% who remember statistics (source: Dan & Chip Health).
Your story is the key ingredient of your UHP®.
If you’ve watched my TEDx talk you will have heard me refer to the business I took into Dragons’ Den – Truly Madly Baby. There is a reason Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones were bidding to invest in my business – a business that was only two months old with no history and projections that were, as Duncan Bannatyne said ‘Truly Madly!’ That reason was me.
My passion, my belief, my values, my strengths, my isms – the things that made me – me. That’s what they were investing in – my UHP®
When you think about your own story try asking yourself a few questions:
- How are you showing up?
- What do you want your message to be?
- How do you help?
- What values and strengths do you bring to the customers you don’t know yet?
- And what stories can you tell that are yours and back up all of the above?
When you tell your story you need to be able to demonstrate a challenge that your ideal customer can relate to. By doing this, you show empathy, understanding, and authority and your customer believes you will provide them with the solution they seek.
It’s important to show up as your authentic self and to do that you need to make sure your personality shines through. If you try to be something different your ideal customer will see through the mask.
When I refer to your authentic self, I mean the real you, warts and all. To get a customer to buy from you or work with you they first need to trust you, and they can only do that by getting to know the real person behind the brand.
The lines between sales and marketing are more blurred than ever. One could argue that marketing is selling – because when you consider the statistic quoted that buyers are 60% further along their buying journey before you engage with their world, people will buy into you before they meet you when you show up consistently with your UHP®
Show up and be your unique self
Do you compare yourself to others when scrolling through your social media feed?
I think we all suffer from a bit of comparisonitis every now and then, but it’s vital that you recognise your unique qualities and always show up as yourself and not how your competitors show up.
Be clear about what you do and why you do it. That fire in your belly will help build a similar passion in your ideal customer. They will become your cheerleaders. Staying visible can be exhausting, but when you show up and share your authentic stories you will begin to build a tribe of loyal customers.
The internet is overcrowded with multiple voices making it harder to create content that helps your business be visible. However, creating human-centered content can be done using the skills and knowledge you already possess. You know who your ideal customer is, you have clarity about your why, and you have a bank of stories to share.
Now it’s time to go out and embrace your Unique Human Proposition!
What can you do to understand more about your Unique Human Proposition?
If you want to find out more about your UHP® schedule a virtual cuppa with me and we can discuss how I can help you.
“Jules is all about doing it right! Right education, right training, right attitude, right outcomes for all! If you want to do it right, speak to Jules White.” Asvin Chauhan, CEO Pharma Wealth
Alternatively, you can join my Sales Academy and build on everything you’ve learned in this post to create success in your business and deliver an unparalleled sales experience. My article, 4 Reasons Why Joining a Membership Will Help Your Business Grow, gives you more information.
“I love Jules. She is a wonderful, warm, funny and talented lady. She straight away got to the heart of my business and to the crux of my sales anxieties. After a very short time I felt excited about sales rather than fearful, and I left our session with techniques, tools, an approach and confidence that I had not walked in with. I straight away put her advice into practice and have immediately seen results. I’m so looking forward to spending more time with Jules and to smashing my goals under her guidance.” Susie Lodge, The Wiki Mama – CEO & Founder – Wiki Places For Kids
Join me in the Live it Love it Sell it Sales Academy for £47 a month (£360 per annum) and get all the support, resources, and community interaction you need.
Want to find out more? Schedule a virtual cuppa with me, and we can have a chat about the membership or my other coaching services.