I read two blog posts today that got me thinking about dresses and shoes. That got me thinking about how easy it can be to find your unique selling proposition: do it by accident.

If you’re not familiar with the jargon, a unique selling proposition (USP) is what makes you different from other people in your field, and preferably what makes you more valuable than the other guy in the eyes of your ideal buyer.

I once attended a marketing workshop where the mere mention of finding your USP made everyone look like they were about to undergo root canal. It can be a tough thing to come up with, especially if you overthink it.

So how do you come up with your USP without trying?

When I decided to launch this site, I tried to do it all myself, without spending a dime. WordPress is a free add-on with the web hosting package I already have, and I can do a little graphic design.

Except I lost my graphic design chops somewhere, probably in the midst of designing jewellery and putting siding on my house. Everything I came up with was awful. So I decided to spend some money and hire a real graphic designer.

We negotiated a shoestring agreement that involved me cooling my jets while the designers fit my job in with their other work. I had a meeting with the lead designer, who I knew from working in the same office years ago, but the people who would be creating my logo and header didn’t know me. All they would have was the photograph I sent, and a short description about what I wanted to do with the site. Part of the deal was I had to trust them to get it right in one shot, rather than provide me with a couple of options.

I wrote a pretty good design brief. But while giving it a final once-over, I started to get nervous. Would they get my personal style from the material I sent? Best not leave it to chance (I’m also a detail fanatic with control freak tendencies and a slight neurosis about money). At the beginning of the email I wrote this:

“Style note—in case anyone’s wondering—the colour pink triggers my gag reflex. I am not a girly-girl. I last donned a dress in 1998. When a friend referred to it as drag, I gave up and now I use pantyhose to strain old paint.”

If I’d been asked to include my USP as part of the design brief, I would have agonized over it. I already had a strong sense of my USP, but to put it into a short statement would have been much harder than what I did by accident—describe my style using my style. I inadvertently told them and showed them at the same time.

I was a little surprised when my designer remarked on my sense of humor. I wasn’t trying to be funny when I wrote the style note; the simple truth is I was freaking out about getting something that was totally wrong for me, and freaking out about trying to break into a crowded niche. I was just being myself.

Everybody and their dog is a marketing expert these days, and everybody and their dog is starting their own business. For a solo gig like this, personality and writing style are important. They’re part of my USP (the other part is I don’t hold a business degree or come from an administration background. I’m a real live artist with a business brain).

So my advice, if you don’t have your USP sorted out, is to send someone—either a willing volunteer or yourself—an email. Say what you do, how you do it, who you do it for, where you do it, if it’s someplace interesting. Don’t edit or overthink, just write a note as if you were telling someone, “Hey, guess what I’m doing these days?” Then see what jumps out at you.

And if that exercise gave you a headache, let me know. I have a drawing board just waiting for new challenges. If you have a strategy of your own, feel free to leave a comment.

Related posts:

1. If you’re a creative, you can craft great marketing materials
2. Seven ways to shape your brand
3. 15 tips for an effective website