Your unique selling points are what make you stand out from the crowd. They are talents that demonstrate to the employer why you are the best candidate for the role and the key strengths that other candidates may not possess.
Unique selling points can be:
- Specific skills – technical or personal
- Knowledge – about the industry or market
- Experience – what you’ve done and achieved
- Behaviours – how you can handle or cope with situations or problems
- Talents – things you excel at
There are lots of different ways in which the above can be interpreted when it comes to your unique selling points. For instance, the ability to make strategic decisions can be a unique selling point, as can the skill to type at 90 words per minute.
How to Identify Your Unique Selling Points
You probably already have a good idea of what your selling points are and you’re most likely familiar with your strengths (and weaknesses). Yet your unique selling points must also be relevant to the job you are applying for.
There’s no point in saying to an employer “I’m great at putting together top-end business strategies” if the job you’re applying for has nothing to do with strategy development. Draw on your strengths and talents until you find at least 5 that pertain to the job you want; consulting the job description at this point is a good idea.
Knowing the Benefits
Once you’ve identified your unique selling points, you will need to go one step further and single out the specific benefits that these competencies will bring to the business.
It’s fine to say that you’re a great problem solver or an excellent decision maker, but what does that mean for the employer? How have your unique selling points helped or advanced other companies in the past? Here are some examples to help you take your selling points to the next level:
1. Unique Selling Point: I am great at client relations
Benefit: I am great at client relations. In my last role, I effectively managed several client disputes and disagreements, saving my company tens of thousands of dollars and increasing client spend by 5%.
2. Unique Selling Point: I am an expert at financial database systems
Benefit: I am an expert at financial database systems, with the ability to show you valuable company performance metrics and develop strategies that will help improve your bottom line.