What Makes you Different?

This is an essential question. What makes you different from the other person applying for the position, trying to snag a client, or even just trying to develop a new contact? Why do they want you?

Try to develop a one sentence answer. Be clear and to the point. Write it down. Read it aloud. If someone said it to you, how would you react? Would you be interested and want to hear more. Or would you just want to move on. This task is not easy. You may have to do some soul searching for the correct answer.

Try to find something that makes you stand out. What have you done that is different? What skills do you posses that maybe other people do not. It could be anything. Technical, social, whatever. You need to be able to add value. Marketing uses the term “feature – benefit”, every feature needs a benefit. One example I read about deals with Nordstrom. Nordstrom is known for their personalized service it provides to every customer. The benefit of this is the customer feels they are receiving individual attention, similar to that of a boutique, but within the setting of a large department store.