We each have our own special talents, skills and experiences that set us apart from everyone else. While people may be similar, no one will have exactly the same qualifications or story that another has. This is the whole point of developing your own USP – Unique Selling Proposition. (“But Lis, I don’t sell!”) Yes you do. Every time you bid on a potential project, every meeting you have while networking, every time you write a blog post, you’re selling. If you target your selling from the standpoint of your USP (and your VSP – Value Selling Proposition), you stand a much greater chance of standing out from the crowd and getting noticed. What I’m proposing is different than what you’ll see on many networking and other business blogs. There you’ll read that a USP should be one sentence and be directly about your company. That’s fine – we’ll get to that with the VSP. I propose (and I learned this from Chris Marlow, 20+ year copywriting veteran and a mentor of mine) that your USP is really just for you and should be the basis for your VSP. This means, you USP can be longer than a sentence. In fact, it should be. But it’s just for you, no one else. But you can’t do this if you don’t have a clue as to what makes you unique. Since many writers are solopreneurs, we are our brand. I discussed this point at length in this post. While we may have a company name and logo, what people will remember is us. So, when developing your USP, you’ll want to consider the experiences and knowledge gained that have made you who you are today:

• Where did I grow up?
• What early life experiences affected me?
• What jobs did I hold?
• Where did I go to college?
• What was my major/minor?
• What adult life events have changed me?

While these questions go outside the lines of the traditional USP, there is a reason behind it. All of our experiences, good, bad, happy, sad, mold and shape us into who we are. It’s hard to escape our past, because it informs our present and future. These are things to simply note for yourself, personally, these aren’t things that will necessarily be part of your USP. Next, consider these questions:

• What have I always been good at?
• What topics am I drawn to?
• What do I love to read or study up on?
• What have people always complimented me on?
• What comes naturally to me?
• What would I do, if money were no object?
• What do I love to do?

If you sincerely answer these questions, you’ll now have more than enough material to work with to craft a USP. When I wrote out my USP, I first considered the areas I love to learn/write about:  health and wellness, fitness, home improvement and animals. I can write just about anything, but these topics get me excited. How I settled on a niche to write within was directly linked to these passions. I settled on health and wellness because I was born with severe allergies and asthma. This meant a very limited life. My mom was diagnosed with MS right after I was born, so she had her own health challenges to manage. She chose the alternative health route to help us both. So, I was reading Prevention Magazine at six-years-old and began visiting a chiropractor and having acupuncture treatments at age 7. This was back in the late ’60′s, early 70′s – when these things were “new” to the mainstream. Fast forward to my corporate days – I was in sales and marketing working with Fortune 100 companies as well as small businesses. I was good at what I did, which was listen to client needs and create workable, affordable, successful solutions to their marketing research needs. I’ve also owned more than one small business since 2001. When I considered the above experiences, plus others I’ve not mentioned, I came up with this USP for me:

Why hire Lisbeth Tanz?

Because she’s living proof that the alternative health and supplements industry works. As a child suffering from debilitating asthma and allergies, Lisbeth was exposed to a variety of alternative therapies and supplements designed to mitigate the effects of her ailments. With her mother’s perseverance, who herself had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Lisbeth slowly transformed from an unhealthy child living a restricted life tied to medications, to a healthy adult embracing a life of fun and adventure with little to hold her back. Using her personal experience and her years in corporate sales to Fortune 100 companies, Lisbeth has honed “the art of conversation” and the ability to “listen between the lines.” These abilities have enabled her to be top in her sales field – skills she transferred easily to the written word. Lisbeth’s talent for framing people’s needs as they see them helps her connect with her audience in an intimate and personal way, which ensures the client a healthy ROI, shorter sales cycles and increased profits.

I’m not sharing this to toot my own horn, I’m hoping to illustrate that with a bit of time and consideration, you can also create your own USP that will show you how your unique talents, skills, experience and knowledge make you the best writer for your particular niche or passion. Once you have this information, it’s easy to translate it into a VSP. Which I’ll discuss in another post.

When you work in the corporate world, there are certain”rules” that apply to how you dress, act, manage and work within your group and company as a whole. But when you leave the corporate life (or were never in it to begin with), it’s easy to rebel against a corporate mindset and relax our standards of excellence regarding our personal brand.

Your personal brand is not simply the logo on your website or the copy underneath. Your personal brand is the way you act, speak and dress. It’s how you do business with others. Your personal brand is the face the general public and your clients see, hear and mingle with. Your personal brand is their experience.

Are you taking care to protect your personal brand? Are you projecting yourself as a competent business person? Believe it or not, your success lies in how well you do this.

Here are four ways you can ensure you’re protecting your personal brand:

• Under-promise and Over-deliver:  It’s always better to work with less and deliver more. Not only does this show your value, it gives your client something to be delighted about. Think about it. You like getting bonuses when you buy something, right? So do your clients. Surprise and delight. This will do wonders for your personal brand and create brand champions of your clients.
• Dress the Part:  I’ll admit – as a freelance writer, I’m often spotted walking my dog in the neighborhood in a T-shirt and sweats in the afternoon. I also love to wear jeans. But if I’m going to a networking event or a client’s office, I always gauge how I look as part of the equation. There’s still that expectation that I’ll look professional. Does that mean $300 suits? No. Personally, a nice pair of slacks and blouse or shirt work well for me.
• Be professional in your communications:  It’s one thing to dash off an email to your sister. It’s another to do the same to a client and have it littered with typos or misspellings. Especially if you’re a writer or editor. It only takes a few seconds to scan what you’ve written to make sure there are no mistakes. Although the perfectionist in me will read it a second time just to be sure. It’s also a good idea to check the email address you’re sending it to, especially if it’s a forward or reply. I once sent off a reply message that wasn’t too complimentary to one of the people referenced in the original email. Unfortunately, I mistakenly sent it to the person I was criticizing. While it turned out fine, that was not a fun lesson to learn. A couple of other communication points:  If you’re on the phone, don’t grunt responses. Show a little life in your voice. And in person, smile, be attentive and focused.
• Be a real person:  In other words, don’t be selling 24/7. Get to know the people you’re talking with. Yes, this even applies to networking events. People like to be talked with, not sold to (at least not until they’re ready to hear a pitch). Hard sells don’t work and will turn people away from you and your brand. This point doesn’t mean, however, to share your marital woes, financial distress or other personal information. That would be too real.
  

Remember, if you’re a solopreneur or small business owner, you are your brand. There’s no way to escape that. Which means, it’s yours to enhance – or to lose.

What other ways can you think of to protect your personal brand?

Have you had an experience where you inadvertently dinged your personal brand?

I’ve been away from this blog for about 3 weeks (YIKES), and I feel terribly guilty. My business has exploded (YIPPEE), but that means something had to give (NUTS). Unfortunately, since I write for a living, my blog suffered the consequences.

And YOU noticed. That I was gone at least. Thank you.

Well, now I’m back. From Outer Space. I just walked in to… Oh wait. I’m channeling my inner Gloria Gaynor.

So if you I asked you to name the tone of this particular blog post, what would you say? Light, humorous? Apologetic? Upbeat? You’d be right on all counts. Those are what I try to convey in this blog (mostly). It’s called “Tone.”

Tone, as defined by dictionary.com, is:

• a particular style or manner, as of writing or speech; mood: the macabre tone of Poe’s stories.
• prevailing character or style, as of manners, morals, or philosophical outlook: the liberal tone of the 1960′s.
• style, distinction, or elegance.

A consistent tone throughout your blog helps define who you are and how people will feel when they read it. If your tone is serious, this will evoke certain feelings in readers. If your tone is humorous, people will come to expect that when they visit. When you step away from the tone (or tones) you typically write in, your readers will notice. And not always in a good way. I mean, can you imagine what would have happened if Erma Bombeck, my favorite humor writer, had suddenly started writing dirges? (Shiver)

Sometimes, when I sit down to write a post, I realize my head’s not in the game. Maybe I’m distracted by other things I need to do, maybe I’m not inspired by the topic I’ve chosen, maybe I simply don’t want to write, but feel I have to. If any of these are the case, I stop trying to write because I know the words I want won’t come. (The same is true for client work. If my head’s not in the right space, if I can’t connect with my subject matter, it’s futile to sit at my computer.)

So -

Rule #1 – Make sure your head is in the right place. If it’s not, get it there or don’t post. While one “off” post won’t chase away readers, why take a chance on damaging your reputation, especially if your mood is a bad one? Go clear your head – whatever that means for you. For me, it means doing something completely different, like working with my hands. That could mean washing dishes, working in the garden, fixing the doorbell, sorting laundry. It’s the things I can do to bring myself to a different place mentally. Usually, it doesn’t take long for me to be able to sit down at my computer again and begin to write. But this time with the tone I want and need.

Rule #2 – Stop oiling the squeaky wheel. If you ignored Rule #1 and wrote a post anyway, put it aside. Don’t post it yet. Go away and then come back and re-read it. It’s likely you’ll want to revise it, once you’ve accomplished Rule #1. But what if you try to revise it and nothing seems to work? If that’s the case, you might simply need to scrap it and start over. (GASP) Yes, I did say start over. It won’t kill you to do this. You can always pick the bones of the first post’s carcass and use them in the new post. It’s better to start over than try to fix something that can’t be fixed, no matter how well written it may be.

Copyblogger has an excellent post today from D Bnonn Tennant outlining 5 key ways you can improve what you write for your website or for others.

His advice is time-honored and traditional, but many writers fail to do them all, or even some of them. What are they?

1. Write drunk; edit sober (words of wisdom from Ernest Hemingway)
2. Sleep on it
3. Get a friend to read it aloud
4. Use the breath test (no, not breathalyzer test)
5. The passive voice should be rewritten

I rarely have a friend read my things aloud – and I do have friends who would do this. However, I do read almost everything I write aloud simply to gauge flow, word usage, wordiness and to listen for any gaps in the story.

And, I don’t always rewrite passive voice. I know, call me lazy, but sometimes ideas are best expressed that way.

Sleeping on it is my favorite. One – I get to sleep, a wonderful thing. Two – my brain gets a reprieve from thinking about what I’m writing, or as often happens, gives me some inspiration as I dream to revise the piece. Stepping away from what I’ve written also allows me to come back with “fresh eyes,” and a sharpened red pen. I see things much more clearly after being away.

Oh, just for the record, I’ve never written anything while drunk. Not even my phone number.

What do you think about these points? Do you have any of your own to add to the mix?

Have a great week!

I started my blog two years ago in 2010. While in reality it’s two years old, in blog years, that means it’s about two months old. It can take years for a blog to gain traction that results in a lot of readers and profit, if that’s your goal. That’s why birthing a blog takes YEARS, not months. Are you ready to put on your blogging maternity clothes?

I’ve had a lot of ups and downs with my blog. In fact, it started with a different name and focus. It took me several months to realize that I was going in the wrong direction. But what I learned in the meantime is that growing a blog is a lot like growing a garden or a baby. It takes patience, perseverance, tenacity, trust and a whole lot of faith.

It’s a fact:  Blogs don’t grow by themselves – unless you’re a “big” name already. It takes care, feeding, planning and commitment to keep moving forward. As I evaluated my original blog, I asked myself a lot of questions that included, “Why am I doing this?” When I came up with the answer, that’s when I decided it was time to change the focus and direction of my blog. Trial and error. Gotta love it.

So, if your blog isn’t moving forward, ask yourself these questions:

1. Am I providing good quality content? (I know, obvious, but one so many overlook.)
2. Am I trying to sell something in my blog posts more often than educating with them? (Remember 80/20 – 80% educate, 20% everything else.)
3. Am I consistent in my blogging? (If you’re consistent once a month, your blog will not grow. It takes weekly consistency to get noticed. Trust me. This I know.)
4. Am I passionate about my topic? (If you’re not, readers will notice, and you’ll run out of blogging steam. Passion is important in blogging.)
5. Are my posts proofread for grammatical errors and typos? (If not, start doing this. If you’re a poor speller or not good at grammar, there are tools in word processing software programs that can help. USE THEM liberally.)
6. Am I making an effort to market my blog? (Marketing doesn’t have to cost. Join a blog challenge, find a blogging comment tribe on Facebook, visit forums that cater to your niche. If people don’t know your blog exists, they won’t find it.)
7. Am I getting bogged down in research? (If you’re writing a technical blog, research might be super important. But if you’re allowing researching to stop or slow down your blogging efforts because you feel you don’t know enough – stop! Go with what you have. Remember, blog posts aren’t essays. Say just enough. Leave your readers wanting more.)
8. Is my blog design bad? (A blog doesn’t have to be beautiful to get traction. But it helps. If you have a blog that was designed in 2003, or by a 10 year old, you might want to consider a redesign. This is also true if you have a gazillion ads or other stuff cluttering up your sidebars. Weed down to a key few so people will actually read them. Content is most important to your readers, but design is a big factor, too.)
9. Is my blog easy to read? (White lettering on a black background is hard to read. Period. This harkens back to design, but if you’re not making it easy for readers to see what you’ve typed or it strains their eyes to read it, they won’t be back.)
10. Am I nice to my visitors? (Encouraging comments by being a do-follow blog, allowing commentors to list their latest blog post link and highlighting most frequent commentors all go a long way to get readers to return.)

You have mere seconds to capture the attention of a visitor to your website, blog, landing page, sales page… or any page for that matter. ~ Deb Augur

This impactful statement is how Deb Augur of “Ask My Webgal” starts her blog post about writing headlines. And she’s absolutely right. If someone comes by your website, picks up your literature, reads your sales page – if you can’t grab their attention, you’ll lose them before you’ve had a chance to even really say “hello.”

That’s why a well-written headline is the key to nearly everything you write. A considered headline grabs the reader, sucks them in and compels them to read further. But knowing this and doing this are two different things.

Deb touches on 3 key things – emotional connection, writing in active voice and making the reader feel important – that are essential to getting your blog reader, potential client, etc., to move deeper into your copy.

She then explains 3 simple steps you can take to help you write those compelling headlines.

Writing headlines is an art and science. If you’d like to know more, there are many books on this topic as well as websites. A quick search on Amazon.com (a favorite place of mine to troll for ideas and information) resulted in 160 results, although not all of them are probably relevant. You can see that list here.

To read Deb’s full post click here.

We have all heard the old adage, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” I’ve often wondered about that. Do you think they said that in Rome, out of frustration, as it was being built? (As in, “I wish Rome could have been built in a day – I’m so tired of the constant construction zones and having to take my chariot through detours!” – Ah, now you’re wondering, too, aren’t you?)

Well, it wasn’t built in a day and neither will your blogging style. Good things take time to develop and not even seasoned writers can sit down to begin writing a new blog (not just a post, but launch a new blog) without having to feel around for how they want to show up in their blog.

Did you stress about what to write, how to start, how to finish and how to sound? This last part is your voice.

If you’re not being authentically YOU, how do you think people will respond to what you write? This doesn’t mean write about your latest bunion flare-up (unless your site happens to be about bunions), but it does mean share yourself with your readers.

Nobody likes an automaton. If you write in a stiff, formal way, that’s fine. . . if you’re stiff and formal. That’s what people would expect. But if you’re fun, engaging, humorous, sensitive, gentle, snarky or a smart-ass, your readers will want to see that in your writing.

Blogging is about engaging and connecting. Educating is in there, but readers want to see “behind the curtain” to who you are, too.

As you’re starting out, you may flounder a bit as to how you sound. That’s okay. We all did at one time or another.

How will you know if you’ve found it? There are two ways. (OK, there are probably more, but these count for a lot.)

1. Do a gut check. Do you agree with what you’ve written? Does it flow almost as if you’d said it versus typed it? Does it feel authentic? If you can answer these questions and your gut agrees, you’ve found it!
2. Reader comments. Are they increasing? Is your audience growing? Are people coming back? Are comments thoughtful and relevant? If any of these are true, you’re being true to you and people are resonating with that.

But here’s the kicker. It takes time and several posts to get into your groove. Just as if you were speaking in public, it takes time to find your style, tone and voice. Since this is true, experiment. Stretch yourself. Let a little bit of YOU out to see what happens.

After posting this earlier this month, I realized I kind of bashed the whole job thing. I didn’t mean to, really, so I’ve added more on at the end to clarify my situation.

I hinted in my last post that 2010 didn’t go quite as well as I had hoped it would. I know I have a LOT of company in this vein, and my hope for all of us is that 2011 be our best year yet.

I’ve felt for a while that 2011 will be “The Year of Lis” for no truly defined reason. I’m holding on to that thought and feeling with both hands. And making sure that it comes to fruition.

But while I’ve believed in my head that 2011 would be my breakout year, my fear and Ego have had other ideas. Consequently, my conflicted energy was sending mixed messages to everyone around me and the Universe. The conflict would increase – usually around bill paying time – slowing or stopping the flow of the things I really wanted and increased the flow of things I didn’t.

Like the opportunity to interview for a full-time J.O.B.

I’ll admit it – the thought had crossed my mind that having a job would make my life “easier” more than once over the last few months. But “easier” is a relative term, I’ve learned. Once the chance appeared, I carefully looked beyond the money part (which was nice but certainly nothing to write home about) and consider the other factors that having to go to a job entail.

Like sitting in a cubicle for 8-9 hours per day.

I don’t mean to sound pretentious or snooty, but I’ve never worked in a cubicle. Plenty of my clients did, though, and I know they hated the open environment. I always had an office – even if it didn’t have a door, it had solid walls that fully enclosed me. I like working that way. But beyond the cube thing was the fact that I WOULD HAVE TO BE THERE.

I’ve worked in my home office since 1999. I’ve had a home office since 1990. The thought of having to be somewhere in a confining space for that length of time was making my stomach hurt. Above everything else, I value my freedom most of all. Without that freedom, I’m like a caged tiger.

This was a heck of a way to be reminded of that. I love making my own schedule, being able to work where I want to work (which is usually my home office), surrounded by the things I love (two cats and a  dog – and my significant other as long as he leaves me to my own devices).

Now my S.O. made a good argument, “You applied to Starbuck’s. This job would allow you to write all day and you could always work on your stuff at night.” He’s right – I did apply to Starbucks. I love new experiences and I LOVE coffee. I thought it would be a way to vary my daily routine, meet new people and earn a few bucks. Plus it would be part-time and wouldn’t dilute my writing quotient because I’d be making lattes, not writing.

The potential job was a writing job. And I know me. I’ve given my heart and soul to my employers before – giving them the best of me and leaving nothing for me to fall back on. Work at night on my stuff? It simply wouldn’t happen.

So, even though some people would call me crazy to pass up an opportunity to work in my field and earn a weekly paycheck, I withdrew my name from consideration. I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time by going through the interview process and possibly be tempted to take the job if it was offered. I would have been miserable in no time flat. Not because the job was bad – it is a dream job for someone – but because of what I value most – my freedom and my work.

The reminder of the things I value most is priceless and probably overdue. Thank you, Universe, for the not-so-subtle hint. I get it. And the best part? More writing and teaching opportunities are coming my way now. That’s the best confirmation of all that I’ve made the right decision.

Update:

I’ve probably left you thinking I wouldn’t be interested at all in working for someone else, and that’s not necessarily the case. It’s just that I’ve become much clearer on what I will – and won’t – accept in a job. So, to clarify, here’s my top 10 list of things I would need to make a job work for me today:

1. Work that challenges me, yet serves a higher purpose and supports the greater good
2. An income that pays me more than enough to cover my existing bills
3. Freedom to work within the position as I see fit – no boss looking over my shoulder telling what to do
4. Upper management that has no issue with me continuing my own business
5. A place of employment that celebrates individuality and freedom of expression
6. A work week that is 30 (preferably 25) hours – or less
7. Some benefits including a 401K
8. Freedom to work from home frequently
9. A casual dress environment
10. Visible access to outside because I derive great energy from seeing the outside world, especially nature.

There, now I’m square with you AND the Universe.

Today I’m pleased to introduce you to Suzanne Wesley. Suzanne is a full-time writer and graphic designer with years of experience. We met on the Savvy Freelance Writers Facebook fan page after she commented on a post. Her topic about logo branding is one that I think many writers overlook when starting their businesses.

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Maybe the simpler question to answer is, can a writer get by without a logo? The answer would be, yes – you certainly can. But, . . . you’ll be working much harder when making a first impression than writers who do have one (just like everyone in every other profession).

It is very cliché but there is definitely a bit of truth hidden in the saying that a picture is worth a 1,000 words. When you have only moments to make a first impression any advantage you can get is going to be helpful. A well-crafted logo can help you appear professional, organized, creative . . . or even reflect a particular writing specialty that is your niche. And a logo can do that, before they read a single word about your latest pitch!

First impressions matter.

In a world where everyone is inundated with too much information on a daily basis, we are left to hope against hope that someone will notice our writing, make the time to read it, and fall in love with it (and then champion it on our behalf to those with the power to say yes or no to its publication).

The font choices, colors used, and design style of a logo can say a lot about you – even without using the stereotypical ink pen, quill, book or typewriter that are often used symbols of the writer’s trade.

For instance, if you consider yourself a chic lit writer, are you a writer of warm and fuzzy romance, or do you go for edgier female topics and handle them with gusto? You can hint at your writing style with a feminine script font and your choice of color. A softer pink or rose for a romantic vs. a bolder red instantly make a statement about your style.

Or, maybe comedy is your writing genre of choice. A bright, and vibrant color such as orange, yellow, or shocking pink or green enhance an instant sense of fun being afoot! Add in a fun (yet readable) font and your logo has made an instant statement on your behalf – even before anyone has had the chance to meet you, or read your query or proposal.

My own logo is below. What first impression does it give to you?

Suzanne Wesley is a full-time freelance writer and graphic artist from Indiana.  She has over 13 years of experience in design and corporate communications creation. She is also the mother of two preschool-aged girls who make working out of a home office very interesting. Visit her site at www.suzannewesley.com.

I like surveys. I’m sure this has nothing to do with the fact that I was in the marketing research industry for 16 years. I’ve used SurveyMonkey and Zoomerang, but both felt lacking in that they limit what you can do with your data – like not export it for your own use.

Then I came across Erica Douglass‘ post about surveying using Google Docs. What?? The functionality that I love is inside Google Docs? Turns out, the answer is Yes. You can create a variety of question types (grids, yes/no, scales, etc.) and even pull someone through a survey based on their responses. This isn’t just a simple document, it has real power to deliver great insights . . . if the questions are written properly, that is. Even better – you can download the results and play with them any way you like.

Why are surveys helpful? If you run a blog, you can ask your audience just about anything:

• what are their likes/dislikes?
• what do they want to learn more of?
• what do they want to see less of?
• how helpful has the information they’ve received so far been?
• how did they find you?
• do they blog?
• assorted demographics
• etc., etc.

Information gleaned from surveys can help drive your blog’s content into territory that will be truly relevant to your readers, which will be attractive to others not currently reading your blog. Just understanding this can dramatically impact your blog’s readability and influence.

And yes, this is a setup to let you know to expect a survey in the near future.

Erica has done a great job of walking through how to create a Google Docs survey, so I’ve embedded her video on how to do this below. Enjoy! Let me know what you think.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sOFs4ai2oY&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

I also hope everyone (in the U.S. at least) has a wonderful and safe Independence Day holiday. The U.S. is 234 this year.