Chicken or Egg? USP or ICA?

For the last year or so, I’ve been struggling with a lot of things which are supposed to help grow my business and make it thrive. First and foremost is the chicken and egg query: which comes first; ICA, USP, Branding, or something else?

I’ve talked to several coaches and mentors, put the question out into groups, and still, hadn’t found the answers that I needed…until recently.

I met Shannon Seek in an online meetup a few weeks ago. Though I’m light years away from her ICA, she’s hooked me up with a few Facebook groups because we talked at length and she got a feel for my pain points.

I joined a few of the groups, deemed others not a good fit, and even quit one of the groups I joined when it didn’t feel right. The one I’m spending the most time in lately, and which is proving incredibly helpful is “Getting Clients Without Being Salesy” aka Gorilla Army Nation.

Discovering the Gorilla Army Nation

Landon Porter is the most visible of the 4 group owners. He created a series of videos called “The Treasure Hunt” which all new members must follow before jumping into the “jungle”. After spending a few days going through them, I have to admit, it’s well worth the effort.

My biggest take away right now has been his perspective on ICA’s, and perhaps even how he identified my reticence for nailing mine down. He pointed out that establishing an ICA doesn’t eliminate everyone else. It simply allows you to narrow your focus with regard to how you’re directing your message.

As I see it, it’s like being a spiritual or religious leader and speaking in the proper forum. A rabbi isn’t going to make a habit of speaking in a Catholic church. A priest won’t be spending much time addressing a congregation of Buddhists. So I need to figure out who it is I communicate most effectively with; whose needs I relate to.

Finding the Explanation that Resonates

I realize now that part of figuring it out is finding someone who says words that break through the muddle in our brains. When my daughter was young, I was helping her with math homework, and she became very frustrated. She said “that’s not how my teacher explained it!” and stormed off. I eventually asked her if she understood the way the teacher was explaining it, and if so, why ask me for help. Over time, she’s acknowledged we often need to hear something explained in different ways until it finally clicks for us, and we all understand things in different ways.

For me, many of the explanations for an ICA left me more confused than ever, but after listening to Landon’s explanation, I realized it wasn’t as much confusion as fear of eliminating too many people from my message. Once I fully embraced his message, I was able to clear the fog and look at a few things to see who I reach easily and without conscious effort.

Who is Listening When You Speak?

I looked at things like my Facebook Lives and blog posts, noting who commented most frequently. Granted, my followers and friends is a fairly small group, but it is pretty diverse demographically. What I found was the most frequent commenters had the following characteristics:

  • Women over 50
  • Business owners
  • Strong and self-sufficient
  • Innovators
  • Determined
  • Financially stable
  • Good work-life balance
  • Predominantly white (I feel I have to include this as, if nothing else, I see it as a limitation on my part)
  • Confident enough to allow people to see their vulnerability.
  • See vulnerability as a strength rather than a weakness
  • Mothers and perhaps grandmothers as well

I know I have a lot more to determine about this woman who is my ICA, but I feel really good about finally being able, nay, willing to narrow it down to this degree. I’m no longer worrying about leaving out the single female entrepreneur, or the 30-40 year olds, or men, or anything else. If I can simply focus on the women I relate to naturally, I now believe those who are outside this exact world will find me based on selected factors rather than the entire picture.

Who Before How

I have also learned it’s important to determine WHO you are talking to before you can determine HOW to talk to them. In my own way (and with a lot of help from friends both old and new), I’ve solved the first part of my chicken and egg problem. ICA comes before USP. Where branding and a ton of other necessary pieces comes is still to be determined, but every journey begins with a single step. My first was a leap of faith which may not have turned out as I’d hoped, but is turning out exactly as it’s supposed to.

Finally figuring out my ICA is a major leap in and of itself. Yet who I speak best to has been right in front of me for a long time. I wasn’t looking in the right place.

All Answers Reside in Your World if You Know Where to Look

What it all boils down to is, if you’re trying to build a thriving business, you must look at your world and see where you are most effective when money, business, career, and analytics don’t matter. Who pays attention to your blog? Who responds when you post on LinkedIn, Facebook, or other Social Media? Who joins conversations and gives honest answers rather than telling you what you want to hear?

Most of all, who frustrates or even raises your ire on occasion, until you shut off the emotional triggers to step back and think about what they said. You might not agree, or even sympathize with some of their positions, but if they make you think, you’ll listen anyway. You know these people are invaluable as they’re the ones who kick your butt and help you raise the bar. They’re the ones who will never let you rest on your laurels. They’ll praise your work at one point, demand more from you than you think you can give at the next. Best of all, they get what they expect and more. Why? Because they’re also the people you admire and respect.

If you’re still struggling to figure out your ICA or other aspects of a business that is your heart and soul, turn to your tribe to help you find the resources you need to clear the fog. The business idea that’s been fulminating in your brain; the idea to expand what you already do; the philanthropic project you dream of launching—they matter more than you know. Someone out there needs what you’re only dreaming of. And you’re already touching them in some way. Open your heart and look around you.

 

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a writer, blogger, Virtual Assistant and advocate for cats. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. She specializes in creating content that helps entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income. If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author.

Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming release of “Forgotten Victims: Healing and Forgiving After Suicide”.