When clients can’t differentiate between you and another designer, they will always be making their decision to hire you based on price.

This is why you need to stand out and have a unique value proposition.

Now, unique value proposition is a fancy term for the unique advantage you bring to your clients.

A unique value proposition, or UVP, is the benefits that YOU offer to clients, how YOU solve your clients’ problems, and how YOU are different. It’s all about YOU and what YOU bring to the table.

Your goal is to essentially make the competition irrelevant.

Here are some examples of UVP: https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/value-proposition-examples

I think it’s important to know what you do and know what you do well. There are two UVPs that I’d like you to think about - your UVP as an interior design professional compared to related professions like a stylist, architect, decorator, shopper - even compared to designers who work for retail companies.

So for example, you’re different from a designer who works for the local furniture store because you can shop at all the stores - not just the one they work for. Your goal is to provide the client with the best looking room, not sell them furniture. The client is also going to get a much more in-depth view of what is possible, not just the trying to fit as much furniture into the room as possible. This is a simple UVP of an interior designer over a retail furniture store’s design services.

But ultimately, the most important UVP is going to be how you stand out from other designers. You want your UVP to be so good that clients immediately want to hire you over someone else. And you know what, most designers don’t even know what a UVP is, much less have one - so by taking the time to craft and understand yours - you will be miles ahead of them.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when crafting your unique value proposition:

1. What do you do better than anyone else?

2. What are your special skills?

3. What problems are you solving for your ideal clients? What are their pain points?

4. What are the benefits of hiring you over someone else?

5. What do you hear clients say over and over about you/ your services?

Remember, you should be answering these questions on how you are unique and different. So, answering something that is true for most/all designers won’t cut it - like saying you are creative, all interior designers are creative - this isn’t your UVP.

The next step after you know your UVP is to play it up in your marketing materials, in your communications, your new client packet, on your website.

More Resources:

Blue Ocean Strategy & Blue Ocean Shift