With all the COVID-19 lockdowns we have had here in Sydney over the last couple of years, we have had to find new ways to entertain ourselves for extended periods of time at home. Yes, this included COVID pets we all adopted, binge-watching tv shows in the background and Zoom catch-ups with friends.

One of my favourite ways to pass the time was doing jigsaw puzzles. It had been a long time since I had ever done one, but a holiday with friends just before the world went crazy saw a friend bring one and leave it on the communal table. He invited us to come and go as we pleased. A piece here or there.

As it turns out, I became obsessed with getting it completed. This varied by the moment between the calming mindfulness of being so focussed and my competitive streak spurred on if another friend found a connecting piece first. There is also a part of me that like to do things so I can say “tick” job done.

I learnt that everyone goes about jigsaw puzzling very, very, differently. This can be a challenge. Do you do the outside first? Sort pieces by colour first? Work on finding the same one piece? Or go it alone with your own section? Everyone believing their logic makes the most sense.

I can divide our group into the following jigsaw personality types –

• Short Attention Span – come for 5 mins and then disappear to find something more fun.
• Attention to Detail – finding a piece of the puzzle that has a fine detail like a button on a shirt, a letter from a label, a nose for a person or a peculiar shape. Avoids the big areas of one block colour.
• Up for a challenge – these are the testers that do the sky, grass, ocean scenes methodically by trial and error. Patience is a virtue.
• Come and go – different to the short attention span. They float in and out. 100% focus from time to time. The thrill of finding a piece that everyone else is looking for and then they disappear.

The same can be said about LinkedIn. We all go about getting the job done in our own logic. You can listen and learn from others but ultimately you have to work out a way that works best for your skills, personality, experience and don’t forget what you actually enjoy.

Jigsaw pieces teach us a valuable lesson about embracing our uniqueness on LinkedIn.

No two pieces in a jigsaw puzzle are ever the same. They all have their own unique shape and place in the puzzle. You can’t bend them or turn them upside down to make them fit no matter how hard you try.

I want you to think about yourself as a piece of the 800 million piece LinkedIn puzzle. No matter how many members this platform grows to – there is only one of you!

If you don’t wholeheartedly embrace and value your uniqueness you will always have trouble creating content on LinkedIn. Instead, this tune will play in your head like a broken record – “I’ve got nothing to say that hasn’t been said before.” WRONG! The same applies in business. If you can’t articulate what makes your business stand out from your competition your content will just read blah blah blah.

The technical name for the above is referred to as USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Now it’s not about being “unique” for the sake of it. It is about defining what makes your business different that your ideal client would care about.

A good place to start is to think about what makes you stand out from your competition. If you are drawing a blank go back and check any reviews or recommendations you have received from clients as often they leave clues.

Your USP will be your guiding light and driving force. It will allow you to stand out like a beacon for those that are searching for your skills. Your content will be heard by the right audience as what you say will resonate clearly.

Remember this – your business could be somebody else’s missing piece of their puzzle.

I know that sales isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and that the hardest product to sell is yourself. With 15+ years as an extremely successful National Account Manager, I am trained in finding the uniqueness and benefits of products, services and companies.

Good Trading Co offers coaching services to help you identify your USP and teach you how to use this throughout your content marketing on LinkedIn to generate more leads and opportunities to grow your business.

Want to know more – book a 15 min Zoom intro call here.

Wishing you Good Vibes.

MJR 😀

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