Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

I’ve learned some of my best life lessons by watching others make mistakes—maybe because I’m too self-absorbed to admit my own. One day at Starbucks, I sat with earphones in (no music playing), quietly observing people. A guy nearby sat with a girl, clearly on a date, and spoke so loudly that half the café could hear him. In five minutes, he ran through his résumé: IIT, Stanford, McKinsey London, VC firm in Mumbai, plus a massive social circle. For the next 55 minutes, he gave her unsolicited coaching on how to get into the country’s top B-school. When he finally paused, the girl asked just one question: “If you have such a big social network, why do you need an arranged marriage date to get married?”

Anyway, coming to the MBA concept of the  ‘Unique Selling Proposition (USP)’. First proposed as a theory to explain a pattern in successful advertising campaigns of the early 1940s, the USP states that the campaigns made unique propositions to customers that convinced them to switch brands. The USP could be anything from a brand image of safety (Volvo) to a thirty-minute delivery guarantee (Dominos).

During on-campus placements, one needs to sharpen one’s USP for the interview. For example, I learned during my placements at IIM that when 75% of the batch has done engineering from IIT, that can’t be my USP. ‘Out of the box thinking’ can be, sitting in an interview with one of the biggest FMCG firms in the country (Cadbury), I said my favorite advertisement is the web series, ‘Permanent Roommates’. I was the first guy on the whole campus to which the firm extended the internship offer.

BATNA of your potential date. The pedigree of your education, salary, etc. cannot be the USP as your date would have similar options.

In online dating, you get your foot in the door by making your profile stand out. Your degree or salary won’t set you apart; your photos and bio will. Use a solo photo (not a selfie), one with a dog, one outdoors, and one in a mixed-gender group. Don’t leave your bio blank. Be witty but avoid clichés like “I’m an enigma” or “this space is too short to describe me.” Don’t come off as needy or overly chill. I once saw a senior’s profile that began with “My IQ is probably higher than yours”—more pompous than playful. Still, she was cute, so I super liked her.

Once you match, nail the elevator pitch. Skip “hi”—start with a personal note like “Cool tattoo—what’s the meaning?” or “Is that your pet?” Adorable!” Stand out without seeming desperate or aloof. Prove you’re normal by sharing your social profile to build trust. Then, exchange numbers. Being in their contacts shifts you from “dating app stranger” to a real person. Keep phone chats short and witty—skip the long overshares. Set up an in-person date soon, ideally over evening drinks or dinner in a social setting.

Offline dating, like with a coworker, moves faster since you’re already in their phonebook.

The first date is very similar to a job interview. Remember, they’re already dating you among others of the same type, so don’t oversell yourself. You need to show a fun, compassionate side which they haven’t seen before. Discuss their lives and hobbies, instead of yours. You need to act as a tease, pulling their leg constantly and also complimenting them from time to time.

Now, at the end of the first date, there are different pointers for both genders. Girls should offer to split to show independence and stand by their opinions. If the date went well, don’t hesitate to end with a hug. Our bodies can tell us a lot more than our cognition.

That brings me to the Starbucks date, it was dark in the evening when their date ended. The guy had come by a chauffeur-driven car, but he didn’t even offer to drop the girl back. With the Uber world, it doesn’t quite matter and she would have any way refused but the chivalry and showing concern for a date is what makes you a man, not the fanciest of degrees or bucketloads of money. So that’s the pointer for guys, always offer to drop back, and even if she refuses, ask her to drop you a text once she reaches home safely. Such small acts are what make a man who everyone wants in life.

Later,

Sidhant