No-brainer: the smart shift in USP your business needs to stand out, with Chantal Cornelius

Is it time to rethink everything you’ve ever learned about the USP (or unique selling point)? What is a USP in business and do they work? How do you know?

What’s the alternative?

In this episode of Sparks by Ignium, speaker and author Chantal Cornelius explains why she abandoned the concept of USP in business growth long ago. After twenty-five years of achievement in her own marketing company, extensive research, and three books she knows her no-nonsense approach isn’t edgy for the sake of it – it just works.

Setting out the secrets for success taken from her recently released book StandOut Strategies, this second conversation* with host Phil Rose outlines:

• The five types of strategy a business can use to stand out from the competition – and each turns everything we know about USP in business on its head.
• Why services and high-ticket items aren’t about helping someone to do something. It’s about them feeling something like reassurance, connection or a sense of belonging, even excitement, an energy rush or the power of impact.
• If 95% of our buying decisions are made subconsciously, irrationally and emotionally, how do we tap into this powerful seat of motivation to become the ‘no brainer’ option?
• The vital question every business owner should be asking their clients and customers – along with how (and how not) to ask it.
• Why some don’t ask or miss the important details of what’s said. What language should you be picking up on and what do you do with it? What’s holding you back?

Tune in to find out which strategy aligns with your company’s culture, purpose, and client base.

Discover new ways to understand what clients want and how to serve them because, in that way, everyone wins. By digging in deep and getting to the root of what people struggle with and what they desire, we can show up and deliver using our unique skills and abilities.

Is it time you upgraded the USP in your business growth plan to something else?

*check out Chantal and Phil’s first podcast foray into marketing success here.

 

We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did. To get our message out there, share this episode with someone you think could benefit from it. Thank you.

Chantal Cornelius:

Chantal left the corporate world in 2000 to set up Appletree Marketing. It was the second best decision she’s ever made. Since then, she’s filled her time helping hundreds of coaches, consultants, and speakers to grow their businesses. Her marketing advice is straightforward, practical, and down-to-earth. She’s written three books, with the latest, StandOut Strategies, published in October 2024. When she’s not speaking, training, or handing out marketing advice, you’ll find Chantal riding her horse, growing vegetables in her garden, or whizzing down a ski slope— but not all at the same time!

Memorable Quotes:

• "Standing out isn't about being different; it's about being true to yourself and your customers."
• "In business, it's not just about doing things right—it’s about doing the right things."

Takeaway Action:

• Reevaluate your business strategies—are they truly standing out, or just blending in?
• Take time to reflect on your business’s core purpose and how it resonates with your clients.
• Commit to continuous learning and personal development, whether through reading, speaking, or networking.

Books and Articles Referenced:

Stand Out Strategies. Chantal Cornelius.

One in Ten: How to Survive Your First Ten Years in Business. Chantal Cornelius

Magnetic Marketing. Chantal Cornelius.

Learn More:

• Visit the Ignium website
• Subscribe for more exclusive content in the Ignium Spark Tank here
• Listen to the show here

 

Connect with today’s guest:

  Check out Chantal’s book, Standout Strategies—available now.

What is Sparks by Ignium?

Conversations with business founders, leaders and experts, examining the changing landscape of leadership, purpose, business growth, Scaling Up, resilience and change with business leaders and owners in mind. We cover a mix of topics designed to ignite (or re-ignite) your spark one conversation at a time.

Learn More: visit the Ignium https://www.igniumconsult.com/
Subscribe for more exclusive content in the Ignium Spark Tank: https://www.igniumconsult.com/the-spark-tank/
Connect with your host Phil Rose on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachphilrose/

Welcome to the Sparks by Ignium Podcast. I am Phil Rose, as usual. I'm your host of the Sparks by Ignium Podcast. And today, I'm delighted to welcome back to the show Chantal Cornelius. Chantal and I spoke at the back end of 2024. At that time, she said to me, "Come back in 2025, because by that time, I will have published my next book." And lo and behold, she has now completed and published her next book, Standout Strategies. Chantal is coming back to talk to us about what Standout Strategies means to you in business and personally.

The other bit of news she shared with me is that this year marks her 25th business anniversary. I always look at businesses and think if they can get past their first year, then onto their fifth year, that's great. But to do 25 years? That's pretty impressive. So, your silver anniversary, Chantal Cornelius of Appletree Marketing—welcome back to Sparks by Ignium.

Chantal Cornelius: Thanks for having me back, Phil. It's great to be back. And yes, I'm not quite sure where the last 25 years went. But hey, I'm still going and still loving it.

Phil Rose: I sent out a note to all my clients in January, just as a reminder when I'm thinking about planning. I said, "Hey, look, we'll be planning the next year, maybe think about the next 10 years. And by the way, did you realize it was a quarter of a century since the millennium?" And they all came back and said, "Oh my gosh, a quarter of a century."

Chantal Cornelius: Yeah, of course. And there was such a big hoo-ha about it. I still remember the New Year's Eve party I had on the beach with friends and fireworks like it was about two weeks ago.

Phil Rose: And my thing is, actually, we had a friend who was pregnant on New Year's Eve, and her daughter was born on January 6, 2000. She has just celebrated her 25th birthday. And that’s a real shock because we were with her 25 years ago when she wasn’t around.

So, we’re here to talk about Standout Strategies and various other things. Last time we spoke, we talked about the growth of Apple Tree Marketing, what you did to create it, and how everything in your book came together. You originally said that USPs don’t work. Just tell me a bit about that, because we’ve all talked about USPs before. Market experts always say, "Come up with your unique selling proposition and delve into that with your clients." So why don’t USPs work?

Chantal Cornelius: Two reasons. Firstly, because they are about selling. It’s about me trying to sell to you, and actually, marketing and sales should be about helping people. It’s not about saying, "I’ve got a product or service. Do you want to buy it?" It’s about asking, "What’s the problem? What’s the challenge you’re looking to overcome?" and finding a solution.

Secondly, from all my research, I found that USPs are not actually unique. I noticed this specifically with coaches. I work with a lot of coaches, and so many of them say, "What makes me different is that I help people get from where they are to where they want to be." Woohoo! Yeah, so does everyone else. That made me think there has to be a better way of doing this.

Phil Rose: I love that. And as coaches, I remember when I started my business 21 years ago, I thought, "I need to learn how to sell." I worked with a great guy called Marcus Kalki for a year in 2004. He taught me that selling isn’t about features and benefits; it’s about finding the client’s pain and understanding how to solve it.

Now, fast forward to today. You say sales and marketing are about helping people. How do you transition from USP to something else?

Chantal Cornelius: I started researching this in 2015—nearly 10 years ago. I attended workshops, read around the subject, and listened to what others were saying. What I realized is that it’s all about emotional buying decisions. Research shows that around 95% of our decisions are made subconsciously, irrationally, and emotionally. First impressions count because our brains make decisions before we even consciously realize it. This is especially true for services like coaching, consulting, and speaking, where there’s no tangible product to evaluate. It all comes down to how someone feels about working with you.

Phil Rose: That’s really interesting. People want certainty in their purchases. If I buy a Porsche, I know what I’m getting—a premium car that makes me feel a certain way. But when people invest in coaching or marketing, the outcome isn’t always as tangible. How do you bridge that gap?

Chantal Cornelius: Through Standout Strategies, I identified five different strategies businesses can use to connect with their ideal clients. The key is to find the one strategy that is best for your business.

Certainty – Clients want to feel safe, secure, and confident in their decisions. My business fits into this category because clients come to me for a safe pair of hands.

Connection – Clients want to feel part of something bigger. This works well for networking groups and membership-based businesses.

Contribution – Clients want to feel they’re making a difference. Charities do this brilliantly by showing donors how their contributions help.

Growth – Clients want personal or business growth. Coaches often fall into this category because they empower their clients to grow.

Significance – Clients want to feel seen, heard, and impactful. This is great for leaders, public speakers, and influencers who aim to make a difference.

Phil Rose: That’s a fascinating way of looking at it. So, what’s the best way for a business owner to identify their standout strategy?

Chantal Cornelius: Talk to your clients! Pick up the phone and ask them, "Why do you work with me? How do you feel when you work with me?" The language they use will reveal your standout strategy. You may think you’re offering growth, but your clients might actually be coming to you for certainty. That’s an important distinction.

Phil Rose: That’s a brilliant insight. So, let’s wrap up with this—this is your third book, and you’ve spent nearly a decade refining this concept. What drove you to write Standout Strategies?

Chantal Cornelius: I needed to get all these ideas out of my head and onto paper. Plus, a book is a great business card! Just this morning at a networking event, I mentioned my book, and a coach immediately approached me, eager to buy it.

Phil Rose: That’s fantastic. So, where can people find you and Standout Strategies?

Chantal Cornelius: They can go to AppletreeUK.com. The test, book, and loads of marketing advice are all there.

Phil Rose: Brilliant. Thank you, Chantal, for sharing such valuable insights. Congratulations again on your 25th anniversary and on launching Standout Strategies. It’s been a pleasure speaking with you!

Chantal Cornelius: Thanks, Phil! It’s been great fun.