The unique selling proposition is the nucleus around which you build your success, fame, and wealth.7/8/2013
In order to stand above the crowded marketplace, you or your company must offer your prospect or client a unique and distinctive benefit or advantage above and beyond that of your competitor. If you don’t, people have no motivation to do business with you instead of your competition. You must identify and understand what it is you or your company do or can start doing for your clients that provides them with a result or an advantage superior to the competition’s. This is called the unique selling proposition (USP). Your unique selling proposition is that distinct, appealing idea that sets your business apart from every other “me too” competitor.
How do you pick a USP? You must first identify which needs are going unfulfilled within your industry, such as: 1. A broad selection 2. Big discounts 3. Advice and assistance 4. Convenience (i.e., location, fully stocked shelves, immediate delivery) 5. Top-of-the-line products or services 6. Speedy service 7. Services above and beyond the basics 8. A longer and more comprehensive warranty or guarantee than the norm 9. Any other distinct advantage, tangible or intangible benefits, or valuable advantages you can give that the competition doesn’t. The point is to focus on the one niche, need, or gap that is most sorely lacking—provided you can keep the promise you make. You can even create hybrid USPs—combinations that integrate one marketing gap with another. Before you decide on a USP, be sure you can always deliver that USP through your whole organization. You and/or your staff must consistently maintain high levels of quality or service. The USP is the nucleus around which you build your success, fame, and wealth. So you’d better be able to state it. If you can’t state it, your prospects won’t see it. Whenever a client needs the type of product or service you sell, your USP should bring you or your company immediately to mind. Clearly conveying the USP through your marketing and business performance will make business success inevitable. But you must boil down your USP to its bare essence. Try it. Write a one-paragraph statement of your new USP. At first, you will have trouble expressing it tightly and specifically. It may take two or three paragraphs or more. That’s okay. Ruthlessly edit away the generalities, and focus on a crisp, clear statement that promises the most you could possibly offer. Hack away excess verbiage until you have a clearly defined unique selling proposition that a client or prospect can immediately seize upon. Let’s say you run display ads, and your USP offers a greater selection than any other competitor. There are several ways to integrate this into your ads. State the USP in the ad headline: We Always Have 168 Different Widgets In No Less Than Twelve Different Sizes And Ten Desirable Colors In Price Ranges from $6 to $600 (Or) Five Times the Selection, Four Times the Color Choice, Three Times the Number of Convenient Locations, Two Times the Warranty, And Half the Markup of Any Other Dealer Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got: 21 Ways You Can Out-Think, Out-Perform, and Out-Earn the Competition by Jay Abraham Comments are closed.
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