Having trouble figuring out what makes
your business different?
Here’s a simple exercise that can help
by Susan Martin
One of the keys to successful marketing is identifying what makes your
business unique and letting everybody know about it. This helps your prospects
to understand why they should buy from you rather than the “other guy”, and when
used successfully makes you the obvious choice. This is often called a USP or
Unique Selling Proposition.
The best USP’s consist of unique concepts that set your business favorably
apart from the competition. When you do this, you effectively make the
prospective customer a promise that you do things a certain way, and get certain
results. Therefore, it’s vitally important that you never use a USP that you
can’t honestly fulfill.
Companies who employ USP’s have a basis for competing in the marketplace that
goes way beyond price. And, since there always seems to be someone who can do it
cheaper, it puts your business into a different league.
Surprisingly enough, there are many companies that don’t use USP’s. Somehow
they manage to exist; often they lose steam and fail. For marketing that really
packs a punch and for those of you who “hate” selling and USP is one of the
things that will make the sale for you.
Here’s a simple exercise to help you identify your USP:
- Gather together a couple of people from your team, or who know something
about your business.
- Put yourselves in the shoes of others in your industry, especially your
prospective customers.
- Pinpoint the types of things these others might say about the products,
services and companies in your industry. Don’t holdback - include stereotypes
and globalisms – sometimes even funny ones will help.
- Make a long list.
- Step back into your own shoes.
- Now, read your list. What makes YOU or your company different?
- Select the most compelling ones that you honestly come by and incorporate
them into your marketing program.
Some ways to use your USP:
- Sound-bites or elevator speeches
- Marketing messages
- Brochures
- Value Propositions
- Advertising
- Press Releases
- Proposals
Susan Martin is owner of Business Sanity. Visit Susan on the
web at
www.business-sanity.com to learn more about her Business Sanity program or contact her at:
susan@business-sanity.com.
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