Include THIS for a Successful Marketing Campaign

Your business’ Unique Selling Proposition:

It is the one distinct engaging idea that sets you and your company apart from your competition. It makes your business stand above your competition.

To identify your USP, you want to start by building a statement of benefits for your company.  The statement of benefits lists of all the strengths that your product or service possesses. Select 3 to 5 of the most significant strengths and build them into a unified USP (Unique Selling Proposition). This should be based on characteristics that inspire prospects to become customers of your business.

It should focus on the operations and quality that your company brings to the table. It can focus on price, location, value, surroundings, the buying experience or even your product knowledge. It just has to be something that makes your company stand out from the others in your market.

The USP is the single, unique benefit your business makes to your potential customers. It is the one thing your competition does not offer.

99% of businesses can’t articulate in just 1 to 2 concise paragraphs the USP of their business. Without a USP, they are just trying, unsuccessfully, to be all things to all customers.

You need to have a sharp, specific USP. It should the unique, seductive selling advantage that are the best suited to deliver to your potential customer.

Depending on your strengths or the biggest marketing voids in your market, your USP could be one of the below:

PRICE:
Depending on the type of service or product you offer, one option could be to offer yours for less. Be careful when going down this path, as you may find that the perception of your brand is diminished with a lowed price. .

PRICE GUARANTEES:
You could offer guarantees on price or two times the level of assurance protection/warranty than your competitors offer.

OFFERS:
You could provide gift certificates/coupons, special bonuses, premiums, or services that other businesses do not offer.

NICHE SERVED:
If you service a specific age group, such as Baby Boomers, then let your prospects know you provide preferential treatment to them.

QUALITY:
You could sell a higher quality service or than your competition. You could charge more for this, and show them you provide a lot more value. (NOTE: This is preferable to competing on price)

CUSTOMER SERVICE or EDUCATION:
You could provide more customer service or education before, during and after the sale than anyone else does at a comparable or lower price.

SELECTION:
You could offer more choices, options or a larger selection than anyone else.

The possibilities are truly endless. Additionally, you can have multiple USPs and market to several groups.

Just decide on your main USP, what it was or what it should be before you start a new marketing campaign. Then you can merge that USP into everything piece of marketing you have created.

Be certain you can fulfill the promise withing your USP. It will not do your business any good to promote a fabulous selection of products if you only have a couple of versions of an item.

Before I go into my recommendations for USPs, I should touch on something that is common in most businesses.

When asked to clearly articulate the USP of their business, most business owners do not have an answer.

It is not a surprise that many businesses lack a strong USP. It is also no surprise that many of those without a USP barely get by. The failure rate is high and their business only grabs a small share of the potential business it could.

Other than the cliche "location, location, location", what is it that they offer to get customers to come to their business? Without a unique feature, appealing promise or special service the business will face an uphill battle.

EXAMPLES:
In case you are finding it difficult to come up with a USP, here are some examples to get your creative juices flowing. Your USP should be written as if you were writing a headline for an advertisment or ariticle. You might have a USP that says:

• “We always have in-stock 25 different styles of jeans in no less than 15 sizes and 5 colors and in price ranges from $25-$175.”
• “We have 3 times the selections that the warehouse stores have"
• "Get help from our live, local customer service representatives 24 hours a day."

You can take the USP and embed it into your marketing campaigns, such as:

“Most local transmission repair companies will only fix domestic and common transmissions. ABC Transmission handles all of these AND every transmission ever made. Plus, we are an authorized service center and installer for all major automotive companies. Why should you accept anything less than the best.”.

Here are some specific examples of USPs that, depending on your offer, you can use.

DISCOUNTED PRICE USP:
“Our competitors on average mark-up is 27%, ours is only 15%.”

SERVICE ORIENTED USP:
“When you buy from other stereos companies in in town, you get a limited warranty. When you buy from our company you get a life-time unlimited warranty with service guaranteed within 4 hours.”

SCARCITY BASED USP (IMPLIED QUALITY):
“We only make 1,700 each year.”

"Only available in Spring of each year"

“900 of are made in Italy, of those only 250 are available in the US. They can only e offered as long as they last.”

The Unique Selling Proposition is they key to your marketing efforts. You must be able to clearly articlulate your USP. Once it is incorporated into those efforts, you will see results begin to manifest themselves in ways that were previously unimaginable.