Wherever you find a successful business, you will find a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) - something that sets them apart from the competition and defines them in the minds of consumers. Companies without a USP either struggle to form an identity, or fail to leverage the benefits they offer.
When you boil down a USP to its basic ingredients, you find it is made up of two things:
1. The aspect of your business that makes it unique
and
2. The benefit your business offers to the consumer.
Without the uniqueness, no one will be able to distinguish you from your competitors. Without the benefit, no one will see why they should care.
So the USP is vitally important - but how do you create one?
I'm glad you asked. Follow these three simple steps to a specialized USP for your business.
1. Have the meeting
Gather your staff together, especially those who have direct contact with customers, such as salespeople. Once you have everyone together, you need to have a brainstorming session and answer these three questions:
1. What makes us different from our competitors? (and don't say "it's because we have the best customer service" – everyone says that and it's NOT unique ...at all)
2. Why is our product/service a "must have"?
3. What are the benefits of choosing us over the competition?
Disclaimer: You are going to hear your staff say things that will make you cringe!
However, everything said here is productive because you need to know not only what you want the USP to be, but also how you are currently perceived. It is good to get a dose of reality every now and again. You also may find out you are unique in ways you hadn't considered before.
Usually, one question will be harder than the others. For instance, a lawn service company is pretty clearly a must- have for people with lawns, and the benefit is obvious as well, but it may be difficult to find out what makes you different from the thousands of other similar businesses.
Here's where you really need to dig in. No two businesses are exactly the same - find what is different about yours. If you can't, come up with something! There are always ways to separate yourself from the pack.
Once you have discovered what makes you different, and why a consumer would want you, you are ready to create your USP.
2. Craft the Wording
Take your businesses uniqueness and benefits and marry them together in a way that is absolutely crystal clear and easy to read. You don't want a single word to be lost on the reader.
For example, my company PostcardMania's USP is, "PostcardMania is the ONLY postcard marketing company that creates custom marketing campaigns based on proven industry results."
From that you clearly understand why we are different (i.e. we are the only company that tracks industry results and uses them to create our clients campaigns), and why we benefit you (better marketing = better results).
3. Put It Everywhere
Now that your USP has been discovered and crafted, simply put it on every piece of marketing that goes out the door. This is how you build recognition of not only your name, but your business' purpose and benefit as well.
Author Resource:
Joy Gendusa began PostcardMania in 1998 out of her home, with nothing but a phone and a computer, never taking a dime of investment capital. Joy originally started PostcardMania as a full-service postcard marketing company helping clients create turn-key marketing campaigns with graphic design, printing, mailing list acquisition and mailing services. Over the years, Joy has grown PostcardMania into one of the nation's most effective, top marketing agencies specializing in lead generation for small to large-sized businesses. Since then, PostcardMania has expanded to offer its clients more services including website and landing page design and development, email marketing and full marketing evaluations — all while continuing to educate clients with free marketing advice.
Joy and PostcardMania have won many awards for creativity, best business practices and expansion and have been recognized on the Inc. 500 and 5000 lists. By 2008, revenues reached nearly $19 million and the company now employs over 160 people, prints 4 million and mails 2 million postcards each week, and has more than 40,000 customers in over 350 industries. Visit www.PostcardMania.com
For more information on how you can increase business by marketing your USP, call one of PostcardMania's marketing consultants at 800-628-1804. They'll give you FREE advice on how to grow your business.
You can download the first three chapters of Joy's book "The Ultimate Postcard Marketing Success Manual" here: www.PostcardMarketingSuccessManual.com
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