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Creating your Unique Selling Proposition

The USP encapsulates the company’s competitive advantage. It is the statement that sets your company apart from the competition; the reason why customers should choose you over the competition; the customer need that you fulfill better than anyone; the one distinctive thing that you stand for!

The key to business growth starts with understanding in detail the needs of your prospect. It's basic, but many business owners never consider how they can absolutely delight their prospects. Until you know what they need and determine how you can satisfy those needs, you can't identify your USP. If you cannot concisely describe the uniqueness of your business or product (and create some excitement in potential users) you may not have the basis for a successful business.

There are several questions to ask your business to determine a USP:
  • What is unique about your business compared with direct competitors? Eg. What needs and desires are our competitors not fulfilling? What are our specific added or extended service/product benefits? Concentrate on those customer needs that create ‘pain’ or ‘pleasure’
  • Which of these factors are most important to the buyers and end users of our service/product? Which of these factors are not easily imitated by competitors?
  • Which of these factors can be easily communicated and understood by buyers or end users?
  • Can we construct a memorable message (USP) of these unique, meaningful qualities about our service/product?
  • Finally, how will you communicate this message (USP) to buyers and end users?

One method of generating the USP after asking the above questions is to consider your business offering by constructing a paragraph in the following context:

“You know how most people have a problem with…”
Explain the problem customers have when buying your category of services
“Which means that…”
Explain the pain those problems cause for customers
“Well, what we do is….”
Explain what you do to remove that pain
“Which means that…”
Explain the benefits to the customer

Once you have considered your unique offering, encapsulate the USP in a single sentence. A good USP is one that fulfils a void in the marketplace. It is communicated clearly and concisely so that your prospects ‘get it’. Your USP needs to be in front of the customer at every possible opportunity. It should be included in and seen at all contact points with the customer. Your USP is what differentiates you from your competition. Yell it from the rooftops! Every employee should know and understand your USP.

By Trevor Holmes CEO/Managing Director of ENACT Business Architects 1300 1 36 228

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