Discover Your Unique Selling Proposition
No matter what you sell online, be it a product or service, it
is critical to define what sets you apart from your competition,
makes your product/service appealing to your target market, and
what benefits your product/service provides your customers. This
is your Unique Selling Proposition or USP.
Being able to communicate the unique benefits of what you have
to offer in a specific manner is critically important for
achieving a distinguishable difference between you and your
competitors.
You should aim to make your USP the one specific idea that first
comes to mind when people think of your product or service. A
very famous example comes from the automobile industry: when
people hear "Volvo" they instantly identify it with "Safety".
You must obviously work to educate your target market about your
product's USP. People did not just automatically associate Volvo
with safety. Volvo helped to instill this idea in their heads
through cleverly planned advertising, promotion and publicity.
You must have your USP clearly defined before you begin to craft
any sales material for your product or service. This will help
you to communicate your USP to your target market. If YOU can't
state it your prospects sure won't see it. Depending on the real
benefits of your product or service and the void in your market
that you are filling, your USP might be one of the following (or
any number of others you might think of):
* You sell your product or service for less than your
competition does.
* You sell a higher quality product or service than anyone else
in your industry.
* You provide more customer service or education before, during
and after the sale than anyone else does.
* You offer twice the guarantee of your closest competitor.
* You offer better bonuses than anyone else does.
* You serve a specific demographic i.e. age group, industry, or
type of person.
Here's Exactly How to Create Your USP:
Write out in one to two paragraphs the benefits, NOT features,
of your product or service; what sets it apart from your
competition; and what makes it appealing to your target market.
Edit out the generalities and focus on the crispest, clearest,
most specific promise your product/service can offer to your
target market.
Rework it until you have a simple, clearly defined USP that your
customers can instantly identify with. You should try to express
your USP in a way that people really think. For example, forget
anything like, "The innovative leader in banking services,
financial products and convenient technology".
People just don't think that way. So it doesn't stick in their
minds. This is more like it: "South Africa's only international
bank". Get the idea? Keep it simple. Succinct. USP's work best
when they are a sentence or two for the most.
Lowestfare.com is an example of a company whose USP is clearly
defined in their domain name. This company provides the lowest
air fares in the air travel industry.
Does Your USP Pass This Checklist?
* Is it true?
* Is it easy to understand?
* Does it differentiate the product in an attractive manner from
the competition?
* Is it expressed the way people will express it in their own
minds?
If you haven't answered YES to all four of the above, go back
and rework your USP until you can.
You should present your USP in every ad. And do so year after
year. People remember with repetition.