Developing a Unique
Selling Proposition, or USP, is vital when developing a marketing
message of any kind, including a web site. But what is a USP
exactly? A USP clearly answerw the question that every customer
is asking sub-consciously: "Why should I do business
with this company instead of any of its competitors?"
The USP should be used repetedly in all of your marketing
endeavors. It needs to become your company's mantra. A powerful
USP molds your customer's perception of your company along
with the product or service your company offers.
There are two primary benefits to developing a powerful USP.
First, sets your business apart in the eyes of your current
and potential customers. Second, it forces a honing of your
focus as an entrepreneur on delivering the promise of your
USP, improving your performance.
Want examples? Sure. Who do you think of when you hear the
phrase, "Fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or
less, guaranteed"? How about, "The pain relievers
doctors recommend most"?, Maybe, "They melt in your
mouth, not in your hands"?
The origin of the USP concept
In the 1960's, Rosser Reeves (Chairman of the Board at Ted
Bates & Company) coined the term "unique selling
proposition" in his book Reality in Advertising,
giving us the precise definition as it was understood at his
company:
1. Each advertisement must make a proposition to the customer:
"buy this product, and you will get this specific benefit."
2. The proposition itself must be unique - something that
competitors do not, or will not, offer.
3. The proposition must be strong enough to pull new customers
to the product.
Developing your own USP
So, what is your USP going to be? Whatever you decide on,
remember that it is going to have to set you apart from your
competition and make you different. You want your company
to stand out as unique. Your product or information will get
lost in the vast oceans of competition without a way to stand
out! What makes you better than your competition? Why should
customers choose you over them? What can you do that they
cannot? What are you willing to offer that your competition
is not offering or would not offer? What can you brag about?
These are the questions that you need to be asking yourself
when working on your USP.
Dive into developing a powerful USP:
Ross Reeves actually took the letters USP and turned them
into another helpful acronym for another trio words designed
to help us actually assemble our important USP. This time
the acronym stands for three crucial ingredients that all
powerful USP’s possess: 1) Ultimate Advantage, 2) Sensational
Offer, and 3) Powerful Promise.
1) Ultimate Advantage
2) Sensational Offer
3) Powerful Promise
What do you have to offer that others do not? Unrivaled expertise?
Experience? Personal Care? Support? Any kind of guarantees?
Speed? Quality? Effectiveness? Results? Convenience? Nice
smile? Good hygene?
Whatever sets you apart from your competition, roll it into
a nice little package of words and make it your USP. Your
USP needs to let your customers know what you do, how well
you do it, and why you do it better. That's it!
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