Do you know your unique selling proposition (USP)? Furthermore, is your USP strong enough to persuade clients and consumers to buy what you offer?
Definition of a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
A USP is a marketing idea that makes your product and/ or service stand out of the crowd and ‘miles’ away from your competitors by having a very clear benefit. Prospects and customers have to be convinced that the product / service you’re offering is more valuable than the ones offered by your competitors.
Let’s have a look to a few well-known USP examples:
1. “When your package absolutely, positively has to get there overnight” – Fedex
2. “The King of Pop” – Michael Jackson
3. “The best a man can get” – Gillette
4. “The World’s Favourite Airline” – British Airways
5. “The sweet you can eat between meals without ruining your appetite” – Milky Way
How do you define your unique selling proposition (USP)?
A genuine way to define your USP is by conducting consumer market research. The easiest and most effective way is to simply ask the buyers, customers and prospects what they think about your product / service. How customers perceive your offer is crucial.
You have to make sure, that your products / services are unique and are perceived as such. Think about the problem you’re solving and provide a solution that totally meets or exceeds the needs of your target audience. You need to provide more than your competitors, you need to be unique and exclusive.
A quick survey, a few interviews or an online questionnaire are great ways to digg deeper into the buying factors of your customers.
Your unique selling proposition (USP) is the answer to the question ‘Why do consumers prefer your products / services?’. And the best answer will give you the customer himself.
A lot of businesses don’t involve customer feedback and consumer research into their daily tasks. This is a huge mistakes because a lack of customer feedback can damage your marketing on the long run and drive your business on a bumpy path to nowhere.
Were these information helpful to you? What other factors do you consider important when defining your unique selling proposition (USP)?
Love this post as it provides some good guidelines as to how to go about differentiating yourself from the competition.
I particularly like your tip about asking your customers. I find that most small business owners are either too scared or don’t make the time to carry out this step.