Your USP is probably the most fundamentally important marketing tool at your disposal, and also one of the most neglected.

It should be the first thing you develop before you begin any other marketing activities, as it shapes all the marketing and advertising material you create in the future.

Simply put, your USP answers this question:

“Why should I buy your product or service over your competitors?”

Most business simply don’t know the answer to this question.

If you instantly had a response to this, then well done, your off to a good start.

It’s should really be quite obvious that you need to know how you differentiate yourself from your competition, and what makes you unique or better than them, in some way.

If you cannot do this, then how can you possibly attempt to convince potential customers to choose you or your product over all your other competitors?

Here are some examples of good USP’s, and the need/pain it fulfills/addresses:

Example #1 – Package Shipping Industry

Pain – I have to get this package delivered quick!

USP – “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” (Federal Express)

Example #2 – Food Industry

Pain – The kids are starving, but Mom and Dad are too tired to cook!

USP – “Pizza delivered in 30 minutes or it’s free.” (Dominos Pizza)

(This USP is worth $1 BILLION to Dominos Pizza in the US)

Example #3 – Real Estate Industry

Pain – People want to sell their house fast without loosing money on the deal.

USP – “Our 20 Step Marketing System Will Sell Your House In Less Than 45 Days At Full Market Value”

Example #4 – Dental Industry

Pain – Many people don’t like to go to the dentist because of the pain and long wait.

USP – “We guarantee that you will have a comfortable experience and never have to wait more than 15 minutes” or you will receive a free exam.”

Example #5 – Cold Medicine Industry

Pain – You are sick, feel terrible, and can’t sleep.

USP – “The nighttime, coughing, achy, sniffling, stuffy head, fever, so you can rest medicine.” (Nyquil)

Example #6 – Jewelry Industry

Pain – The market hates paying huge 300% mark-ups for jewelry.

USP – “Don’t pay 300% markups to a traditional jeweler for inferior diamonds! We guarantee that your loose diamond will appraise for at least 200% of the purchase price, or we’ll buy it back.”

A USP accomplishes 3 things:

1. Makes you unique: Sets you or your product apart from the competition, highlighting you as the logical choice to fulfill a specific need.

2. Persuasion: It persuades prospects that your product is the solution to their problem

3. Promise: It makes a promise to fulfill their need.

Another great example of a USP is targeting your product’s USP to 1 specific use thereof.

For example, in the UK, you get potatoes for specific uses. EG: Potatoes for Roasting, Potatoes for baking, Potatoes for Chips etc.

Now Cmon, we all know it’s the exact same potatoes, but I can promise you that most people looking to make a roast will be buying the “roasting potatoes” (just in case!), even though they know deep down inside that they are all the same.

Here are a few more examples of general products marketed to specific needs:

• Microwavable dinners for kids to make for themselves

• Clarion Cosmetics’ “computer,” which tells you which colors are
right for you

• Luzianne iced-tea bags

• A stress management seminar for career women

• A shampoo and conditioner for “swimmer’s hair”

How To develop Your USP:

Please complete the following action steps to assist you in developing your USP.

1. Find out exactly who your target customer is. What are their wants and desires? What are their pains?

Try and write down every possible thing that you think your target customer would want from a product or service similar to yours.

2. Put together a list of your top competitors. What benefits do their products provide? See if you can determine their USP.

Write down each competitor top benefit (what they claim in their marketing that differentiates them from the market) as well as 5 additional benefits each.

3. Now analyze your product. Write your top benefits down, as many as you can.

4. Compare your benefits to your competitors. Are there any that you have that they don’t? Or are you better at any specific points?

5. Compare your benefits to your list of customer desires, wants and pain points. Are your benefits satisfying all of them? Are there any that that neither you nor your competitors are focusing on? If so, this could be your unique angle and focus!

Here are the 7 most important steps to remember when developing your USP:

1. Discuss your biggest benefits. Not Features!

People only care about the benefits they get from it. Eg: You don’t sell personal fitness training services. (feature). You Sell a healthier lifestyle, or weight loss or increased confidence.(benefits)

2. Always be unique. It’s not a unique selling proposition if your competitors are seen to offer the exact same thing!

3. Make sure to solve a problem in your niche or industry, or address a point of pain. Try to find a gap in your industry you can fill.

Find out exactly what customers dislike most about your industry or niche, and address that exact issue.

Eg: Used car salesman are viewed by most as dishonest. Your used car shop or business can develp a USP of being the most honest used car business in the area. (Obviously you need to be able to backup these claims in some way – next point).

4. Offer proof! As with the example above, it’s critical you offer proof of your claims and some way to backup the claims in your USP. This is often best done with testimonials that include real contact details or photo’s.

5. Make your USP one clear and concise sentence that clearly announces your #1 benefit.

6. Make sure your USP is integrated into all marketing materials and advertising. It’s of no use if your customers don’t know about it!

Your USP will be the driving force for all your sales and business success. As soon as you have differentiated yourself from your competitors and made it glaringly clear why you are the logical choice for your customers, you will find it very difficult to fail in growing your business by leaps and bounds.