Unique Selling Proposition

September 11, 2008 | By | In Marketing

In this article, I’d like to talk about the concept of USP.

What is USP? Well, a USP is a Unique Selling Proposition. It is simply what is unique about your product or business. When you can develop your unique selling proposition, it can give you a competitive advantage over your competitors. It can also create the perception of unique value in your customers.

Basically, a USP is an attempt to express the uniqueness of your business in a single statement. It is a promise no one else makes. It can also be a unique benefit that applies only to your product or service. Either way, it serves to differentiate you from your competition.

Your USP is what will let your customers know why they should buy your product over your competitor’s product. It tells them why they should shop at your retail store.

Sounds obvious when you think about it. Why should your customers buy from you and not someone else? You need a good reason; otherwise, you are merely jumping around shouting “buy from me” just like everyone else out there. The lack of a Unique Selling Proposition is why some many businesses fail.

Your USP should spell out exactly what your major benefit is. What will your product or service do for the prospect if he or she buys from you? Whatever you are selling, think of the best benefit. Turn that into a phrase and you will have your USP. You can come up with a phrase that makes you appear different than your competitors. Focus on what is unique about you. You want this benefit to be important enough to get your customers to notice you.

Here are the basics to a profit generating Unique Selling Proposition:

Your USP sets you apart, it makes you different in the eyes of the customers.
You want to try to fill an obvious void in the marketplace or niche.
Your positioning differentiates you from the competition.

In the process, it should get prospective customers excited about your product or service. Having a USP helps make you look like you are on the customer’s side. Prospective customers don’t really care how great your company is, they just want to know what’s in it for them. What benefits will they get from the transaction? That’s your USP. This what differentiates you from the competition. When people think of where to shop, you want them to think of you.

If you are want to learn more about USP, I recommend you read POSITIONING TACTICS SYSTEM by Lisa Ginger.

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