Last Updated on 9 months by Greg Noland
Welcome to Day 24 of the 25 Day Success Challenge
I want you to roll up your sleeves, because it’s time to develop your USP. A strong USP will blow the competition away and make them irrelevant. Without a USP, you’re just another business.
What is a USP? It stands for Unique Selling Proposition. It’s what makes you stand out from everyone else. It’s what makes you different from your competition and establishes your value to your clients.
Here are some examples of USPs that have built business empires:
“Fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed.” Now, of course, we know that used to be Domino’s USP.
“When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.”
“Leaves your breath smelling minty fresh.”
Your USP must deliver a tangible benefit to your client. You must always show the benefits that your clients can understand. Most business owners make the mistake of only talking about the features they offer and not the benefits.
Your USP must also be targeted and direct. Did you notice in the Domino’s example, that they’re not saying their pizza tastes better than any other pizza. They don’t even say the pizza will be tasty. But they do promise the pizza will be delivered fast and it will get there hot.
Your USP must also be that specific. Domino’s doesn’t say, “Your pizza will get there sometime within 30 or 40 minutes.” They say, “Set your watch, we’ll be there in 30 minutes or less, or you get your money back.”
Finally, your USP should be quite short. One sentence is great, 2 sentences at the most. You want people to be able to remember your USP. And if it’s too long, they’re simply not going to remember it.
Developing Your USP
Creating your USP will take time. You’ll have to keep improving it. But once you’ve done the following exercises you’re going to know more about your business and about your competitors than ever before.
Here are the steps to make it happen:
- Get some A4 paper and cut it in half across the middle. On each piece, you’re going to write down one feature of your service business. A feature is the nuts and bolts of your business. For example a drill is a feature. The hole the drill makes is the feature. Here are some more examples:
- Having multiple offices is a feature. Convenience for the client is the benefit.
- 24 hour service is a feature. Getting help whenever you need it, day or night is the benefit.
- The newest teeth whitening technology is a feature. Having a dazzling smile in less time is the benefit.
- Having multiple investment vehicles is a feature. Helping your client reach his investment goals is the benefit.
So think about your service business and write down one feature per piece of paper. On the opposite side, write down the benefits associated with that feature.
Remember: A benefit is what the client receives as a result of the feature.
- The next step is to figure out what the competition’s up to. You want to see what your competitors are doing and what they’re saying. This takes a little research.
Take a day and get on the internet and research your competition. Look in the yellow pages. Look anywhere you can for your competitors.
On a pad of paper, make a list of all of the features and benefits your competitors are claiming. More than likely, most of your competitors are only going to list their features.
This will take time, but it’s very important. If you want a critical edge over your competition you will do it.
Now, once you’ve done this, examine your list. You will notice that most service businesses like yours are saying the exact same thing!
So why should a client contact you, as opposed to any other business in your category if everyone is basically saying the same things?
You need to stand out. You need to be perceived as being different and unique.
Again, the key word is perception. Maybe you do only offer the standard services like everyone else. That’s fine. But you can frame these features in a way so you’re perceived as being different from your competition. Then, when a prospect sees your ad or calls you on the telephone, you stand out from everyone else.
Now that you have your features and benefits, and you know what your competition is saying, you now have the material to develop your own USP.
- The main question your USP must answer is this: Credit to Dan Kennedy and GKIC here:
“Why should I hire you, as opposed to anyone else in your business category?”
Once you’ve done that, it’s time for you to condense it down and create your own unique selling proposition.
Remember, your USP should be one or two sentences, at most. You want to write, rewrite, and rewrite again until you get a USP you’re extremely happy with. Spend as much time as you need on this. It’s critically important.
Final Thoughts on Developing A Strong USP
Developing a unique selling proposition (USP) that sets you apart from your competitors is essential for any business. A USP not only distinguishes your products or services but also communicates the unique value you offer to your customers. Here are some tips to develop an outstanding USP:
Understand Your Customers
When was the last time you surveyed your customers?
The first step in creating a unique selling proposition is understanding your customers. Who are they? What problems are they trying to solve? What are their pain points, needs, and desires? By deeply understanding your customers, you can create a USP that resonates with them and communicates how your product or service meets their needs.
The easiest way to understand their fears, needs, wants, desires etc is to ASK!
Identify Your Unique Strengths
Look at your products or services and identify what makes them unique. What can you offer that your competitors can’t? This might be a unique feature, a higher level of quality, a new approach, or an exceptional customer experience. This unique strength should be the cornerstone of your USP.
Analyze Your Competition
Study your competitors to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and their USPs. Understanding what sets you apart from your competition is a key part of crafting your own USP. It’s not enough to be unique; you must be uniquely better in ways that matter to your customers.
Communicate Benefits, Not Features
Your USP should focus on the benefits you offer, not the features of your product or service. For example, if you sell a software product, don’t focus on its features (like its user interface or speed); instead, focus on how it will save your customers time, increase their productivity, or make their lives easier.
Be Specific and Clear
A good USP is specific and clear. Instead of using vague or generic terms, clearly communicate the unique value you offer. For example, instead of saying “We offer high-quality products,” you might say, “Our products last three times longer than the competition.”
Be Genuine and Authentic
Your USP should reflect your brand’s personality and values. Don’t make false or exaggerated claims; customers will see through them. Instead, be genuine and authentic in communicating your unique value.
Test Your USP
Once you’ve created your USP, test it with your target audience. Do they understand it? Does it resonate with them? Does it make them more likely to choose you over your competitors? Use their feedback to refine and improve your USP.
Communicate Your USP Consistently
Once you’ve developed your USP, use it consistently across all your marketing materials, including your website, social media, advertising, and sales conversations. This will help reinforce your unique value in the minds of your customers.
Creating a strong USP involves understanding your customers, identifying your unique strengths, studying your competition, focusing on benefits, being clear and specific, being genuine, testing your USP, and communicating it consistently. By following these steps, you can develop a USP that sets you apart from your competition and communicates the unique value you offer.
That’s all for Day 24 which means there is only ONE DAY left of the 25 Day Success Challenge. Get working on your awesome USP.
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this challenge. And I invite you now to join me on the final day tomorrow…
See you again then…
Dedicated to your success,
Greg Noland
