The following post has been written by our guest writer Paul Doyle of (Oligy Coaching). You can checkout Paul’s LinkedIn profile here
USP means a unique selling proposition, it is one of the basics of effective marketing that has stood the test of time. It is more than a “good service” or “good price” – it’s all about knowing what it is that makes you special, and being able to specifically explain it to your customers. This is your unique selling proposition – the thing that sets you apart from your competitors. What makes a successful USP? A successful USP should be:
- Truly Unique
- Exciting to your target market
- Something that will get people talking
- Something that cannot easily be copied
In a mature market this can be very difficult as most angles have already been covered. For owner managers of small operations it may come down to the individual involved, you may need to develop your own personal brand. Clarity on the following may assist you in identifying your own personal USP:
- Outline the specific problem you solve
- The type of clients you provide solutions for (your target market)
- What the results will look like (the benefits the client will get by working with you).
Here are some steps to help you define a USP for one of your products or services:
- List all the features of the product or service. Your list should include features such as quality; service; delivery; functional or technical characteristics
- Convert features into benefits – people buy benefits not features
A simple technique for converting features into benefits is to use the words ” which means that…” Therefore what the feature “means” to the customer is the benefit they will derive from it. When you have defined a USP for each of your products or services you should decide how to communicate it to your target audience.
by Paul Doyle (Oligy Coaching)
