The
Importance of Your USP
You
may have heard this concept referred to as a “USP” (Unique
Selling Proposition), “USA” (Unique
Selling Advantage), “PDF” (Personal
Differentiating Factor), “SOB” (Statement
of Benefit), “UPA” (Unique
Purchase Appeal, "PDF" (Personal Differentiating
Factor),
or any number of others descriptive names.
In
any case, the name or what you call it is not important.
No matter what you choose to define your unique
factor, it’s one of the most critical, yet
most often overlooked marketing tools in business,
today.
Without
a clearly defined factor that differentiates you
are sets you apart from everyone else who offers
the same (or similar) products or services as you,
your business will be no different than any other
business your clients or prospects will encounter,
and there will be no reason for others to do business
with you rather than your competitors.
On
the other hand, a well thought-out, carefully identified
UCA can differentiate you and your business and
make you stand out from your competition as unique,
different, and special, and the business enterprise
that’s most desirable to do business with.
Coming
up with your own UCA doesn't have to be difficult.
It’s simply a matter of identifying what
you have to offer your clients, customers or prospects
beyond what the product or service you offer can
provide.
Let’s
say you’re involved with a product or service
that is so similar to others in the marketplace,
that there is no significant difference between
them.
In
that case, your UCA must be something you or your
firm or business can offer, exclusive of the features
or benefits of the product or service you sell.
Even
if the advantage you offer has to do with quality,
service, dependability, convenience, professionalism,
etc., just to state those facts is not enough.
You
must find ways to quantify, or identify specifically,
how those items benefit, or provide advantage to
the end user. When you use phrases or words like, “Top
Quality,” “The Best, Most Reliable
Service,” “Dependable Delivery,” or “We
offer top-of-the-line products, the best service,
and the lowest prices,” they ring hollow
in the ears of your prospects and clients.
These
are too vague and meaningless. Not only can most
of your competitors say the same things, they do
say them. Instead, you want to be very clear about
how the advantages you offer will benefit your
customers.
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