Unique Selling Proposition - USP

Jay Abrahams says, "A USP is that distinct and appealing idea that sets you and your business, or practice, favorably apart from every other generic competitor. Make your enterprise special in the eyes of your customer or client".

"USP" stands for "Unique Selling Proposition," and a term mainly used in the world of advertising. "It's the thing that makes my product unique," you may be thinking right now. But do you know the three components of an effective USP?

1. Strong benefit
Each presentation, advertisement, proposal and programme update or version must say to the Estate Agent "Buy this product, and you will get this specific benefit."

2. It is unique
It must be unique -- either a uniqueness of brand or a claim not otherwise made in that particular field.

3. It will sell
The proposition must be so strong that it can move the mass millions, i.e., pull over new customers to your product. This means the unique proposition cannot be a trivial difference. It has to be something important, something the customer really cares about.

Here at USP we promise:

  • great value
  • extreme benefits
  • good service and support
  • to deliver
  • never to loose track of the customer!

Try it.

With paper and pen, prepare a one-paragraph statement of your new USP. At first, you will have trouble expressing it tightly and specifically. It may take two or three paragraphs or more. That's okay. Ruthlessly edit away the generalities, and tenaciously focus on the crispest, clearest, most specific promise you could possibly hold out. Then, rework it and hack away the excess verbiage or hazy statements until you have a clearly defined, clearly apparent Unique Selling Proposition a customer can immediately seize upon. And then, integrate your USP into every marketing aspect of your business, such as display advertising, direct mail and field selling.

Develop a USP using one or more of the following strategies:

  1. Focus on a niche. In other words, before you develop the USP, find your target market. Who exactly are you selling to?
  2. Fill a void. This is similar to finding a niche. Look for a void in the market and fill it with your USP.
  3. Concentrate on "pain" or "pleasure."
  4. State how your product will solve a problem.
  5. Look at your competition. (The next article is about how to look at your competition.)
  6. Tell the customer what they are going to get - what's in it for them.
  7. Make it "measurable." Time and price are measurable qualities.