Does your business have a way to create a value proposition as the best ever solution? We have found many clients that cannot articulate their unique value proposition. In our opinion, trying to win against your competition without good business discrimination is like trying to sail with no wind.

If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete.

–Jack Welsh

So Jack Welsh says. Nothing is more important for your business than competitive advantages… the more you have, the stronger your business. So pay close attention as we tell you how to build a winning value proposition.

Related: Grow Your Business with 10 Secrets of Value Propositions

So how do you derive good differentiation? For starters, make sure you understand the concept of a value proposition:

Start by understanding there are two ways to win in a competitive market:

Achieve sustainable lower cost (and therefore price) than your competition for the same products and services (very difficult to sustain)

Deliver more value, despite the equal or higher price

A business is a value delivery system. The heart of a winning value proposition is the end-result experiences of value a business intends to deliver to its target customer segments. It needs to be articulated for the customer value end state … not for your product, service, or business process.

To understand your potential value to customers:

Be your customers… study and creatively infer value by observing/learning from what they do.

Do your claims surpass the value alternatives in the market place? Do your customers believe your claims?

So where should you look for value in your business’s value delivery chain? The top areas include:

Best value

The most useful definition of unique selling propositions (USP) is a believable collection of the most persuasive reasons people should notice you and take the action you’re seeking.

This way, it guides your decisions much more clearly and can be used as the basis for marketing messages.

If you don’t have strong selling propositions, people don’t have good reasons to do either of those.

For example, if your online bookstore has an average selection, decent prices, delivery, a guarantee, good customer service, and a website, why would anyone buy from you? There’s surely a competitor who beats you in at least some of those aspects.

You don’t have to be the best in every way. Sure, it’s great if you are. But realistically, it’s difficult enough to be the best in just a couple of ways.

However, if you’re the best in at least several ways, you’re the best option for the people who value those propositions.

Starbuck’s doesn’t have the lowest prices. Amazon isn’t the most prestigious bookseller. Zappos’ isn’t the easiest way to shop. People buy from them for other reasons.

So, if your bookstore has the largest selection, for example, but the other things are just average, the people who value a large selection have a reason to buy from you.

You must have some product or service elements that are unique. Something has to make you the best option for your target customers.

Otherwise, they have no good reason to buy from you.

Heart of the proposition

The heart of a winning unique selling proposition is the end result experiences of value a business intends to deliver to its target customers. The end result experiences are what you should consider.

For example, a customer shopping for an electric drill is looking for one that can deliver holes as easy and convenient as possible. Also, one that can deliver the most multiple functions.

Time

Time is the most important of customer priorities today. What can you do to keep your time demands to a minimum?

Convenience and easy to work with

Ones related to customer time for sure. Do everything you can to make things as simple as possible.

Customer experience/service

Great service creates a great experience and becomes something worth your customer talking to his friends about. It is the most important element of your word of mouth marketing campaign.

Trust and warranty

Trust is the most often named reason customers say they select businesses to do business with. Good warranties are great places to start building trust.

New ways

Consider the value of new ways of doing business. The best example of this value proposition in my mind is Netflix.

Demonstrate the proof

If you say, my pizza is the best in the world; will people flood your restaurant? No. They won’t believe you.

Without proof, you can’t say much before it starts to sound like marketing talk. No one pays attention. Or remembers. They just don’t believe. No believing, no trust. It is all downhill after that.

For example, I recently saw a digital marketing competitor site where they claimed to be the secret weapon of digital marketing for the most successful companies in the world. Needless to say, we doubt anyone can take that seriously when nothing supports the claim.

As long as you don’t prove your claims, people are unlikely to really believe them. And your unique selling proposition becomes of no use.

Use studies, testimonials, and common sense, among other methods, to prove your claims.

Impressive numbers can be the right choice, but they don’t always work.

Want to review the best USP examples we could find?

To end this lesson, ask yourself the following questions:

Can you validate and deliver your unique selling point?

Is it sustainable, at least in the near term?

Is it simple, clear, and specific?

To apply these two lessons: What is the unique selling point for your business? How does it stack up with competitors?

Like these lessons on value propositions? Check out our learning center for more.

The bottom line

So, if you were wondering where to put your marketing time and energy to optimize how to win customers from your competitors, focus on defining and delivering winning unique selling propositions.

When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step.

Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.

Are you devoting enough energy to continually improving your learning?

Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he blogs on topics that relate to improving the performance of your business. Find them on Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed by how reasonable we will be.

The Best Multiple Unique Selling Propositions from One Brand

How to Double Your Business with a Dramatic Tagline Design

Grow Your Business with 10 Secrets of Value Propositio

Does your business have a way to create a value proposition as the best ever solution? We have found many clients that cannot articulate their unique value proposition. In our opinion, trying to win against your competition without good business discrimination is like trying to sail with no wind.

If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete.

–Jack Welsh

So Jack Welsh says. Nothing is more important for your business than competitive advantages… the more you have, the stronger your business. So pay close attention as we tell you how to build a winning value proposition.

Related: Grow Your Business with 10 Secrets of Value Propositions

So how do you derive good differentiation? For starters, make sure you understand the concept of a value proposition:

Start by understanding there are two ways to win in a competitive market:

A business is a value delivery system. The heart of a winning value proposition is the end-result experiences of value a business intends to deliver to its target customer segments. It needs to be articulated for the customer value end state … not for your product, service, or business process.

To understand your potential value to customers:

Be your customers… study and creatively infer value by observing/learning from what they do.

Do your claims surpass the value alternatives in the market place? Do your customers believe your claims?

So where should you look for value in your business’s value delivery chain? The top areas include:

Best value

The most useful definition of unique selling propositions (USP) is a believable collection of the most persuasive reasons people should notice you and take the action you’re seeking.

This way, it guides your decisions much more clearly and can be used as the basis for marketing messages.

If you don’t have strong selling propositions, people don’t have good reasons to do either of those.

For example, if your online bookstore has an average selection, decent prices, delivery, a guarantee, good customer service, and a website, why would anyone buy from you? There’s surely a competitor who beats you in at least some of those aspects.

You don’t have to be the best in every way. Sure, it’s great if you are. But realistically, it’s difficult enough to be the best in just a couple of ways.

However, if you’re the best in at least several ways, you’re the best option for the people who value those propositions.

Starbuck’s doesn’t have the lowest prices. Amazon isn’t the most prestigious bookseller. Zappos’ isn’t the easiest way to shop. People buy from them for other reasons.

So, if your bookstore has the largest selection, for example, but the other things are just average, the people who value a large selection have a reason to buy from you.

You must have some product or service elements that are unique. Something has to make you the best option for your target customers.

Otherwise, they have no good reason to buy from you.

Heart of the proposition

The heart of a winning unique selling proposition is the end result experiences of value a business intends to deliver to its target customers. The end result experiences are what you should consider.

For example, a customer shopping for an electric drill is looking for one that can deliver holes as easy and convenient as possible. Also, one that can deliver the most multiple functions.

Time

Time is the most important of customer priorities today. What can you do to keep your time demands to a minimum?

Convenience and easy to work with

Ones related to customer time for sure. Do everything you can to make things as simple as possible.

Customer experience/service

Great service creates a great experience and becomes something worth your customer talking to his friends about. It is the most important element of your word of mouth marketing campaign.

Trust and warranty

Trust is the most often named reason customers say they select businesses to do business with. Good warranties are great places to start building trust.

New ways

Consider the value of new ways of doing business. The best example of this value proposition in my mind is Netflix.

Demonstrate the proof

If you say, my pizza is the best in the world; will people flood your restaurant? No. They won’t believe you.

Without proof, you can’t say much before it starts to sound like marketing talk. No one pays attention. Or remembers. They just don’t believe. No believing, no trust. It is all downhill after that.

For example, I recently saw a digital marketing competitor site where they claimed to be the secret weapon of digital marketing for the most successful companies in the world. Needless to say, we doubt anyone can take that seriously when nothing supports the claim.

As long as you don’t prove your claims, people are unlikely to really believe them. And your unique selling proposition becomes of no use.

Use studies, testimonials, and common sense, among other methods, to prove your claims.

Impressive numbers can be the right choice, but they don’t always work.

Want to review the best USP examples we could find?

To end this lesson, ask yourself the following questions:

Can you validate and deliver your unique selling point?

Is it sustainable, at least in the near term?

Is it simple, clear, and specific?

To apply these two lessons: What is the unique selling point for your business? How does it stack up with competitors?

Like these lessons on value propositions? Check out our learning center for more.

The bottom line

So, if you were wondering where to put your marketing time and energy to optimize how to win customers from your competitors, focus on defining and delivering winning unique selling propositions.

When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step.

Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.

Are you devoting enough energy to continually improving your learning?

Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he blogs on topics that relate to improving the performance of your business. Find them on Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed by how reasonable we will be.

More reading on value propositions from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:

The Best Multiple Unique Selling Propositions from One Brand

How to Double Your Business with a Dramatic Tagline Design

Grow Your Business with 10 Secrets of Value Propositio