Double your business? Just thinking what it would take is scary, isn’t it? Almost regardless of whom you are or what you do, you have bigger and often better competitors. The market leaders. And if you have no competitive advantages, no understanding of the secrets of unique selling points (USP’s), you really can’t compete.
But with extraordinary unique selling propositions, it certainly is another matter. And knowing these 10 secrets can help you with building fantastic unique selling points for your business.
Here is a 3-minute video that will refresh you on this subject:
So let’s turn our attention to these 10 secrets to deriving the best unique selling points possible.
Secrets of unique selling points … # 1 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 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 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 book seller. 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.
Secret #2 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. For example, a customer shopping for an electric drill is looking for one that can deliver holes as easy and conveniently as possible. Also one that can deliver the most multiple functions.
Unique selling points examples … secret #3 Articulate for customers
Unique selling propositions need to be articulated for customers … not for your products, services or business processes. Products, services, processes are the vehicles for the proposition delivery.
Secret #4 All businesses have unique selling propositions
Customers perceive relative value in any proposition, even implicit ones … so every business delivers a unique selling proposition (explicit or implicit). You need to design it explicitly. Don’t let it happen by chance.
Secrets of unique selling propositions … #5 become your customers
“Become” your customers instead of just asking them what they want from your business. Listen, observe and study to creatively infer from what customers DO.
When your customers have customers, different USPs are required for different players in the value delivery chain.
Secret #7 Span all your business functions
Look for value across your entire business. Use USPs to govern the span of all your business functions. One set for all functions.
Secret #8 Know how to employ USP’s
People won’t ever buy from you if they don’t even understand why they should pay attention to you. And they notice you only if you have strong and unique selling propositions.
The usual definition of a unique selling proposition is incomplete. It is a promise of something the competition cannot or does not offer. It must be strong enough to move the masses, i.e., attract new customers.
Unique selling propositions, as defined it like that, is a decent, but incomplete, internal tool that can guide your decisions to the right general direction. But nothing more.
Secret # 9 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.
Instead, a few expert testimonials make the idea credible. They can even take away the need for you to make any claims’ the testimonials can make the claims for you.
Similarly, you can use testimonials to build your products’ overall perceived value and take away the last doubt people might feel about your promises.
Many businesses don’t help people see what sets the company apart from its competitors. This always amazes us.
They are better than others, and they could prove it. They just don’t do it.
Instead, they try to persuade people with general promises, corporate babble, and feature lists. If your website doesn’t clearly tell visitors what makes you worth their attention, they won’t spend the time to figure it out on their own.
Secret # 10 Be clever in communicating your claims
It’s your job to hit people in the head with what makes you different and worth attention. Clever ways to communicate your claims. In believable ways.
When people understand why they should buy your product instead of any other, they’ll do it.
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.
Please share a story or two from your customer winning experiences with this community. Perhaps a comment or a question?
Need some help in capturing more customers with your value propositions? Creative ideas to help the differentiation from your competitors?
Call today for a FREE consultation or a FREE quote. Learn about some options to scope your job.
Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
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Do you have a lesson about making your learning better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
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 G+, 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 how reasonable we will be.
More reading on value propositions from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Convert Value Propositions Into Winners (With Examples)
Creative Tips to Build Small Business Differentiation
Elevator Pitch Examples to Use as Learning Models
Value Proposition Mistakes that Lose Customers
Like this short blog?Follow Digital Spark Marketing on LinkedIn or add us to your circles for 3-4 short, interesting blogs, stories per week.
Double your business? Just thinking what that would take is scary, isn’t it? Almost regardless of whom you are or what you do, you have competitors that have good to great business slogans.
The market leaders. And if you have no competitive advantages, you really will have a difficult time competing.
Lots of our clients confuse a unique selling proposition with a business tagline. But they are not the same.
Marketing is often confused with promotion, but it’s more than that. As Peter Drucker put it, “the aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.” In truth, marketing is about insights more than anything else.
A tagline is a simple representation of the brand. One whose objective is to draw attention.
A unique selling proposition, on the other hand is a business differentiation that is designed to be the reason a customer will want to buy your product or service.
It’s objective is to market in a way that makes the product or service stand out, pure and simple.
The art of tagline development is to distill the meaning of a big idea into a cogent message that’s easy to say, easy to understand, and easy to remember.
Ensure your brand expression is impossible to forget. Use the following checklist to avoid the most common mistakes that plague aspiring taglines.
Tagline, strapline, slogan. Whatever you choose to call it, it’s all the same. It’s the key phrase that identifies your business by capturing the essence of three elements:
Your mission
Your promise
Your brand
Coming up with a great tagline is a struggle many people face. More often than not, they get it wrong by focusing on what their product or service is. They often neglect what it offers.
Taglines can help or hamper your marketing efforts. They must be clear and relevant. Some taglines make you scratch your head. Some don’t make you think at all. And some, the ones that work, make you think.
Here is a 3-minute video that will refresh you on value propositions:
You know what’s insanely difficult? Being succinct. Seriously. Being succinct is ridiculously hard. But do you know what’s even more difficult?
Expressing a complex emotional concept in just a couple of words. In other words, coming up with a tagline. Yeah, it can be a head-scratcher.
But that’s why we have a lot of respect for these brands that did it right. So if you’re looking to get a little tagline inspiration of your own, take a look at some of our favorite company taglines. Taglines from past and present!
To ensure your brand expression is impossible to forget, use the following checklist. It will help you avoid the most common mistakes that plague aspiring taglines.
By your value promise
The most useful definition of a good tagline is the why people should notice you and take the action you’re seeking. Be clear, not clever.
This way, it guides your decisions much more clearly. When done right, it can be used as the basis for marketing messages.
For example, if your online bookstore has 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 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 promises.
You must have some promise that you can make that is unique. Something has to make you the best option for your target customers.
Otherwise, they have no good reason to buy from you. And that is NOT where you want to be.
The heart of a winning tag lineis the end result value a business intends to deliver to its target customers. The end result experience. Ask yourself this question: “So what?”
The answers you’ll come up with are the benefits a visitor (or potential customer) receives from staying on your site
How to make a slogan … articulate for customers
A unique tag line needs to be articulated for customers They are not for your products, services or business processes. Products, services, processes are the vehicles for your tag line delivery.
Ways to double sales … Become your customers
“Become” your customers instead of just asking them what they want from your business. Listen, observe and study to creatively infer from what customers DO.
Their actions to help derive your unique promise.
Utilize a tag line properly
People won’t ever buy from you if they don’t even understand why they should pay attention to you. And they notice you only if you have a unique tag line.
The usual definition of a unique tag line is incomplete. It is a promise of something the competition cannot or does not offer. It must be strong enough to move the masses, i.e., attract new customers.
A unique tag line becomes is the internal tool that guides your decisions to the best direction to maximize your customer utility.
Business slogans … demonstrate the proof
If your tag line states you have the best pizza in the state; will people flood your restaurant? No. They won’t believe the tag line.
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 there tag line 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 tag line becomes just another short sentence.
Use studies, testimonials, and common sense, among other methods, to prove your claims. Impressive numbers can be the right choice, but they not always effective.
Instead, a few expert testimonials make the idea credible. They can even take away the need for you to make any claims’. Why?
Because the testimonials can make the claims for you. Similarly, you can use testimonials to build your products’ overall perceived value.
Figure out how to take away the last doubt people might feel about your promises.
Many businesses don’t help people see what sets the company apart from its competitors. This always amazes us.
They are better than others, and they could prove it. They just don’t do it.
Instead, they try to persuade people with general promises, corporate babble, and feature lists.
If your website doesn’t clearly tell visitors what makes you worth their attention, they won’t spend the time to figure it out on their own.
Be clever in communicating your claims
It’s your job to hit people in the head with what makes you different and worth attention. Clever ways to communicate your claims. In believable ways.
When people understand why they should buy your product instead of any other, they’ll do it.
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 tag lines.
We have a lot of respect for these brands that did it right. So if you’re looking to get a little tagline inspiration of your own, take a look at some of our favorite company taglines.
See Food Differently
I see food differently. The tagline for this campaign is Sea Food Differently. I think this is tagline writing at its best: clever, play on words, and RELEVANT.
They are saying that Red Lobster does seafood differently (presumably better) than other restaurants. Perfect.
The uncola.
Tagline design … The uncola
A brave and somewhat bold way 7-Up’s tag line distinguishes its product from the cola competition. Taste wise it’s not cola, and that is 7-Ups promise.
Snap, Crackle, Pop
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies’ fantastic tagline that doubles up as a jingle. It is also descriptive – they actual do Snap! Crackle! and Pop!
This is more of a slogan, a classic slogan example really. It’s very advertising orientated and very product specific / descriptive! And the promise is freshness as the sound says.
Where dreams come true
This is just one of many from the dream makers at Disney. They have so many elements and areas of operations, from Disney World to a range of other media and wonderful creations.
Disney is a dream company, whilst the word dream strikes similarity with DreamWorks. It works best for the Disney promise.
We make IT happen
IBM’s clever use of playing on IT (Information Technology) doubling up as IT (as in that’s it). Makes you think, doesn’t it.
Just do it
Instantly, Nike’s tag line’s message began to resonate. It is no longer about just a shoe or a pair of shorts; it is about a state of mind.
You don’t have to be an athlete to be in shape or tackle an obstacle. If you want to do it, just do it. That’s all it takes.
The ultimate driving machine
For BMW, the fact they call their vehicles “machines” shows a real truth. When it is coupled with the word ultimate, the tagline is a well-oiled machine that works!
We try harder
This is a really strong tagline for Avis. It differentiates the brand as “going the extra mile” (this would be a relevant but more obvious tagline). It evokes that it genuinely does try harder
The bottom line
Marketing always has been and always will be about telling stories… stories that influence behavior and convince people to act. Make sure your social media content tells a story and that your story is compelling and relevant–especially your headlines.
So, if you were wondering where to put your marketing time and energy to optimize how to win customers. Winning away from your competitors, focus on delivering dramatic tagline design.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And this struggle gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to improve your marketing, branding, and advertising?
Do you have a lesson about making your marketing strategy better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
More reading on value propositions from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, Quora, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.
Does your business have a winning business proposition. We have found many clients that cannot articulate their unique business proposition. In our opinion, trying to win against your competition without good business discrimination is like trying to sail with no wind. 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 business proposition.
Marketing is often confused with promotion, but it’s more than that. As Peter Drucker put it, “the aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.” In truth, marketing is about insights more than anything else.
So how do you derive good differentiation and insights? 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 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.
Here is a short 4-minute video to refresh you on this subject:
Be your customers … study and creatively infer value by observing/learning from what they do.
Do your claims surpass the value alternatives in the marketplace? 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 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 book seller. 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.
Business proposition … the heart of the proposition
The heart of a winning unique selling propositionis 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 conveniently as possible. Also, one that can deliver the most multiple functions.
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.
Business proposition template … new ways
Consider value in new ways of doing business. The best example for 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.
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?
So apply these two lessons. What is the unique selling point for your business? How does it stack up with competitors?
The bottom line
True innovation often doesn’t make us comfortable. It makes us uncomfortable. And yet, it is in that discomfort that the new ways, the new ideas, and the new feelings come to light.
When you drive to work via a different route, you see different places and sights. If you go to the newsstand and peruse the magazines that you never otherwise look at, you will see things you simply would never think about otherwise
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.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And this struggle gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to improve your marketing, branding, and advertising?
Do you have a lesson about making your marketing strategy better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
More reading on value propositions from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, Quora, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.
