In session 6 of A Marketing Podcast I discuss what a USP or Unique Selling Proposition is and why you need one. I walk you through creating your unique selling proposition and 3 simple questions you need to answer. As well, I demonstrate with A Marketing Podcasts’ USP, how I developed it and the final version that I use on the site and in all my marketing messaging.

Session 6: Show Notes

Recap of Previous Sessions (related to strategy development):

* [FREE DOWNLOAD] Small Business Marketing Strategy Template

* Session 2: What is a marketing strategy and why do I need one?

* Session 3: Establishing goals and objectives

* Session 4: Understanding and developing your target audiences

* Session 5: Performing a marketing SWOT analysis

What is a USP

USP stands for “Unique Selling Proposition” among others such as:

* unique sales pitch

* Unique Sales Proposition

* Unique Sales pitch

* Unique Selling pitch

* unique selling point

The USP has been around since the 1940 – so it works!

A USP is how you separate your business/product/service from your competition

An example of a USP

A&W Fast Food Restaurant

A really good USP is as much a sentence on your marketing strategy as it is a mindset for your business.

What a USP is not

* It’s not your mission statement – that’s what you want to be when you grow up, not how you’re different

* It’s not a slogan – although you can create a slogan to encapsulate your USP, but there’s more to it as you’ll see

* A Sales pitch – it’s used in your sales pitch, or helps define your sales pitch, but once again there’s more to it.

* It’s not the BS line like “we provide the best customer service!” Honestly, every time I read that I want to punch something!

Why do you need a USP?

To separate your business from your competition – there is always competition.

Another reason is your USP will help you create messaging in your tactical executions

Creating your unique selling proposition

Step 1 – List out the differences between you and your competition

Create a list of things that you have or do differently than your competition

Step 2 – Think as your customer

We’ve already done some work on our target audiences (click to listen to session 4: Understanding and developing your target audiences) so you should have some great insights already on who your target audience is and how they make their decision to buy from you vs your competitors

Dig deeper into the real reason customers buy your product, or why competitors customers buy their products over you!

Step 3 – Answer these three questions

Here’s a list of questions to help you think like your customer. Remember your audiences whilst answering…

* Why should I do business with you and not your competitor?

* How do your products/services separate you from your competition?

* Once I’ve done business with you, what am I going to feel? (Guarantee)

DON’T GET DEFENSIVE WHEN ANSWERING – because it’s easy to. Attack with confidence instead!

Another thing to remember as you’re answer these questions is that you should focus on the customer’s desires, not their needs.

Step 4 – Sum up your answers ad you’ve got your USP