Unique Selling Propositions

Grab a phone book.

Now, turn to the section on - oh, I don't know - plumbers. Assuming you needed only routine work done, which number would you call?

If the ads in your phone book are anything like the ads in mine, you probably don't have a clue! And why? Because not many of the ads in the phone book, or in any other medium for that matter, do a very good job of highlighting unique selling propositions (USP) - the thing or things that separate a company from its competitors.

Take a look at (or listen to) one of your company's ads and those of two or three of your competitors. Now, do your best to put yourself in a potential customer's shoes. Assuming your only knowledge of your company comes from the ad in front of you, ask yourself: "would I be drawn to do business with my company?" Does your ad provide the information that really interests your potential customers, or is it full of trite fluff? Does it give people a real reason to choose your company over your competitors? Does it sum up in the time or space provided the real benefits of doing business with your company?

A unique selling proposition can do all of those things. It answers the question "Why should I do business with this company?" In a world in which your potential customers are bombarded with marketing messages from every conceivable angle, your USP clarifies. It distinguishes. It serves as your singular promise to the marketplace. "Here's what we will do for you, the customer, and here's why we do it better than anyone else." That's the USP.

It can be communicated in many forms. It can be as short as catchphrase or a positioning statement, or as long as a few paragraphs. Here is one particularly effective form:

1. State what it is your company does.

2. Let the prospect know how they'll benefit.

3. Then tell what separates your company from your competitors.

4. Finally, explain the additional benefits those differences bring to them.

Whatever the length, your company's unique selling proposition must state, in no uncertain terms, what it is that sets you apart from all the other companies that also do what yours does. Once you have defined that in its simplest, most easily communicable form, incorporate your USP into every ad and every marketing piece you produce. Make it part of your sales pitch, your Web site, even the language you use when answering incoming calls.

If it can be easily understood by consumers, if it states which specific void in the marketplace your company fills, and if your potential customers have been exposed to it enough, your unique selling proposition can be a tremendously effective marketing tool. But (and this a very big but) your company must be able to deliver on the promise that your USP represents. Don't craft your USP to say you'll deliver the highest quality product at the lowest possible price when you know you offer neither. Your USP is your word. If you don't keep it, customers will get wise and your reputation will be damaged.

Writing your USP may take a little work. It may require research to determine what it is, specifically, that separates you from the other companies in your industry, and whether your specialties are, in fact, in demand and of benefit to your potential customers. But once you've determined what those positive differences are, exploit them at every turn. Your USP will not win you every customer out there, but at the very least, it will help your company stand out in a very cluttered world...and the phone book.

Scott Greggory is the Creative Director at BusinessVoice (www.businessvoice.com), a Point-Of-Entry Marketing agency that specializes in On Hold Messaging, Point-Of-Purchase Audio, Web Audio Messaging and Web Site Design. He is also a multi-award winning copywriter and voice talent.