Businesses all have something that sets them apart from their rivals. Maybe your product is better, or maybe you have better customer service, or maybe you can fill orders faster than anyone else. Having something doesn’t help you if no one knows about it.
Every business owner should know how to find their unique selling proposition. This will help them make decisions about their brand and marketing (USP).
What is a unique selling point?
Your business’s unique selling propositions (USPs) are what set it apart from the competition. It’s a unique benefit that sets your business apart from others in the same field.
By coming up with a USP, you can focus your marketing strategy and make decisions about messaging, branding, copywriting, and other aspects of marketing. Your USP should answer the most obvious question a potential customer will ask about your brand: What makes you different from the competition?
USPs are based on what your customers like most about your brand or product and play to your strengths. Uniqueness alone does not constitute a strong USP. If you don’t make your message stand out in a way that your audience cares about, it won’t be as effective.
What Makes a USP Compelling
It’s easier to remember a specific position, like “we sell high-quality products,” than a more general one, like “we sell high-quality products.”
Put the needs of your customer first: It doesn’t matter much how unique a product is if it doesn’t appeal to the people you want to buy it.
Not just a catchy phrase: In addition to a slogan, your USP can be communicated in other parts of your business, such as return policies and supply chains. Make sure that your USP shows up everywhere in your business.
Why You Need Your Own Selling Point?
You may find that many of your potential customers have trouble deciding which option in your industry is worth their time, money, and trust.
Customers who don’t have enough experience to know what makes one competitor different from another can find it hard to choose.
So, your job is to make your unique selling proposition clear, different, and memorable enough for them to see what your business offers that the competition doesn’t.
Examples of Unique Selling Proposition
Vistaprint
Small businesses that are growing and entrepreneurs who work alone have business cards printed as one of the things they need to do. Also, you may need signs for your storefront or delivery vehicles, branded swag to spread the word about your brand at conferences, labels, stickers, brochures, etc.
Leather for Saddleback
If it weren’t for the guys at Fizzle, it would have taken me the rest of my life to find Saddleback Leather. This company’s unique selling proposition (USP) and website in general show how it meets the needs of specific customers and how unique its products are.
Robinhood
a place to invest Robinhood thinks that everyone should be able to use the financial system, not just the rich. Anyone who wants to invest in stocks can do so with as little as $1 and no knowledge of the market. They can do this from their smartphone.
Anchor
Anchor’s unique selling point doesn’t show up above the fold. It’s at the bottom of the page. With a USP like this, there’s nothing stopping a customer from starting a podcast. With this platform, you can do whatever you want, from wherever you want, and it won’t cost you a dime.
Canva
Canva is a website where you can make and share vector graphics. It’s easy for anyone to make and share things on Canva. This is a nod to how easy Canva is to use.
Even though competing editing tools have more features, they are harder to learn. With Canva’s drag-and-drop tools, even people who don’t know much about design can make professional-looking images, flyers, and documents.
They have a competitive edge because they know where they stand in the market. The lesson is about how to use a weakness to make yourself stronger.
Coffee for a death wish
This product is a great example of how to build a product around a unique selling point that was mostly ignored in the crowded coffee market. The product is not good for every type of coffee drinker, but it is hard to copy and good for a certain group.
Muse
Even if your products are the only ones on the market, you still need a USP. Muse is one well-known example. Muse is the first consumer tool that shows you how your brain is working in real time while you meditate.
Even though they don’t have any direct competitors, that doesn’t mean they don’t have any competition at all. It just means they were the first to do what they do. Also, people have lived for hundreds of years without their products.
Tattoos
Many temporary tattoos are made for kids and have silly or easy-to-understand designs. Tattly Tattoos lets people of all ages get beautiful, detailed tattoos.
The temporary tattoos are made to look like real tattoos and let people express themselves without the commitment or high cost of a real tattoo.
Tattly has few direct competitors because its designs are bold but made from safe materials. In theory, it should be easier for them to find their USP, but they still need to stand out from their more well-known competitors.
Love No
The lingerie business for women is worth a billion dollars, so Third Love had to find a way to compete with well-known brands.
The unique selling proposition for Third Love is “we have the right fit.” On their website, there is a Fit Finder quiz that helps first-time customers find the right size.
The promise is what makes Third Love stand out. Instead of a size chart, the brand focuses on finding the perfect fit for each customer based on their individual needs.
There were twelve Saturdays.
College students can buy clothes that show their school spirit almost anywhere. There are local options right on campus, and college gear can be found in most big-box stores. How is it different from Twelve Saturdays?
Instead of just saying that they sell college clothes, they tell students that there are twelve Saturdays in a football season, and their products will help them look great for all of them.
College students get together a lot at football games, and they want to look their best every week. The person doesn’t want to wear the same outfit twice or show up in the same clothes as someone else.
How to Make a Unique Selling Point?
Before making your USP, it’s best to know who your customers are and what you can offer them. You’ll have a better idea of why you’re selling.
It is also effective to come up with different Unique Selling Propositions for different customer groups. Here are a few tips for coming up with a good USP:
Identify your unique qualities
A unique selling point (USP) isn’t just for your business; it’s also the reason you made the product. If your competitor can easily copy your USP, step back and think about why you made this product in the first place.
Reid Hoffman says that products have to be different. He once asked, “Is this big and different?” There is no way it could be the same. It must change a business.”
Your USP is what makes you, your business, and the products and services you offer stand out from the crowd. It should focus on the things that set you apart from your competitors, like your strengths and benefits.
Be sure of yourself and clear
Once you know what makes you a spade in a deck of diamonds, be true to yourself when you talk. If you have a USP, it can help you show what you want to do. Customers won’t believe your USP if you can’t explain it with confidence.
Also, it would be hard for sales representatives to keep their promise if they were met with objections. Make a USP that clearly shows the value and stands up to scepticism.
Show instead of tell
There are already thousands of companies that say they can help people. Many buyers fall for their false promises, which is sad. Your unique selling point shouldn’t just be a bunch of big, vague claims. Instead, it should offer real benefits.
Don’t tell sales reps, “We’re here to help.” Instead, say, “Our AI-driven note-taking has helped our customers improve their conversion rates.”
It’s important to show that you do what you tell others to do. The truth is that many customers have already bought products based on false promises and then regretted their purchases. It’s in your best interest to show that you can do what you say in your marketing.
Focus on what’s in it for you.
Even if you have a product that changes the market, there is still a chance that you won’t be able to sell it. Your USP could be about how great your product is or how far it has come. This method doesn’t get customers excited.
If your sales team hears this objection a lot, it’s either because of a mistake in the sales process or because your USP needs to be changed.
Customers care more about what happens after they buy a product than they do about the product itself. After buying, they want to enjoy the world. When you buy a new motorcycle, for example, it’s a long process, but it’s fun to ride one for the first time.
Think about things from the customer’s point of view.
When they first start out, entrepreneurs often forget that their product exists to help customers. Find the problems to meet the needs of the customer. You run a burger shop, and lots of people come to eat there.
- Why should they pick you?
- How do you show that you can be trusted?
- Customers don’t choose you just because you have the best price. Your USPs can be things like customer service, quality, ease of use, dependability, friendliness, cleanliness, or location.
If your competitor is cheaper than you, you need to build your USP around another important feature (which also relates to economies of scale).
Look at how people act as buyers.
Sales analytics have made it easier to understand how people act. With the data, you can figure out how people buy things. Psychology is also needed to understand why people buy. Instead of just looking at demographics, find out how people feel when they buy.
Like in the last example, you might find that 65% of your customers are teenagers. Instead of stopping here, find out what makes them choose you, such as taste, location, and service.
Another great example is high-end brands. Luxury brands that do well know that their customers buy more than just the product.
Find out why people who have already bought your product do so.
If you already have a customer base, you can ask them for feedback directly. Their knowledge that isn’t being used is what makes a difference for your business.
If you have an online shoe store, for example, you could ask your customers:
- Which pair of shoes do they like best?
- What makes them like them better than other brands?
- Do they care more about quality, design, the life of the product, or service after the sale?
- It’s amazing how honest people are when they leave feedback. This is the most valuable thing you can do for someone. Remember to be humble when you get feedback. They might make you think about things differently. But you are not supposed to use it.
Find out what makes people buy from you.
Find out what your customers want and what drives them. It’s important to know the demographics of your target market, but it’s even more important to know how they find happiness in life and what they like to buy.
Most people buy goods and services because they want them, not because they need them. By understanding these desires and motivations, you can determine your true unique selling proposition.
Bottom Line
Each of these examples of USPs is based on research and testing, whether it’s about a product, service, prospect, or purpose.
To discover your unique angle, ask your audience questions and drill down into your niche to uncover market gaps. Do research on your copy, then write and rewrite it until you are sure you can say your USP in a few sentences.
Then, you can have your audience try out your USP. Check to see if it hits home with your audience and, more importantly, if it helps you make money.
