Knowing Your USP Will Help You Sell,
Sell, Sell….
By Beth Ann Erickson,
FilbertPublishing.com
A while ago, we discussed your USP
— your Unique Selling Proposition. Just to refresh
your memory, your USP is the part of your writing that makes it
special. It’s what makes your writing
different from every one else.
Did you get a chance to identify your
USP? Maybe it’s changed since we talked about it
last time. If you haven’t thought about it
for a while, here are a few jumping-off points….
Maybe you provide the fastest service.
Maybe you’re the best in your field. Perhaps
you give the best bang for your customer’s buck.
If you know what your USP is, you’re well on your way
to making some effective marketing decisions.
You see, your USP is the primary BENEFIT you can offer
your customers. When your customer knows how you
can benefit HIM, you’re more than half way to making the
sale.
Sound easy?
It is — after you’ve identified your USP….
Plainly stated, every piece of marketing materials you
produce MUST tell your readers why YOU are the best and only
source for what you’re selling.
So, how do you convince your readers that you are the
best source for whatever it is you sell?
Easy. Kind of.
There are a number of ways you can point out your USP
to your customers. Here are some examples:
You can provide extra services.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car tells their customers they’ll “Pick you
up.”
Maybe you have the lowest prices like Pay-Less Shoe
Source. Remember them? “Doesn’t
it Feel Good To Pay Less?”
Perhaps durability is your product’s USP — just like
Timex’s watches that “Take a licking and keep on
ticking.”
Of course, you don’t have to come up with a catchy
slogan like the companies we just discussed, but when you know
your USP, you can target your audience and get the most bang
out of every advertising dollar.
Now that you know your USP, ponder on these two
questions before you put one more dollar into your advertising
budget:
How does knowing your USP change how you’ll run your
next ad?
How can you use your USP to draw people to your
business instead of your competitors?
Remember, rejoice in your USP. Make it
your sales song. Then tell your customers
about it. With all your might.
~~~
Beth Ann Erickson is Queen Bee of Filbert Publishing
and the only writing ezine that'll make your writing sparkle,
help you write killer queries, and get you on the road to
publication fast. Better yet, you'll receive the e-booklet
"Power Queries" when you sign up for your free subscription.
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