How to create a unique product. How to formulate a unique selling proposition: a step by step guide
Do you want to create a killer USP and speed up your business?
As of 2013, there are about 10 billion brands registered in the world. And each of them wants you to be their client. Everyone is trying to sell something. How to remember them, how to distinguish between them?
Each of your potential customers faces such a problem. In every niche, whatever it is: selling car parts; production of building materials; beauty salons and hairdressers; private hospitals and so on and so forth, many different companies operate. And each offers identical or nearly identical goods or services. How to choose? How to distinguish? Who to contact? How to remember if you have almost decided?
Every company, no matter how big or small (especially!) needs to stand out from the competition. The logo and is only half the battle. You need to come up with some unique, special offer that will set you apart from the general background and help you shout to the client in the general noise.
Here's how to come up with and compose your own unique trade offer, or USP, and will be discussed in this article.
What is USP and how it is used in marketing and sales
A USP is a unique selling proposition. It implies some special characteristic of a brand or product, which is presented as an advantage or additional benefit for the client. USP is used by marketers when developing an advertising campaign - it is often built on this particular feature in order to distinguish a company from its own kind in the market.
This concept was introduced as such by the American advertising specialist Rosser Reeves. He developed this concept as an alternative to the eulogies in advertising, which ordinary consumers simply stopped believing. According to his concept, USP should:
- translate real benefits for the client;
- increase the loyalty of the target audience to;
- be unique, special, one of a kind on the market.
If you peep a feature from a competitor and present it with your own sauce, it will not be a strong USP. It will be just a stolen idea, an imitation.
It seems to have a unique selling proposition, but 9 out of 10 competitors have the same The USP is the reason consumers should choose you. And every company needs it. Only those who launch a new, innovative, revolutionary product, which simply has no analogues, can do without a USP. In this case, this very product is a unique offer.
In all other cases, tune in or die, to paraphrase a classic.
Why business USP?
- to stand out from competitors;
- to win the appreciation of the target audience;
- to create strong promotional materials () and work out a marketing strategy;
- to make your product stand out from the crowd.
Distinguish between true and false USP. The real thing is the real unique characteristics of the product that no one else has on the market in this niche. It's what's in the product itself. False benefits are made-up benefits, in the absence of a true difference. This is what and how it is said about this product. And in most cases, entrepreneurs resort to such USPs. But what if you offer the same product and service as the rest? If you have not invented something unique, some kind of exclusive product, you have to turn your head on and think carefully about how you can hook customers.
Standing out from competitors is the key to success advertising company. A unique offer should clearly indicate the benefits for customers, on which the message will be built, which will later be broadcast in advertising, on social networks and other promotional materials.
How to create a unique selling proposition
Many business owners think that writing a USP is easy. The two obvious paths they take are:
"We have the most low prices!»
Price races are a dubious advantage for two reasons. First, there will always be someone who is cheaper. The second is that by low prices you attract the appropriate contingent of customers - insolvent and overly economical, to say the least.
"We have a quality service!"
In fact, the concept of quality is completely different for everyone. And you can not always guarantee this very service - the human factor plays a lot. But even if so, you really work conscientiously, it is this phrase “quality services”, “ best service” have set the teeth on edge so that they just fly past the ears.
If you are just starting out, yes, for quick sales you can still somehow beat these two trump cards as part of some kind of promotion. For example, the lowest price. But if you want to build a strong brand on for a long time- You need to take the development of the USP seriously.
In general, any unique selling proposition is built on three fundamental principles.
1. Advertising message must convey a specific benefit to the consumer. That's right, you need to submit a USP not in the light of your advantages, but in terms of benefits for the client. He's not that interested italian wallpaper by themselves, like the view of his room, pasted over with this wallpaper. So sell it to him. beautiful renovation, easy care behind wallpaper that is washable and does not fade, not the wallpaper itself. But this is all of the above, he can get only by buying these very wallpapers from you.
Only if it is profitable to cooperate with you, customers will choose your company.
2. Customer benefit must be unique compared to other products similar to yours. Everything is clear here - this principle is embedded in the definition itself. Want to be different? Come up with something that your competitors don't have. Only by being different, only by offering something that no one else offers, can you be different from everyone else. As a result, your product will be chosen (if the benefit is well described) and remembered.
3. The benefit must be significant, that is, attractive enough so that the client can make a choice in favor of your product without much thought. Benefits must be reasoned, and not invented or sucked from the finger. That is why you should perfectly study your target audience, know your customers, their pains and based on this.
When you know what problems your customers have, you can offer them a solution in the form of this unique benefit.
Examples of compiling USP
You can often find USPs that absolutely do not play into the hands of the business: they are too general and do not attract attention.
How to create such an offer that will become the heart and engine of your business success?
1. Tell something that your competitors are silent about.
If there are hundreds of businesses like yours, it is very difficult to find something truly unique. But maybe there is something that your customers are simply silent about?
Such a case was in my practice. The company is engaged in the production of granite monuments. For customers, a service is offered “by default” - the development of a 3D model of a future product, and free of charge. Other companies also provide this service, but they are modestly silent about it. We did not become silent. The benefit of seeing a full-fledged three-dimensional image of the future monument works well for many of the company's clients.
A chewing gum, "Orbit", which is without sugar? Read the composition of other similar rubber bands - it is identical. And no sugar too. But Orbit presents it as a USP.
2. Point out novelty or innovation
If you invented new way solve a customer's problem, or upgrade your product, or add some new ingredient to it - don't be silent. You need to do your USP, and quickly, before someone else does it before you.
Think of an advertisement for any new shampoo or cream. Either they came up with a new formula, then they added keratin, then some kind of l-lipids, which no one had heard anything about, but if you believe the advertisement, shampoo makes hair stronger. And the cream just smooths out wrinkles for one or two. All thanks to the INNOVATIVE formula. Get armed.
3. Formula John Carlton
Using this formula, it is very easy to make a USP, especially if you provide services. The formula is built like this:
The product ___ helps ___ to solve a problem ___ indicate the benefit.
For example:
The new cream will help women overcome the first wrinkles and look younger.
USP! USP! USP! Sounds like a curse if you don't know what it is. But in fact, a very useful topic is in business. For use in marketing, advertising and sales. Helps the company to stand out from the competition, I would even say to some extent to wipe their nose. But first things first, it seems simple at first glance. Everything is much more complicated than you think, and even more useful than you imagine.
Stop cursing
Americans will definitely think that USP is a Russian curse, because we have a lot of such short and bad words. But I don't want you to think the same, so I'll answer your dumb question, what is UTP. In fact, it stands for Unique Selling Proposition.
The definition of this term looks like this - this is your unique difference from another company or other products for which a client can single you out and say: “Wow, this is an offer!”.
Such an emotion, of course, is difficult to achieve, but nothing is impossible.
Gentlemen, let's not delve into the theory for a long time. All you need to know about unique selling propositions is that they make companies stand out from the crowd. And to quickly understand whether you have it or not, just answer one of the questions right now:
- How are you different from other companies/products?
- Why should I choose your company/product?
Usually at this moment there is a small, 5-second pause, after which, as a rule, options known to everyone follow:
- High quality;
- Good service;
- flexible terms,
And my favorite - individual approach. Just don't say that you answered the same?! I beg you! After all, it is fatal if your sales people, including you, respond to your customers in this way. Because that's how thousands of other companies around the world respond to them.
How to choose in this case? Who are the best on the market? That's right, purely only by where you liked it more according to some subjective feelings. This, of course, is also good. True, in this case it is impossible to talk about the systemic growth of the company.
We have decided that you urgently need to read this article further, since your answers, by default, should be in business. This is the same if the restaurant will write: “We have the most tasty food”, it seems that in all other establishments the waiters say: “Gentlemen, we don’t have very tasty food, but what music, what music!”. Badly! Badly! It's bad... Well, you already understood this without me.
WE ARE ALREADY MORE THAN 45,000 people.
TURN ON
The difference between USP and positioning and promotions
I have two important thoughts for you to dot the i's.
- USP is not ACTION
- USP is not positioning
Let's take a closer look so that there is no confusion in the future. Since in the vastness of the Internet everyone gives examples of USP and does not understand that this is more of a positioning or action than our “hero of the occasion”.
Further, the action, this, of course, is also your difference, only it is temporary, not permanent. Therefore, it cannot be said that your unique difference is that you give a second item when buying. Any other company can do it in seconds. And even more so, when the promotion ends, you will be left with nothing.
In other words, the USP (as well as positioning) can always be used in, on the clothes of employees, on billboards and other media, and in any form of advertising message, and it does not lose its relevance. A share (offer) cannot always be used, since it has the principle of burnout and replacement with another.
Positioning is a more global topic. This is not necessarily your difference, but rather your place in the market, which should not always distinguish you, but at the same time should characterize you. My favorite and most understandable example is a Volvo car, their positioning is “Safety”. Is this a difference? Of course not. This is their accent. But a unique difference for them may be a car, for example, with 8 wheels.
How to Create a Unique Selling Proposition
Now you probably have chaos in your head from thoughts like “How to create a unique selling proposition? How to come up with, how to make, how to arrange it?!”.
I will reassure you a little by the fact that the creation of a USP has certain principles. Therefore, I want to warn you about a few important nuances, which will help formulate an armor-piercing proposal:
- You need to know your company and your product VERY well to make a real good offer. Therefore, compiling a USP with new employees is not very good idea. Although some of the new ones should be, so to speak, a fresh look.
- You need to know yours VERY well, because ideally, the formation of a USP should, first of all, be based on the criteria for choosing a client, those that are truly important to them.
Here you have dealt with general theory. Now the development of a unique selling proposition will not be scary for you. To help you, below is an instruction for compiling and formulas of UTP.
1. Creative
The solution is partly the simplest and yet, in my opinion, not the most the best option. Due to the fact that your creative has settled in the minds of consumers and is perceived as “truth”, you need to invest more than one hundred thousand rubles in advertising. Rather, you need to calculate the total in millions. And do you need it?
Formula: [Creativity Feature] + [Product]
Example:
Chocolate that melts in your mouth, not in your hands.
2. Most
Choose what you have the very best in the company and trumpet it to the whole world. In any case, there will always be someone who will do better, but until they do, time will pass and perhaps more than one year.
Also be careful, in direct writing the word “MOST” cannot be used according to the law of the Russian Federation on advertising. But to get around this nuance, you can use tricks as in the examples.
Formula: [Most ____] + [Product]
Example:
The largest mug of coffee to go in the coffee shop ___ - 1 liter!
The largest guarantee for timing belts in the Moscow region* (according to 1000 respondents on the website ____.ru).
3. Without
You need to know your customers well. Blah blah blah… I know everyone is trumpeting this. But if you do not know the client, then you will not know what he is afraid of or what he is afraid of. This means that you cannot make the following formula, which is based on the client's fear.
Formula: [Product] + Without + [Customer Fear]
Example:
Dishwashing liquid without chemicals.
Lose weight without going to the gym.
Construction of roofs without prepayment.
4. C
The idea is the same as in the third point, only we say that our product has amazing value that they simply need. Again, we focus on what is important for the client.
Formula: [Product] + c + [added value]
Example:
Cream with vitamin E complex.
Air conditioning with the ability to work in winter.
5. How/To
Personally, I don’t really like this option, it’s kind of rustic or something, but still in some areas it is quite appropriate (canteens, district stores). And I would rather attribute this formula to positioning than to unique offer She's too vague. But I'll tell you anyway.
Formula: [Product/company] + how/for + [positive emotions]
Example:
Food like at home.
Shop for the little ones.
6. Property
Relevant for those who have technical feature, which distinguishes you from others, which shows your scale or level. By the way, the first example influenced my decision to go to that particular clinic. After all, as a layman, I believed that the more powerful the X-ray machine, the clearer the picture would be. But he did not pay attention to the fact that the specialist who makes this x-ray is much more important.
Formula: [Product/Company] + From/From/To/To/From + [Property]
Example:
Clinic with a magnetic resonance tomograph “3 Tesla”.
All shovels are made of pure titanium.
7. The only one
If your product is the only one for a city, region, or even better for Russia, then it is also worth trumpeting it to the fullest. Again, the downside is that it's not permanent. Although, unless you are an official representative and you have exclusive rights to use your product.
Formula: [single] + [product/company] + [difference] + in [geography]
Example:
The only company providing a 5-year warranty for timing belts in Russia.
The only transforming chairs in Moscow.
8. Hidden Procedures
In any business, there are topics that everyone does by default and do not talk about it. You just need to show it and serve it with the right sauce. And what is needed for this? Remember? It is very good to know your product and your company. People who work in it, equipment, processes, tools, raw materials, raw material supplier and stuff like that.
Formula: [Product] + [hidden procedure]
Example:
Three degrees of glass tempering.
Non-combustible PVC tiles.
9. Warranty
Just tell the client that he will get the desired result, otherwise, you will return the money, redo it for free or make a gift. Especially often this USP can be seen among info-businessmen. Although you can use it in any other business, for example, in construction, you can give a guarantee for the fulfillment of deadlines.
Formula: [If _____] + [then ____]
Example:
If there is an increase in the estimate, then the additional costs will be at our expense.
If you don't like it, we'll refund all your money.
10. Professional
The development of this type of USP is the most difficult, although it is done according to a very simple scheme. You need to fully know and, most importantly, understand the client. And, personally, I think that this is the best formula. It can be said that it generalizes all previously studied and is based on the client's benefit, on his selection criteria.
Formula: [Product] + [Benefit]
Example:
Ferrari cars are assembled only by hand.
Pizza in 40 minutes or free.
Apartments with planning under the order.
How to check know-how
After creation, it seems that the best can not be imagined that this is the 8th wonder of the world. I am in no hurry to break your hopes, perhaps you are really right and have come up with something that will bring the entire market to its knees. This may well be, because, as practice shows, all brilliant ideas they come when you are busy with something that is not at all what you need.
And to be sure of this, go through the list of questions below and check your hypothesis for compliance with reality.
Can the same be said about your competitors?
If you say that you produce a product in 24 hours when your competitors do it in the same time, then this is not a cool offer, it's just a statement of fact.
Is it important to the client / hurts the client?
You can put pressure on creativity, but for me this is only for large companies, quite large ones. IN best case, you need to put pressure on the criteria of the client or on his emotions, and it does not matter whether it is positive or negative. If your message does not affect the client, then you need to change the situation.
Do you want to believe in your difference?
If you can actually show clients how to make a million in 5 minutes, then this is an insanely great offer. Only here it is not at all plausible. Therefore, it would be better to replace it for a period of “7 days”, which will be more credible.
How long will your USP be relevant?
Utp is an “eternal” difference, and an action is temporary. Therefore, it is very important that it does not happen that you notify everyone that you are now not like everyone else, and after 2 days your competitor repeats this and a paradox occurs.
Does your proposal fit into 3-8 words?
Conciseness, lightness - this is the key to success. The shorter your sentence, the better, the easier it fits in the minds of customers and it is easier for them to remember it, and therefore use it in relation to you.
Does your USP have a logical downside?
If you say: “We have the most big houses”, then this is good, if only another company in the market can make a reverse offer “We have the smallest houses”. Otherwise, for example, in the premium segment, where everyone should have large houses by default, your offer will lose.
Briefly about the main
I would like to write that the time has passed when it was possible to do just “good” and people would go in crowds. But this is not so, those who show will always be different impressive results in your work. But here's one bad luck, if the company is not big and even more so new, then for the first time you definitely need to be different in order to break out of the rat race.
Now you have received a detailed answer and know how to create a unique selling proposition. At the same time, if you think that you can come up with a UTP once and retire, then you are deeply mistaken. Competitors do not sleep. The most arrogant copy your know-how, the less arrogant improve it. And in this, too, there is a certain strategy for creating one's own difference.
That’s all for me, the game has begun, I’m waiting for an answer in the comments to the question “How are you different from others?”
P.S. And to study this topic in other words and partially with other thoughts, then watch this video:
Offers like “the most interesting courses”, “the most useful webinars” have not caught on buyers for a long time. To attract your target audience on the Internet, you need to show what exactly you are better than others and why a person should contact you. Let's figure it out how to create a unique selling proposition that will hit the client in the heart!
What is a UTP?
American advertiser Rosser Reeves, author of the M&Ms slogan - "Melting in your mouth, not in your hands" - was sure that advertising should do only one thing - to sell. He formulated this idea in the book Reality in Advertising, which became a bestseller among marketers around the world. In it, he first outlined the concept of USP in order to forever rid buyers of meaningless words like “the best”, “best”, “outstanding”.
A unique selling proposition or USP is what customers will love about you, choosing you among many other companies. According to Reeves, a USP is an advertising message that articulates your main difference from competitors and main reason to buy goods from you. It is used on banners, in contextual advertising, in mailing lists or on product cards, as well as in the description of the store on the site.
A well-written USP makes it easy to sell, because the client immediately sees why the offer is right for him. A good USP avoids price competition and increases repeat purchases.
However, do not forget that if irons from your online store are constantly returned with breakdowns, then no USP will keep dissatisfied customers.
Algorithm for creating USP?
So you've decided to create a unique selling proposition to sell your products online. Where to begin?
Step 1. Analyze your strengths
For clarity, make a table and mark in it all the competitive characteristics that your company has: extensive experience, price, qualified employees, etc. Write as many points as you can - indicate specific dates, numbers. Now cross out everything that your competitors have to offer. As a result, you will get a squeeze of unique benefits that only your company and your product can boast. Put them at the heart of your USP.
Analysis competitive environment will allow you to find your unique advantages - that's what you need to sell to potential customers.
You will gain a better understanding of your business if you simply answer these questions:
- What are we doing?
- What are our strengths?
- What are our weak points?
- How are we different from other companies?
- What do competitors say about themselves?
- Where are our growth areas, what else can be improved?
It is important to answer the questions as objectively as possible. Happened? Go ahead!
Step 2: Determine who you are working for
Imagine that you are going to a close friend's birthday party and decide to give him a sweater. How will you choose? you pick up right size, remember his favorite color, do not forget that he loves thin woolen fabrics and thigh length. Knowing a person well, you will surely give him a really desired gift. Now imagine that you are congratulating a colleague with whom you work in different offices. It will be difficult to make a choice, because you are not familiar with his addictions.
A sincere understanding of who your client is will allow you to offer him exactly what he needs. Therefore, personalize the potential client as much as possible. To get started, answer these questions:
- Is this a man or a woman?
- What is the age of your buyer?
- What is he interested in?
- What pleases him?
- What worries?
Complete the list of questions with topics that are relevant to your business so that you have a holistic character in front of you.
Open courses in English? Then it is important for you to know how long the potential client has been studying the language and what is his level of Byron language proficiency.
You should end up with a description like this:
Our client is a housewife, mother of two who loves to cook and previously held a leadership position in big company. She rests 2 times a year abroad, drives a luxury foreign car, is fond of yoga, and is allergic to cats.
The avatar will help to describe the client from three sides: based on the situation, focusing on the psychotype and belonging to the generation. So instead of a soulless target audience will appear real man with the peculiarities of perception, character and life circumstances.
Now you know exactly who you are offering your product to.
ACCEL residents, founders of the "Happiness Is" School of Relations Ivan and Maria Lyashenko collected detailed feedback from their listeners and were able to draw up an accurate portrait of a potential client. So they managed to attract new students and make training materials more useful for a narrow audience.
Here is what the entrepreneurs themselves say about this: “We have significantly increased the share of educational content, reduced and made the selling part more understandable, and justified the pricing policy. We explain in detail why we offer this product and how it will help the needs of webinar attendees.”
Step 3: Tell us how you're willing to help
Swap places with your buyer. What do you pay attention to when choosing: price, guarantees, reliability, appearance? Would you personally buy what you are trying to sell?
Surely some of your potential customers for some reason go to competitors. Try to understand what they have, but you don't. Try to emphasize the strengths in your USP, work on "failing" places.
According to Vladimir Turman, an expert on the commercialization of innovations, in the USP it is worth talking about why you, as the owner, decided to start a business. He writes about this in his article “How to increase demand for your products without going to war with competitors”. It is likely that your problem, which you solved by starting a business, is also relevant for other people. The found solution should be emphasized in the USP.
Step 4: Formulate a USP
Now that you've studied your audience, their needs, and your competitors, it's time to formulate a USP.
To compose a not very creative, but working text, you can use the formula of copywriter John Carlton. Substitute the data of your company instead of spaces - and the USP is ready:
With _______ (service, product) we help ______ (target audience) solve ____ (problem) with __ (benefit).
For example: With online adult volleyball training, we will help all women over 18 learn how to play for the beach season.
The text of the USP can be approached more creatively. The main rule - write to the point. Common phrases, literary prettiness, approximate and generalized figures leave potential customers indifferent. Do you provide a 26% discount? Talk about exact numbers, not about "huge discounts" and "great deals."
Here are a few more important points worth paying attention to:
- Write simply as for a friend. Your offer should be clear from the first time. Leave abstruse phrases and specific terms for scientific works. The customer must understand what he is buying and why.
- Focus on your strengths. Mention in the USP something for which customers should want to come to you, and not to competitors. If your educational center employs doctors of sciences, you should not tell how convenient navigation on the site is for you - this way you will shift the focus of attention from the important to the secondary.
- Write short. Your goal is to interest a potential client in a minute. USP - a short message, from one to three sentences.
Use our cheat sheet in order not to forget anything:
- Who can benefit from this product/service?
- What will a person get by becoming your client?
- Why are you better than your competitors and why can't you buy an analogue of your product?
Mistakes in compiling USP
You can't lie about your unique selling proposition. If you promised a 50% discount and gave only 25%, the customer will feel cheated. You will lose your reputation, and with it your customers.
In addition, you should not include in the USP those benefits that the client receives by default, for example, the ability to return funds within 14 days (this is guaranteed by the Consumer Protection Law). Needless to say, that you have "professional masters of their craft." If this were not the case, would you be able to provide services?
Arguments must be validated real facts. It is not enough to say that your service has no analogues on the market - tell us what is unique in your business, give more specifics.
Conclusion: How to test the effectiveness of your USP
So, you have studied your advantages, competitors, introduced the target audience and prepared the basis of your sales - the USP text. Now check its viability - make sure:
- Your unique selling proposition cannot be used by competitors. They don't provide the same services, don't use the same materials, or can't compete on price. Only with you the client will be able to get these benefits.
- Your USP can be formulated in reverse. For example, an entrepreneur who sells "women's shoes large sizes”, it is quite possible to imagine that there is a company that sells small shoes. Only such a USP is competitive. And here is an example of a bad USP: “In our club, only good music". It's hard to imagine that someone can offer customers bad music.
- Your USP does not look absurd. It is unlikely that customers will believe that in the X online school you can learn English in 1 hour.
- You have tested your USP on clients. Submit different proposals by mail and choose the one that will collect the most responses.
- Make sure that your USP is the answer to the question: “Why, among all similar offers, do I choose this one?”.
Drafting a USP is a painstaking analytical work that will take time. But once you invest time in it, you will end up with long-term access to the hearts of your target audience.
Do you want to create your online school, produce yourself or your expert? Register now for a free webinar and receive a PDF plan step by step creation your online school on this
The absence of a USP is a great grief for business. Look at these sites:
In addition to design, they practically do not differ from each other - everywhere low prices, high quality and fast installation. Pity the people who want to order stretch ceiling- it will take more than one hour to wade through the jungle of clone sites to find a worthwhile option.
Therefore, there must be something that distinguishes the business from the crowd - a unique selling proposition. It is it that will make competitors afraid of you like fire, and potential customers more often make a choice in your favor.
By the way, prices with it can be slightly higher than those of other companies: if you offer the buyer a product that will solve his problems, he will be ready to pay more for it.
There are only three "buts" - USP works if it:
- unique- competitors do not offer this;
- specific- the user immediately understands what it is about;
- valuable- the potential client sees his benefit.
In 2014, we gave a general scenario by which a USP can be created. Today we will share new formulas and examples from practice to make it even easier to come up with or highlight a sentence.
Where to begin?
- What are your products made from?
- How exactly are the products produced?
- What equipment do you use?
- Which unique properties at the goods?
- How do you interact with clients?
- How is the work on the order structured?
- prices;
- the presence of a loyalty program;
- delivery speed;
- courtesy of the staff;
- ease of ordering;
- regularity of shares;
- guarantee period;
- the possibility of deferred payment.
We analyze the target audience. What is good for an avid fisherman is not suitable for a young woman on maternity leave. Therefore, the development of a USP must begin with an acquaintance with target audience- what worries your potential customers, what problems and interests do they have?
Example: Let's say you need to come up with a USP for an online home goods store. Most often purchase household chemicals, dishes, decor and other things are done by women. Ordering all this online will be those who have no time - which means that your main audience is working women aged 25 to 45 years. What might be of interest to them? Surely you will like it if you deliver goods quickly and free of charge. Therefore, a good USP is "Free delivery in Irkutsk within 2 hours."
Pretty good suggestion. But it can be strengthened - write how quickly the order will be delivered or indicate that delivery is around the clock.
Underwater rocks
Remember: the target audience is not just gender, age, income level and other parameters. You need to realize what and to whom you are selling, what problems you are helping people solve: ideally, you should have a clear portrait of the buyer in your head.
We think about the features of the business. Perhaps the finished USP is under your nose, you just need to notice it. To do this, honestly answer a few simple questions:
There is a chance that you will see an important advantage that will allow you to rebuild from your competitors. By the way, sometimes you can make a USP from a disadvantage: “Homemade cakes with short term storage - only natural ingredients.
Example: Suppose you are engaged in laser cutting of metal. Terms, prices and delivery conditions are the same as those of other companies. But on the other hand, you use a modern fiber-optic laser - it allows you to achieve maximum accuracy, up to 0.1 mm. Isn't this a USP? "Accuracy laser cutting up to 0.1 mm - we use the Ruchservomotor LaserCut 3015 fiber optic installation.
And this sentence can be strengthened - add how accurate the result is.
Underwater rocks
No one knows the specifics of a business better than its owner - so think and honestly answer the question why you are cooler. A marketer or copywriter will help you get the chip out of the benefits.
We look at competitors. Conduct a detailed and objective analysis - compare your business with the offers of your main competitors. Here is a sample list of parameters for comparison:
You will get a clear picture - it will become clear in what parameters you are losing, and in what parameters you are superior to your competitors. Winning criteria can be taken as the basis of the site's USP.
Example: Imagine that you are the owner of a tire shop. Delivery takes from 1 to 7 days, because you sell some of the items from the catalog under the order. There is no loyalty program yet, prices are the same as competitors. But everyone has a guarantee of 1-3 years, and you are ready to give an indefinite one - "Sale of tires with an indefinite warranty: free replacement in case of accidental damage."
Good deal, don't you agree? The only thing you can work on its design is to try to fit the title in 1 line, remove exclamation marks.
Underwater rocks
It's important not to want "like the competition, only better" - if another company has a similar USP, what will prevent it from making it cooler than yours? For example, offer delivery in 30 minutes instead of 1 hour. Be objective and try to find something of your own.
We ask clients. If you have already had orders, ask why people chose your company. Sometimes clients can give valuable clues.
By the way, it is worth conducting such surveys from time to time: this will help improve the service and have a positive impact on the company's reputation.
Example: Let's say you opened a beauty salon a week ago. You can ask employees to ask customers why they chose you. If clients say that you have a convenient working time, make it your thing. Let the salon be open from 12:00 to 22:00, and not from 09:00 to 19:00 like everyone else nearby. USP: "A beauty salon with a convenient work schedule: we are waiting for you daily from 12:00 to 22:00."
A very good USP - few beauty salons can offer this.
Underwater rocks
It's hard to follow this advice if you haven't had any orders at all. But nothing is impossible - go through the thematic forums, social media, talk to potential customers. Your goal is to find out what attracts buyers.
After all this laborious work, you will have at least strong advantages in your hands, as a maximum - an almost finished USP.
Aiming for the bull's-eye: 5 formulas for creating a USP
Even good advantage easy to spoil if the idea is formulated incorrectly. Compare two offers: “Free delivery in Irkutsk in 2 hours” and “We are guaranteed to deliver your order within 2 hours. Delivery throughout Irkutsk. The meaning is one, but the first is read and perceived much easier.
To formulate a clear and beautiful USP, you can safely use one of the templates:
You don't have to follow the patterns exactly. You can safely change any formula or come up with something completely new - it all depends on the specifics of the business. It is important to remember about the benefit of the client: the main task- show what exactly he will receive, and not what kind of white and fluffy company you have.
We look at the USP through the eyes of the client: 6 fatal mistakes
False statement. They misrepresented the facts or used criteria that should be the default. For example, USP “Professional doctors with experience of 3 years or more” is not suitable for dentistry - this is already expected from the clinic.
How to fix: look at the offer as a potential client. What do you expect from professional doctors? Certainly the correct and painless treatment. Try to bring this thought into the USP. "Painless dental treatment with a guarantee of 3 years - professionals work for us" - already better, isn't it?
Lack of benefit. Used dubious advantages. An online bed linen store should not brag about its assortment: "Online bed linen store" Sweet Dreams"- we have 1,000 products." There will always be a company that has even more products.
But if the assortment is really unique, it can be emphasized: for example, 10,000 planters self made from artisans from all over the world. Just be careful - make sure that competitors do not offer this, and will not be able to offer it in the near future.
How to fix: find another advantage. Let's say you sell cotton bedding. So highlight it - " Bed sheets for people with sensitive skin: hypoallergenic sets made of organic cotton.
Stamping. We chose a blurred wording - “fast delivery”, “true professionals”, “highly qualified specialists”, “low prices”, etc. The list is endless. Similar phrases are found on hundreds of sites and people are so used to them that they simply do not perceive.
How to fix: add specifics - "Bouquets with delivery in 60 minutes", "Porcelain stoneware from 450 rubles. for 1 m² - we official dealer 5 brands. Prove the advantage with facts and deeds, and if it doesn’t work out, choose another USP.
Wrong accent. They told only about one group of goods, while there are ten of them.
For example: "Quick-drying nail polishes: refresh your manicure in 60 seconds." It’s bad if, in addition to varnishes, you sell lipsticks, shadows and mascaras - they risk going unnoticed. If it is nail polishes that make you 80% of the profit, then it is permissible to focus on them. When selling all cosmetics is interesting, you need to change the USP.
How to fix: formulate a USP for the online store as a whole. If there are too many product groups, focus on the service: "Decorative cosmetics with home delivery: we work around the clock."
Bust with volume. We tried and wrote a USP the size of a paragraph: “Tables from an array from 3,895 rubles: prices are low, because we produce furniture from our own materials - there is a sawmill and a carpentry shop in the north of the Irkutsk region. Find cheaper - we will make a discount and return the difference in cost.
How to fix: cut ruthlessly. For USP, one sentence is enough - "Tables from an array from 3,895 rubles: we will refund the difference if you find it cheaper." The rest of the information should be put in the paragraph below - after all, it is important to explain why you have such affordable prices.
Repetition for competitors. We saved time on analyzing competitors and got a clone - an identical or very similar offer. Too bad, because all the work is done in vain.
How to fix: alas, ideally, you need to start all over again - analyze the target audience, think about the features of the business and compare your online store with similar ones. If time is short, try expanding on a failed USP: replace "Online shoe store with delivery" with "Online shoe store with free shipping within 2 hours."
No errors were found in the UTP? It's too early to rejoice - the offer may turn out to be ineffective, even if it seems very attractive to you.
How to know if USP will work
Answer a couple of questions to check the viability of the offer:
- Does the offer look realistic? For example, the statement "Language school "Contact" - learn English in 1 hour" is very doubtful. But this USP can already be trusted: "Language school "Contact" - English for holidays abroad in 5 hours."
- The USP answers the question why, out of all the similar offers, you should choose this one? If yes - everything is in order.
You can also test the USP on clients - make a mailing list with different options and choose the one that gets the most responses. We sometimes use this option - by the way, are you subscribed to our newsletter? If not, you're missing out on a lot of value.
Take the time to create a unique selling proposition - once spending several hours searching for the ideal, you will forever receive the key to the hearts of potential customers. If you need help, please contact us - we will create an effective offer.
Marketer Andrey Zinkevich - on how to effectively stand out from competitors
If you open any good marketing book or attend a related training, you are 99% likely to come across the term "Unique Selling Proposition". Why do all marketers talk about the importance of USP? It would seem that the answer is obvious: show the potential customer the differences of the product and the benefits of using it, and he will make a purchase. But here is the main pitfall: how to identify those very unique differences and how to present them in the form of benefits? What if your product or service is no different from the competition? Andrey Zinkevich, a well-known marketer, spoke about how to formulate a USP.
Andrei Zinkevich, Entrepreneur, Marketing Consultant. Project Founder . The geography of clients includes 9 countries of the world. Over eight years of sales and marketing experience with Kimberly Clark and Biosphere Corporation. Author of the booksCustomer pipeline », « Secrets of customer focus" And " Profitable Internet projects ».
Background
Reeves was one of the brightest students of the famous Claude Hopkins and was an adherent of the "selling" style. He believed that advertising can have only one purpose - sales. Not loyalty, not recognition, not popularization and other terms so beloved by advertisers, but sales!
In his book, Reeves emphasized that the effectiveness of advertising (read, sales) depends on one factor: advertising must instantly capture the attention of a potential client with one but very strong offer that competitors cannot make; an offer that will encourage the recipient of the advertisement to perform the targeted action.
This idea formed the basis of the concept that Reeves called the "unique selling proposition." True, today the concept of Reeves has acquired implausible myths; one of them - now the competition is much stronger and find differences between competitive products practically unrealistic.
Is it really? Of course not. Look at the most famous trademarks or companies, they all have a unique selling proposition and stand out due to it.
Let's try to figure out how to highlight the distinctive qualities of your products and services and turn them into a USP.
Step-by-step instructions for creating a unique selling proposition
The first step is to determine the most important characteristics for our customers in our products.
The first step in preparing a unique selling proposition is the selection of product characteristics or criteria that influence the decision of the client.
This step is the most important (although it is often skipped) because the characteristics chosen determine the fate of the USP: whether it really shows the benefits of your product or compares you "with the rest."
Therefore, our task at the first stage is to analyze our products or services and determine the ten most important characteristics for customers for each of them. The best way to do this is to ask existing customers what features of the product are most important to them and what criteria/factors influence their purchasing decision.
If the customer base is too large, then it is advisable to take a sample of the most loyal or most profitable customers and interview them.
If you output New Product and there are no clients yet, you can brainstorm and independently determine the most important characteristics for the client. Or interview those who are most likely to become a buyer of your product.
After real customers appear, you can repeat the analysis and select characteristics based on real data.
All responses received from respondents you need to enter in a separate file.
The second step is to filter and rank the received data.
After Feedback received from clients or brainstormed, our task is to select the 10 most important characteristics for the client and rank them in order of importance.
It is not difficult to do this. Among all the answers received, we need to choose those that are repeated more often than others. The characteristic with the most repetitions will head your list, the rest will be located below it in the same way. As a result, we should get something like this table (for example, we will mean a hypothetical online store):
Why do I recommend limiting yourself to 10 characteristics? Large quantity may just confuse you and make analysis difficult. In most cases, you will notice that the most important characteristics for the client will be no more than 5-7.
Step three - compare yourself with the three main competitors.
The next step is to compare the obtained characteristics of your product with three competitive ones. When conducting such an analysis, you should be as objective as possible: if you are inferior in something to a competitor, be sure to mark it.
I recommend scoring on a scale of 1 to 10 each selected feature or criterion for your product, and for each of your competitors. For example, in the previous table, we determined that the most important factor for a customer is delivery within a day. If we can deliver the product within a few hours after the order, we can give a score of 10, if not, we lower the score. Next, we analyze competitors and note how quickly they are able to arrange delivery. The longer the delivery time, the worse the score for this criterion.
Step 4 - choose the criteria for the USP: where we are stronger.
Having carried out such an analysis, we get a clear picture: in what characteristics or criteria that are important for the client, we are superior to competitors, and in what we are objectively inferior. The criteria by which we dominate and should form the basis of our USP.
Key rule: for each service, product or company as a whole, a separate unique selling proposition is created!
Auxiliary formulas for creating USP
Now let's see how you can formulate a unique selling proposition based on the selected characteristics. I suggest using one of three formulas.
Formula one: need + result + guarantees. Using this formula, we guarantee to the potential client that we can satisfy his need better than others. Here is an example of a USP based on this formula for our hypothetical online store: "We will deliver your order within a day or refund your money!"
This formula is used by my partner Ilya Rabchenok, CEO SMOpro studios, to create a USP at their service. This is how the unique selling proposition for the service “Attracting subscribers to a group on Vkontakte” and “Odnoklassniki” looks like: “Guaranteed to attract 1000 targeted subscribers within the first month according to the parameters you set, or we will return the money!”
Formula two: important criterion/characteristic + need. The second formula is based on a combination of characteristics that are important for a potential client and his needs. Good example for such a USP, some banks use:
“We will issue a loan in 5 minutes without a certificate of income.” Making a loan is the need of the target audience. The absence of the need to provide a certificate of income and the speed of issuing a loan are important criteria for a potential client that influence his decision.
Formula three: target audience + need + solution. Famous business coach Alex Levitas likes to use this formula. For himself as a consultant, he uses the following unique selling proposition: "I - Alexander Levitas - help owners of small and medium-sized businesses increase their net profit with the help of low-budget and free marketing moves" . In Alexa's USP, the target audience is the owners of small and medium-sized businesses. Their need is to increase net profit. Alex's solution is to use low-budget and free marketing tools (read, use guerrilla marketing tools).
False unique selling propositions
Separately, I want to mention false USPs. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs and marketers sin with this.
What is a false USP? This is a proposal based on the distortion of facts or the use of criteria in the USP, which the potential client expects by default.
For example, a dental clinic cannot use the characteristic "professionalism of doctors" as a USP. Why? Because, by default, a potential client expects you to have professional doctors. Otherwise, why would he contact you at all?
The second example is using a 14-day money-back guarantee as a USP. According to the law "On the Protection of Consumer Rights", the buyer already has the full right to return the product within 14 days from the date of purchase. Therefore, there is a distortion of facts here.
Control questions for checking USP
After you have completed the template comparative characteristics and made up a unique selling proposition, one question remains: how “working” is it? Isn't it false?
You can test yourself with the question (your USP should answer it): “Why should I choose your product or service among all the offers available to me?”
The second option is to formulate your USP in the form of a phrase: "Unlike others, we ...".
If both security questions have good answers, then you have indeed created a unique selling proposition.
