All posts tagged USP

How To Make Sale After Sale After Sale After Sale – For Ever ! (Part 4)

By blogger on

Develop A USP

But – What is a USP?

If you don’t know the answer to this question, you’re business is in serious trouble! Again, an entire book can be written on this subject (many have been).

Your “USP” is your “Unique Selling Perspective”. In other words…Why is your business Unique? What does your business possess that separates it from the rest of your competition? Why should a customer buy from you instead of your competition? What do you offer your customers that your competition doesn’t?

Here’s a good example…. Amazingly enough, a once failing pizza shop used the power of a strong USP to turn their struggling business into an empire. They decided to become unique and capitalize on one specific aspect of their business that no one else had yet capitalized on. Once they did, their profits soared!

Who is this pizza shop? The Answer? A very well known – Internationally Recognised Name NOW but I can’t tell you in the article – (considered as advertising & forbidden.)

So, how did they turn their business around? With a simple, clever, slogan combined with a USP…. Delivered Hot And Fresh In 30 Minutes Or Less… OR IT’S FREE! The young owner of this Pizza Business didn’t capitalize on fresh ingredients, the ripest tomatoes, 5 different cheeses, or special offers…. Everyone else was already doing that! This “college student” realized where the need was and hammered home his simple message! What did folks want from a pizza place? They wanted their pizza FAST! This simple slogan and USP alone turned a once failing business into a MEGA MILLION DOLLAR FRANCHISE!

Don’t Sell Products… Sell Content – This may sound a bit strange… After all, you’re in business to make money, right? Absolutely! You want the sale…Right? Of course! But just as I touched on this same issue previously, the best way to sell a customer is by first gaining their trust and reassuring them that by making a purchase from you, it will be a decision they won’t regret. The only way to really do this effectively is by pre-selling. Yes, you want your website visitors to ultimately click the “Buy Now” button on your website, but you only want them to do so AFTER they’ve come to know your business and respect you as a business professional.

So why not put some articles or valuable content on your website that will interest readers in your niche’ market? For example…..

— Offer free downloads for visitors to read at their leisure.

— Get them to sign up for your newsletter so you can stay in touch.

— Place a web poll on your site to get visitors involved – make sure the questions relate to your site’s theme

— Put a feedback form on your website for readers to offer their suggestions

— Put a testimonials page up to show your visitors how much previous buyers enjoyed their shopping experience

— Offer a “Shopping Tips” or “Helpful Hints” page to give your visitors something of value for free

A Unique Selling Proposition

By blogger on

Every product or service should offer a unique selling proposition (simply referred to as USP) to its potential customers. Whats a USP?

The USP is an acronym for Unique Selling Proposition or Unique Sales Proposition. Every business, product and service needs to have a USP.

The unique selling proposition is best described as the main thing separating you from everyone else who does what you do. It tells why your widget or service is a must-have. Its so important many marketers consider it to be the #1 detail in successful advertising copy.

To begin thinking about a USP you should imagine youre answering (as clearly, directly and simply as possible) a few questions for a potential buyer. Write these out on paper and your USP will be embedded somewhere in the contents.

Why should I buy from you and only you?

What can you offer me that competitors can’t or wont offer me? (Could be a company or product guarantee, specialization or special service, number of years as an expert, better price, etc.)

Tell me why I should read your sales message what does it tell me that I wont find in other sales messages?

How will I personally profit (or benefit) from doing business for you (whats in it for me… what do I stand to gain or what pain will you remove for me)?

Whats the single biggest benefit of your product or service?

Is there one thing unique or different about your product or service? Is there a unique combination of benefits you can create for me as your customers? (If not, how might you be able to make yourself unique?)

Now… pick out the most important elements of your uniqueness (or how you want to position yourself as being unique). List these in clear and simple language.

Okay. Thinking cap still on? Good.

Try to boil this down to a single statement. (And definitely no more than 2 sentences at most).

1) Make it benefit-oriented (tell your client whats in it for her or him). 2) Be specific (avoid generalities). 3) Use simple language. 4) Be direct and to the point (be concise). 5) Make your unique selling proposition “unique” (tell her why she needs to buy from you and no one else… if your USP can be adopted by anyone else then you dont have a USP yet).

“This food processor is the best?” is not a USP.

But…

“This food processor breaks down hard nuts and vegetables 16% faster than any other, and I promise you its motor will NEVER burn out or you can send it back for a free replacement. … is a USP.

The car-rental agency of choice. is an empty slogan.

But…

The only car rental agency in Florida open 24/7 with luxury models at discount prices … is a unique selling proposition.

Heres a unique selling proposition marketing expert John Carlton says could be used for a hamburger business in competition against McDonalds…

Best-grade hamburger grilled by owner-chef when you order, delivered hot and ready-to-eat within 2 minutes… or you eat for free!