A USP (Unique Selling Proposition or Unique Selling Point) serves to differentiate a brand from its competitors and convince customers why they should choose that particular brand. Competitive advantage is a very important part of marketing strategy, and in this article we will focus on defining a unique selling proposition
Why focus on USP
Well-formulated and clear sales arguments generate immediate interest in the offer. And not only among customers who have experience with your products, but also among potential customers. Defining a USP correctly requires not only marketing, but also psychology. Sales arguments help customers make purchasing decisions and also help entrepreneurs empathize with the needs and thinking of their target group.
What is your target group
The first step should be to define your target group. Specify the typical customers you will be addressing with your arguments.
- Who will benefit from your product or service?
- Who do you want to reach
Focus on the demographics, occupation, age, gender, and purchasing desires and concerns of your target audience. It may help to categorize yourself. What company, advertisement, or offer appeals to you, and why?
Feedback
Of course, you have some idea of your strengths and weaknesses. However, the best insight into your business comes from your customers themselves. They are the ones who have daily experience with your services. You can collect feedback during meetings at the store, during meetings with clients, or through reviews and opinions on social media and via email.
It is important to ask how customers found you, how they learned about your company, and why they chose you over your competitors. At the same time, focus on what they like about your products and your business and what they would change, for example
Brainstorming
Gather all employees who have relevant information about the products for which you are looking for sales arguments. Put your heads together and try to come up with as many ideas as possible. Write down everything that comes up during the meeting. You can cross out any nonsense or things that don’t fit later.
- What advantages do you offer over your competitors?
- What could you improve?
- Which products sell better?
- What technologies does the company use?
- What is the price range of the product?
- How many regular customers do you have?
Nejen na tyto otázky se při brainstormingu zaměřte. Odpovědi by měly být jednoduché a přímočaré. Je důležité, aby vaše argumenty pochopili lidé zvenčí. Čtenář musí pochopit vaše sdělení po prvním přečtení. Zároveň je však potřeba právě mířit na vaší cílovou skupinu a funkční prodejní argumenty se musí přizpůsobit těm, kterým jsou určeny. Více se o metodě brainstormingu můžete dozvědět zde.
Don’t just focus on these questions during brainstorming. Answers should be simple and straightforward. It is important that people outside your organization understand your arguments. The reader must understand your message after reading it for the first time. At the same time, however, it is necessary to target your target group, and functional sales arguments must be adapted to those for whom they are intended. You can learn more about the brainstorming method here.
Formulating your USP
Above all sales arguments stands our main theme – the unique selling point. It tells customers what only you can do, what you can offer them compared to your competitors, and it profiles and defines your brand.
You can define it either as the best argument or as a combination of several successful arguments. As already mentioned, it should be simple, straightforward, and punchy. At the same time, avoid coming across as superficial and cheap. Finding the right USP can be a tough nut to crack for some companies, but the effort is really worth it in this case.
The final step is to present your unique selling point to the world. All future promotional materials and official presentations of your advantages should be based on your USP. It is important to put everything into context and choose a good communication channel. Some arguments are more suited to the online world, while others are better presented on the radio or in leaflets.
At the same time, focus on selecting a good copywriter to describe and explain your selling points, as well as on the graphic design. You need to grab people’s attention before they even start reading. Visual communication will help capture attention and entice readers to take a greater interest in your brand. Would you like to learn more about how to streamline sales or marketing in your company? Then a programme MBA Marketing Management and International Business and the course Marketing Management may be the ideal choice for you, where you will learn everything about the latest trends in these areas under the guidance of experienced professionals
