Your unique selling proposition (USP) also referred to as a unique value proposition is the core of your competitive advantage as a small business. It clearly articulates why someone should want to buy from you. It’s the #1 thing that determines whether people will bother reading more about your product or service or hit the back button. Your unique value proposition should be the foundation of your company’s brand promise. It’s also essential to keep your message consistent across every aspect of your online presence. The most compelling value propositions are those that are concise, highlight quantifiable outcomes and clearly distinguishes the value the seller is offering over the competition. Many small business owners set themselves up for failure, by never truly articulating a compelling value proposition. But you must establish a substantive unique selling proposition if you want go from idea to successful business.

1. What are you good at?

What Is your magical power or signature service in your business? What do you do better than your competitors? What are your core services? Being able to identify what your company does, and how you’re different from the competition gives you the foundation to develop your unique selling proposition.  Be careful as you craft this message, as it’s not a simple a tagline in the header of your website. Whatever your claim is, you must be able to back it up. It’s your brand promise. Also everyone in your company should know what it is and be able to articulate it on demand.

2. Identify your target customer’s pain

All marketing starts with identifying your best target customer. You must be able to sell your product or service to a specific audience, otherwise it will simply cost too much to promote it. In order to close a sale, you need to develop a detailed customer profile. To do that you must know your customer’s needs and how you can solve their problems. Focus on learning what keeps them up at night.

3. What is your solution set?

It’s not about what you sell, it’s about how long, how quickly or how cheaply it solves the problem. As you think about what you sell, it’s always dangerous to lead with facts and figures about your product or service. Because no one cares about that. But if you are marketing with benefits and stories, you will make some sales, there are folks who love a good story. But product sell themselves when your marketing talks about your products and service with a mix of benefits, results, and stories.  That’s when your USP is so compelling that your target audience will pay anything to have what you are selling.

Design a selling proposition around your customers’ needs and drill down your key benefits on whether your USP is cheaper, better or faster.  For example, you might hear common complaints among customers. Use your USP as a counterpoint. If your customer is concerned about pricing you can say, “Yes, our rates are high for the industry, but we offer better tech support than any other provider.”

4. How to leap over competition?

In order you really have a strong USP, you must know your top competitors and what their USP is so that you can position your business against it. No one is looking for a “me too” brand, so you better be talking about something different. Differentiation is one or more factors that make your business unique in your industry. Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, it’s simple to understand, but difficult to execute. In short, it’s the answer to why do people do business with you. You must know your unique factors to stand out in the marketplace. You need to be able to describe your target customer, the problem you solve, and why you’re distinctly better than the competition. Additionally, you might need more than one USP. For instance, many brands choose differentiators for their brands, their products, and even their hiring efforts.