Define Your Uniqueness

So many business owners beat their heads against the wall, wondering why their business isn't working. They try everything - new sales scripts, better ads, and new products to no avail. In most cases the reason things are not working is simple - there is not always enough business in the marketplace and very little reason for anyone to give it to you and not your competitors.

What about your business? When you started, did you begin with a uniqueness - a real point of difference, or did you just start as a "me too" competitor? If you are a "me too" business you will have a tough time. The days of competing on price and service are starting to end. These days people have so many options, they can almost always get it somewhere else cheaper, and from someone who will do it better.

The major point is clear - you must stand out. You must build and promote a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Your USP is the one thing that is truly different about your business, or at least the one thing that you can promote as being different. A successful USP should be truly unique, exciting to your target market, something that will get people talking, or something that can't easily be copied.

What Makes You Unique The best way to discover your uniqueness is to start to look at your business from the outside. The following questions will help you identify what makes you unique and will help you think about your business in a new way. Be honest and provide detailed answers. List your three biggest competitors:

- What does each do well?

- What does each do poorly?

- What is 'unique' about each?

- What can they do that you can't?

- Describe the perceived standards of customer service in your industry.

- Describe the perceived standards of technology in your industry.

- List four reasons your customers turn to you rather than your competitors. This question is especially important, so give it some real thought.

- Name four ways you are genuinely different from your competitors.

- List five things about your product or service that you take for granted and your customers don't know about.

Now it's time to ask yourself, will this uniqueness really matter to your customers? Of the unique points you identified, which is the most marketable. Which point will most appeal to your customers?

Here are 12 examples of what your uniqueness could be...

- You sell a higher quality product or service, and you can specifically show how it benefits the customer in a meaningful way - You provide more/better customer service and you can easily explain and promote why you're better - You offer a better/longer guarantee and you have it written down - You offer more choice/selection/options and this is comething that people want and always look for - You offer a trade-in program and no one else does - You serve a specific (yet sizeable) demographic group that is overlooked by most competitors - You offer a better/more generous bonus points or loyalty club system and your product or service is at least as good - Your product or service has unique features that people care about - You only deal with a set number of customers, and only those of a particular type - You offer attractive products or services that no one else does - Your staff are all of a certain type, age group, background or experience level - You are the fastest and guarantee to finish the job much quicker than anyone else Basically, your uniqueness comes from one of seven areas - quality, price, service, delivery, speed, convenience, experience. In case you're wondering, experience means the actual experience of buying from you.

Once you've decided on your uniqueness, it's time to write it down. This is important - because your USP will soon be communicated to your team and your customers. It needs to be summed up by a one or two line statment. Here is an example USP - Jim's Video - the only video store in Philadelphia with four 11 foot screends playing the latest releases and all day live entertainment.

Just state your uniqueness plainly and simply. It's great to be specific. If you can put a number in your USP, that's ideal. Think about the 11 herbs and spices, or the 32 flavors. These are USP's that stick in your mind. A beautician could say "Beauty Shop: 4 qualified and friendly beauticians with more than 23 years experience each."

How Do You Promote Your USP?

It's important to get behind your new USP - print it on letterhead and business cards.

You have developed a powerful USP - you'd be crazy not to put it in every newspaper ad you ran, and every letter you wrote. Why not write to your former customers and let them know about your new or updated USP?

And whatever you do - don't forget your USP when it comes to writing your yellow pages ad. This is the place where people already know they want to buy from someone, they just need to know who. The important thing to remember is this - now that you've written your USP, it's important that you promote it and tell people about it.

Use This Section As a Final Checklist Once you're happy with your USP, make sure you're ready to get started. Here are a few things you may not have thought of...

Staff Training: Does your staff fully understand the ideas you've created? It's important that you communicate everything you've written and thought about. Your team needs to be informed about what's going on, and how they should act now that you are going to be positioning yourself differently.

Check that what you have created is truly unique: It's pretty common that your first effort is not unique - it's already been done by a competitor. Of course, if the idea has only been done overseas or interstate, then there shouldn't be a problem.

Now you are ready to implement! You must work out your uniqueness, and you must do it now. Let us know your results - we'd love to hear. It may solve every marketing problem you've ever had!

Define Your Uniqueness - To learn more about this author, visit David Carter's Website.

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