There really is no magic formula to get people to buy your product. But there are a few things you can do to make your product stand out in people’s minds.
In marketing terms, this is called creating a “unique selling proposition” and it’s one of the most important things you can do to create a desire or a demand for what you’re selling.
First let’s define this phrase:
Unique: Special or different from others in a way that makes somebody or something special and worthy of note.
Selling: Make people want to buy something to increase the sale of or the demand for a product.
Proposition: A proposal, idea, offer, or plan put forward for consideration or discussion
Don’t confuse a USP with branding. It’s not the same thing. You will hear people say a USP is the same as having a fancy logo or catch-phrase that people will remember, such as “Java Jacket”, or “Dirt Devil”. This is the process of using easy to remember words when naming your product. It’s creating Brand-Recognition – a totally different concept from a USP (and a subject for another post).
You don’t need to have a brand to stand out in people’s minds – but it does help. What you need is a way to set yourself apart from the competition. Here are 3 tips to help you do that. If you want to create loyalty and repeat customers, it is wise to first create your USP. Using your USP as your foundation, you can begin to brand yourself (or product or service).
1. In order to increase the demand for a product when there are potentially hundreds or thousands of other products out there just like it, you must either make it unique or find out how your product or service does something the competition doesn’t do at all (or not very well).
Example? Starbucks is a terrific example of a business that found a USP and then built an empire from that (we are not talking about the current trend of positioning itself against McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts as a convenience store coffee house either).
From its humble beginnings, Starbucks became known as a warm, inviting atmosphere where one could go and read and sip coffee to while away the time. You knew that no matter what Starbucks you went to the experience and the coffee would be the same. Consistency is key with Starbucks.
Can you say that about all coffee shops?
That’s a unique selling proposition.
2. This difference must be something that benefits the prospect and motivates him to buy.
In the Starbucks example, people are motivated to buy their coffee over the coffee shop down the street because we know if we order a Latte in Chicago on a business trip, it will taste just like the one we order at the Starbucks in Portland. Perhaps a Starbucks latte isn’t the best latte around, but it’s also not the worst.
3. Looking deeper into this, we can see that any Starbucks barista has the same training no matter what location he is hired at. Also, the machines are the same at every location. This is what creates the consistency we have come to expect that motivates us to buy. Now, they have a business model that sets them apart from the competition.
Then there’s the price. Starbucks certainly isn’t the cheapest cup of coffee around, but it’s worth it to most because of the peace of mind knowing you will get exactly what you ordered.
Summary
Putting this all together we can see a Unique Selling Proposition (or, a USP) is making a product or service more different or more special than anything else out there for the purpose of making people want to buy it. Then coming up with an offer people can’t refuse.
What’s your Unique Selling Proposition?
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