Knowing Your USP Will Help You Sell, Sell, Sell….

By Beth Ann Erickson, FilbertPublishing.com 

A while ago, we discussed your USP — your Unique Selling Proposition.  Just to refresh your memory, your USP is the part of your writing that makes it special.  It’s what makes your writing different from every one else.

Did you get a chance to identify your USP?  Maybe it’s changed since we talked about it last time.  If you haven’t thought about it for a while, here are a few jumping-off points….

Maybe you provide the fastest service.  Maybe you’re the best in your field.  Perhaps you give the best bang for your customer’s buck.

If you know what your USP is, you’re well on your way to making some effective marketing decisions.

You see, your USP is the primary BENEFIT you can offer your customers.  When your customer knows how you can benefit HIM, you’re more than half way to making the sale.

Sound easy?

It is — after you’ve identified your USP….

Plainly stated, every piece of marketing materials you produce MUST tell your readers why YOU are the best and only source for what you’re selling.

So, how do you convince your readers that you are the best source for whatever it is you sell?  Easy.  Kind of.

There are a number of ways you can point out your USP to your customers.  Here are some examples:

You can provide extra services.  Enterprise Rent-A-Car tells their customers they’ll “Pick you up.”

Maybe you have the lowest prices like Pay-Less Shoe Source.  Remember them?  “Doesn’t it Feel Good To Pay Less?”

Perhaps durability is your product’s USP — just like Timex’s watches that “Take a licking and keep on ticking.”

Of course, you don’t have to come up with a catchy slogan like the companies we just discussed, but when you know your USP, you can target your audience and get the most bang out of every advertising dollar.

Now that you know your USP, ponder on these two questions before you put one more dollar into your advertising budget:

How does knowing your USP change how you’ll run your next ad?

How can you use your USP to draw people to your business instead of your competitors?

Remember, rejoice in your USP.  Make it your sales song.  Then tell your customers about it.  With all your might. 

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Beth Ann Erickson is Queen Bee of Filbert Publishing and the only writing ezine that'll make your writing sparkle, help you write killer queries, and get you on the road to publication fast. Better yet, you'll receive the e-booklet "Power Queries" when you sign up for your free subscription. Subscribe today at http://FilbertPublishing.com

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