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6. Look at two or three of your competitor’s websites or ad’s. Write one or two sentences describing their USP.
7. What does your favorite client or supplier like most about your business solutions?
8. Look at other industries, are their innovations or processes in these industries that you could apply to your business?
9. Now rewrite your USP. Write it in clear language your clients can understand. Make a simple message. Make it specific. Make a bold promise (adding little value gets little money; adding great value, gets you big money) Make it stand for one distinctive thing. Write this in paragraph form and also in a shorter one sentence version that can be easily repeated.
10. Start using this USP in draft form. 30 days later repeat above exercise. Revise your USP based on your experiences. Complete same process in 6 months and you will have a winner.
Being honest about your USP is your most difficult task. You love your business idea. You love your product or service. You think everyone should love and want it. You need to be brutally honest. Is it different or better than what others are offering in market place? Is it meaningful to your potential client? Answer these questions honestly. If your USP does not meet above criteria, then find aspects of your business, client dreams and expectations, or gaps in your industry where you can meet a customer need that is unique and different from your competitors. Find that aspect of business where others are not serving or serving client poorly. Go there and create your product or service. Have courage to complete this process honestly! You do not always have to be first to think of a particular USP. But you need to be first to use USP in your business. You want to position yourself in people’s minds as best with particular quality in your USP. Every product is different, every service is different. So find difference and market it. Good luck! © Al Hanzal
Al Hanzal has worked in small business environments for the last 14 years. He has written several books and national articles on how small businesses can improve their profits.