Using a USP to Quickly Connect With ProspectsWritten by Maria Marsala
The acronym USP (Unique Selling Proposition) was created by Rosser Reeves, marketing expert in 1960's. Over time, his concept has been used by others, called different names by different individuals and pretty much has taken on a life of its own. You might know about this concept, but call it a Unique Selling Advantage (USA), Competitive Advantage, Elevator Speech or 30-Second Commercial. Dennis S. Vogel, Internet author, says, "The biggest words for each of them is UNIQUE!" One thing that seems to be consistent is that USPs work best when they're short and get your point across - fast! During a recent teleclass I attended, held by Jay Conrad Levinson, author of Guerilla Marketing Handbook, mentioned creating a 7 word USP.Have you ever had someone introduce themselves, using their title, and then you tuned out rest of their introduction? Have you ever introduced yourself to someone and watched an invisible wall come up between two of you? When we tell people "what we are" instead of how our services can benefit them or "who" we are, walls often pop up. So how can you get and possibly keep someone's attention? Learn to introduce your business credentials, without using your title. Create a few business and personal USPs. For example: If you're at a networking meeting, you'll first shake other person's hand and then state your name. Other things you might add to your USP are: 1. What makes work you do unique as compared to others in similar careers. 2. Something special about your business and how it can benefit your new acquaintance. 3. An open ended question such as "tell me about your business so that I can tell others about you", "how long have you been in business and/or lived in this area?" etc. 4. State your title somewhere in between what you say, vs. saying it at beginning. 5. Say something "daring" like "I'm in happiness business, is there an area in your life you'd like to make happier" 6. If you have something new you're promoting, don't be afraid to change your USP to include it.
| | THE UNEXPECTED "THANK YOU"Written by Bob Leduc
I bought my first new car when I was 21 years old. It was a bright red convertible. Along with joy of owning my dream car came responsibility of paying for it. I remember how feeling of "buyer's remorse" plagued me for days after I drove car off dealer's lot. ("Buyer's remorse" is what we feel after making an impulsive decision ...until we can justify our decision with logical reasons.)About a week later I got a personal letter from Ray, salesman who sold car to me. He thanked me for business and congratulated me for making such a wise decision. He then went on to list all benefits I'd enjoy as a result of my wise decision. Ray's letter didn't change car payments I faced for next 3 years. However, it did change way I felt about them. I lost my buyer's remorse almost immediately. Ray's letter also changed way I felt about him. I bought 3 more cars from Ray during next 10 years. I used versions of Ray's "thank you" letter throughout my business career. They helped preserve a considerable amount of business. They also helped solidify many valuable business relationships. BENEFITS OF THE UNEXPECTED "THANK YOU" How would you react if you received a personal "thank you" from a company or person a few days after you spent money with them? You'd feel good and probably want to do more business with them sooner rather than later. Why not give that same feeling to most important people you know ...your customers. Here are some benefits you gain when you send a personal "thank you" to a customer or client who just gave you business... ** You reduce or lower any buyer's remorse your customer or client feels after their purchase. ** You develop a closer relationship with your customer.
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