by Maria Marsala
The acronym USP (Unique Selling Proposition) was created by Have you ever had someone introduce themselves, using their When we tell people "what we are" instead of how our For example: If you're at a networking meeting, you'll first 1. What makes the work you do unique as compared to others Once you've written what you want to say, ask your clients Creating a few different business and personal USPs, then
Rosser Reeves, marketing expert in the 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.
title, and then you tuned out the rest of their
introduction? Have you ever introduced yourself to someone
and watched an invisible wall come up between the two of
you?
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.
shake the other person's hand and then state your name.
Other things you might add to your USP are:
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 the beginning.
5. Say something "daring" like "I'm in the 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.
questions about what makes your business stand out, what you
offer that is of the highest quality, etc. Why? You want to
state the benefits of doing business with you from the
clients' perspective, not yours-and I can tell you that what
you see as a benefit of doing business with you may not be
what your clients feel.
practicing them, can make the difference between connecting
with people and not connecting. So practice your new
introduction on everyone you know until the words feel
comfortable to you... Practice in the mirror... and tell
everyone you know you'd like to borrow them to practice,
too.
Additional information on USPs can be found on the Internet USP History and The Basics A Compelling USP Description by Dale Chambers If you don’t have a USP (Unique Selling Point), Create One 3 Steps To A USP By Barbara Ling www.riseway.com/usp.html How to Write an Elevator Speech Use Your Unique Selling Proposition To Make The Sale by Jana Unique Selling Propositions (Some Questions To Consider) Explains USA, UPS and all the other word's they're called by MARKETING - 12 Unique Selling Propositions Your USP: Why Should I Hire You? by Kevin Donlin About the Author
Maria Marsala is an internationally known coach, author, and speaker. A former Wall
at:
www.emediaplan.com/admunch/Biographies/Rosser.asp
www.cism.com/featurearticles/compelling_description.htm
by Karl Ruegg www.topten.org/public/AP/AP86.html
www.avnmembers.co.uk/knowledgebase/Business/elevatorspeech.htm
M.Kemp www.janakemp.com/article3.htm
www.virtualtechnocrats.com/selfhelp/businessebook/marketing/usp.html
Dennis S. Vogel www.voy.com/31049/17.htm
http://www.homebiz.ca/News/Archives/052200.htm#MARKETING%20-%2012%20Unique%2
0Selling
http://www.careerowl.ca/candidates/resources.htm
Street trader and manager, she is the author of the ebook
Thinking of Starting a Business... Let's Talk About What's
Next. Subscribe to her free ezine "Helping You and Your
Business Grow" at http://www.coachmaria.com