USP is your Unique Selling Proposition. It is at the heart of all your sales and marketing success. It's key to clearly define it and understand it at every level of your organization. Getting there, however, is easier said than done. 

In short, your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is what makes you unique and the reason why your customers buy from you. 

Key #1: If you are winning and losing sales primarily on price, you have not clearly defined or communicated your USP

Without a USP, your products and services become commodities and price is the sole differentiator between you and your competitor. The truth is, at some level, even commodity-based companies have a USP. If you can identify it AND enough of the market ascribes value to it, you can not only increase sales, but profitability as well.

Key #2: USPs must be examined at every level of your company

It's important to understand your USP at the company, brand/division, solution, and feature levels. The reason for this is because everything you sell has a 'selling proposition' or benefit to the buyer. However, not every 'selling proposition' is unique to your company. It's the combination up and downstream that creates the USP.

If you feel like a product or product feature is comparable or subpar to a competitor's, cheaper price is not the only reason for them to buy from you. They may value you at a corporate level (customer service or industry knowledge.) They may select your solution due to its compatibility with another of your solutions. It could come down to proximity and convenience. Before lowering your price and sacrificing profits, make sure you have clearly communicated your total value or USP.

Key #3: Make sure the industry cares about your USP.

It is not uncommon for companies to develop products or services before the broader market recognizes their need. But sometimes this is a miss. It's important to communicate with your customers to ensure they care about the benefits of what you have to offer and are willing to pay for it.

It's important that you identify and communicate the correct USP. One easy example is an automation feature that leads to labor savings. Many companies do not desire to reduce staff. Internal influencers might steer away from your solution if they think it might cost them their job. Instead using concepts such as reducing turnover, improving employee satisfaction, increasing productivity, lowering opportunity cost, etc can be a better alternative. Make sure you're connecting your unique features to the right benefits.

Key #4: When possible show, don't state your USP. Prove it.

In a world of information overload and fake news, for a USP to be communicated properly it has to be proven. Don't just claim to be an industry expert, use photos, videos, and PR to show it. Don't claim to have exceptional customer service, prove it with a call responsiveness metric, a customer quote, a testimonial video, etc. Again, this should be done at every level of the company. Whether you're marketing your company, brand, solution, or a single feature, offer proof. Make sure every sales and marketing initiative supports and further proves your USP.

Key #5: You need to be honest with yourself when it comes to your USP.

When communicating your USP, it needs to be true. There are many high-profile situations where large companies opened themselves up to ridicule when they claimed to offer a USP that customers didn't agree with. In many respects, you are better off remaining silent than claiming something that isn't true. As companies expand, as new solutions are developed, and as new key staff is added, your USP can evolve. With regular examination, you can ensure your USP remains true.

Key #6: Reinforce your USP internally

There are 2 key reasons every person in your organization needs to understand your USP. First, every interaction with a customer, vendor, or lead is an opportunity to prove or disprove a USP. If you establish yourself as the industry expert don't allow a new employee to bumble alone with customers, or at least provide resources for them to get up to speed. If you pride yourself on your customer service, make sure your customer-facing employees understand that your company's reputation and success rests on their interactions with customers.

Second, communicating a USP internally creates powerful feedback loops. For example, if outside sales uncovers the fact that a certain product or its features are resonating with customers, by sharing this information with development, development can make sure that they guard that feature and/or put more emphasis on its development. Customer service and inside sales can use this information to upsell. The reverse is also true. If operations creates a feature at the behest of customers, sales must know so that they don't miss out on a USP or sell an unnecessary customization.

Want to learn more?

Check out this article with steps on how to uncover your USP.

How can Stratimar Help?

We have over 10 years experience helping B2B companies in the ag, petroleum, manufacturing, distribution, and machining industries uncover and market their USPs. If you'd like help discovering your USP, contact Stratimar today.