Ok, so this will knock your socks off…
This is by far the most common mistake made by business owners. A USP is the one thing that differentiates your business from your competitors in the minds of your customers and prospects.
A USP is what makes the difference between having a truly outstanding business or merely a good one, or worse still, a poor one.
Occasionally a USP already exists in your business – you just need to discover it and then articulate it in a way that makes you stand out from the crowd. However, in most cases the USP has to be created, often out of ‘thin air’. I can’t stress enough how important this is for you. How can you expect your customers to be able to choose you, over and above any of your competitors, if they can’t quickly see what it is that you do that is so unique and beneficial to them?
Outstanding businesses have been founded on a USP alone. For example, here’s a very well-known USP….
“Red hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less – guaranteed”
Tom Monahan of Domino’s Pizza created one of the most successful fast food franchises in the world from the strength of this USP. So did Fred Smith of FedEx (“When it absolutely positively has to be there overnight”).
Dismiss the importance of having a USP (or several) at your peril. I guarantee that most of your competitors are unlikely to have one. This will make a massive difference to the growth and profitability to your business.
If you are viewed by your customers and prospects as being the same as your competitors, what do you think becomes the most important criterion when they want your products or services? That’s right – price.
There is no hiding the fact that as soon as you create the USP, you automatically take your business out of the ‘price war’ and in to the nirvana of higher prices/fees – and less competition!
And that my friend is the power of the USP