How to make a unique selling proposition. Unique selling proposition (USP). What's this? How to know if USP will work

03.11.2019

The absence of a USP is a great grief for business. Look at these sites:

In addition to design, they practically do not differ from each other - everywhere low prices, high quality and quick installation. It's a pity for people who want to order stretch ceilings - it will take more than one hour to wade through the jungle of clone sites to find a worthwhile option.

Therefore, there must be something that distinguishes the business from total mass- unique selling proposition. It is it that will make competitors fear you like fire, and potential clients make more choices in your favor.

By the way, prices with it can be slightly higher than those of other companies: if you offer the buyer a product that will solve his problems, he will be ready to pay more for it.

There are only three "buts" - USP works if it:

unique- competitors do not offer this;
specific- the user immediately understands what it is about;
valuable- the potential client sees his benefit.

In 2014, we gave a general scenario by which a USP can be created. Today we will share new formulas and examples from practice to make it even easier to come up with or highlight a sentence.

Where to begin?

We analyze the target audience. What is good for an avid fisherman is not suitable for a young woman on maternity leave. Therefore, the development of a USP should begin with getting to know the target audience - what worries your potential customers, what are their problems and interests?

Example: Let's say you need to come up with a USP for an online home goods store. Most often purchase household chemicals, dishes, decor and other things are done by women. Ordering all this online will be those who have no time - which means that your main audience is working women aged 25 to 45 years. What might be of interest to them? Surely you will like it if you deliver goods quickly and free of charge. Therefore, a good USP is "Free delivery in Irkutsk within 2 hours."

Pretty good suggestion. But it can be strengthened - write how quickly the order will be delivered or indicate that delivery is around the clock.

Underwater rocks

Remember: the target audience is not just gender, age, income level and other parameters. You need to realize what and to whom you are selling, what problems you are helping people solve: ideally, you should have a clear portrait of the buyer in your head.

We think about the features of the business. Perhaps the finished USP is under your nose, you just need to notice it. To do this, honestly answer a few simple questions:

What are your products made from?
How exactly are the products produced?
What equipment do you use?
What are the unique features of the products?
How do you interact with clients?
How is the work on the order structured?

There is a chance that you will see an important advantage that will allow you to rebuild from your competitors. By the way, sometimes you can make a USP from a disadvantage: "Homemade cakes with a short shelf life - only natural ingredients."

Example: Suppose you are engaged in laser cutting of metal. Terms, prices and delivery conditions are the same as those of other companies. But on the other hand, you use a modern fiber-optic laser - it allows you to achieve maximum accuracy, up to 0.1 mm. Isn't this a USP? "Accuracy laser cutting up to 0.1 mm - we use the Ruchservomotor LaserCut 3015 fiber optic installation.

And this sentence can be strengthened - add how accurate the result is.

Underwater rocks

No one knows the specifics of a business better than its owner - so think and honestly answer the question why you are cooler. A marketer or copywriter will help you get the chip out of the benefits.

We look at competitors. Conduct a detailed and objective analysis - compare your business with the offers of your main competitors. Here is a sample list of parameters for comparison:

prices;
the presence of a loyalty program;
delivery speed;
courtesy of the staff;
ease of ordering;
regularity of shares;
guarantee period;
the possibility of deferred payment.

You will get a clear picture - it will become clear in what parameters you are losing, and in what parameters you are superior to your competitors. Winning criteria can be taken as the basis of the site's USP.

Example: Imagine that you are the owner of a tire shop. Delivery takes from 1 to 7 days, because you sell some items from the catalog under the order. There is no loyalty program yet, prices are the same as competitors. But everyone has a guarantee of 1-3 years, and you are ready to give an indefinite one - "Sale of tires with an indefinite warranty: free replacement in case of accidental damage."

Good deal, don't you agree? The only thing you can work on its design is to try to fit the title in 1 line, remove exclamation marks.

Underwater rocks

It is important not to want “like the competition, only better” - if another company has a similar USP, what will prevent it from making it cooler than yours? For example, offer delivery in 30 minutes instead of 1 hour. Be objective and try to find something of your own.

We ask clients. If you have already had orders, ask why people chose your company. Sometimes clients can give valuable clues.

By the way, it is worth conducting such surveys from time to time: this will help improve the service and have a positive impact on the company's reputation.

Example: Let's say you opened a beauty salon a week ago. You can ask employees to ask customers why they chose you. If clients say that you have a convenient working time, make it your thing. Let the salon be open from 12:00 to 22:00, and not from 09:00 to 19:00 like everyone else nearby. USP: "A beauty salon with a convenient work schedule: we are waiting for you daily from 12:00 to 22:00."

A very good USP - few beauty salons can offer this.

Underwater rocks

It's hard to follow this advice if you haven't had any orders at all. But nothing is impossible - go through thematic forums, social networks, talk with potential customers. Your goal is to find out what attracts buyers.

After all this laborious work, you will have at least strong advantages in your hands, as a maximum - an almost finished USP.

Aiming for the bull's-eye: 5 formulas for creating a USP

Even good advantage easy to spoil if the idea is formulated incorrectly. Compare two offers: “Free delivery in Irkutsk in 2 hours” and “We are guaranteed to deliver your order within 2 hours. Delivery throughout Irkutsk. The meaning is one, but the first is read and perceived much easier.

To formulate a clear and beautiful USP, you can safely use one of the templates:

You don't have to follow the patterns exactly. You can safely change any formula or come up with something completely new - it all depends on the specifics of the business. It is important to remember the client's benefit: the main task is to show what exactly he will receive, and not what kind of white and fluffy company you have.

We look at the USP through the eyes of the client: 6 fatal mistakes

False statement. They misrepresented the facts or used criteria that should be the default. For example, USP “Professional doctors with experience of 3 years or more” is not suitable for dentistry - this is already expected from the clinic.

How to fix: look at the offer as a potential client. What do you expect from professional doctors? Certainly the correct and painless treatment. Try to bring this thought into the USP. "Painless dental treatment with a guarantee of 3 years - professionals work for us" - already better, isn't it?

Lack of benefit. Used dubious advantages. An online bed linen store should not boast of an assortment: "Online bed linen store "Sweet Dream" - we have 1,000 products." There will always be a company that has even more products.

But if the assortment is really unique, it can be emphasized: for example, 10,000 planters self made from artisans from all over the world. Just be careful - make sure that competitors do not offer this, and will not be able to offer it in the near future.

How to fix: find another advantage. Let's say you sell cotton bedding. So highlight it - "Bedding for people with sensitive skin: hypoallergenic organic cotton sets."

Stamping. They chose a blurred wording - " fast delivery”, “real professionals”, “highly qualified specialists”, “low prices”, etc. The list is endless. Similar phrases are found on hundreds of sites and people are so used to them that they simply do not perceive.

How to fix: add specifics - "Bouquets with delivery in 60 minutes", "Porcelain stoneware from 450 rubles. for 1 m² - we are the official dealer of 5 brands. Prove the advantage with facts and deeds, and if it doesn’t work out, choose another USP.

Wrong accent. They told only about one group of goods, while there are ten of them.

For example: "Quick-drying nail polishes: refresh your manicure in 60 seconds." It’s bad if, in addition to varnishes, you sell lipsticks, shadows and mascaras, they risk going unnoticed. If it is nail polishes that make you 80% of the profit, then it is permissible to focus on them. When selling all cosmetics is interesting, you need to change the USP.

How to fix: formulate a USP for the online store as a whole. If there are too many product groups, focus on the service: "Decorative cosmetics with home delivery: we work around the clock."

Bust with volume. We tried and wrote a USP the size of a paragraph: “Tables from an array from 3,895 rubles: prices are low, because we produce furniture from our own materials - there is a sawmill and carpentry shop in the north of the Irkutsk region. Find cheaper - we will make a discount and return the difference in cost.

How to fix: cut ruthlessly. For USP, one sentence is enough - "Tables from an array from 3,895 rubles: we will refund the difference if you find it cheaper." The rest of the information should be put in the paragraph below - after all, it is important to explain why you have such affordable prices.

Repetition for competitors. We saved time on analyzing competitors and got a clone - an identical or very similar offer. Too bad, because all the work is done in vain.

How to fix: alas, ideally, you need to start all over again - analyze the target audience, think about the features of the business and compare your online store with similar ones. If time is short, try expanding on a failed USP: replace "Online shoe store with delivery" with "Online shoe store with free shipping within 2 hours."

No errors were found in the UTP? It's too early to rejoice - the offer may turn out to be ineffective, even if it seems very attractive to you.

How to know if USP will work

Answer a couple of questions to check the viability of the offer:

Does the offer look realistic? For example, the statement "Language school "Contact" - learn English in 1 hour" is very doubtful. But this USP can already be trusted: "Language school "Contact" - English for holidays abroad in 5 hours."
The USP answers the question why, out of all the similar offers, you should choose this one? If yes - everything is in order.

You can also test the USP on clients - make a newsletter with different options and choose the one that most people responded to. We sometimes use this option - by the way, are you subscribed to our newsletter? If not, you're missing out on a lot of value.

Take the time to create a unique selling proposition - once spending several hours searching for the ideal, you will forever receive the key to the hearts of potential customers. If you need help, please contact us - we will create an effective offer.

Copywriters often use phrases like “most important” and “most important” in place and out of place. Just for effect. "The most important rule of the text." "The most important thing in commercial offer" and so on.

Today we will talk about creating a unique selling proposition. And, we promise you, you will soon understand that a well-written USP is the most important thing in business. No kidding. Generally the most important thing. So important that everything else is just pathetic reflections.

What is a USP and why is it needed?

A unique selling proposition (offer, USP, USP) is the main distinguishing mark of a business. Anyone. It doesn't matter if you're selling small-scale writing services or building entire neighborhoods with new homes.

The word "USP" refers to such a competitive difference that others do not have. What sets you apart from your competitors. This is the only true definition of USP.

USP provides the client with a certain benefit. Or solves his problem. The types of benefits can vary, but a unique selling proposition with no clear benefit to the customer is garbage.

Various. Benefit.

Two words on which everything rests.

Your Unique Selling Proposition should differentiate you so radically that, given all the inputs being equal, if a customer has to choose between you and a competitor, because you have a decent USP, they will choose you.

Do you understand how serious?

The main problem of USP in Russian business

The trouble is that Russian business is criminally blind. From simple freelancers to huge companies, everyone wants to be the best. And not everyone can be the best. Must be different- that's the whole point.

Hence the main problem is the refusal to create a USP in favor of the stupidest desire to be the first and the best.

To show. how weak and ill-conceived the creation of unique selling propositions can be, we will take our colleagues - copywriters. Look at their portfolio:

Ideal lyrics
Best Author
Atomic copywriting
word master
And so on …

This kind of nonsense is all over the place. People just don't understand that it's not a USP. This is a great example of . Instead of becoming different, everyone climbs the same mountain. To the top. In the end - puff.

Who is on the bright side then?

The first in legal texts in Runet
Since 2010, I have been writing only commercial offers.
Any text - 3 hours after payment
TOP copywriting for the price of ordinary texts
Free consultation on Landing Page improvement for each client
Free images for the article from paid photo stocks

Yes, not so loud, but very effective. The clients of these authors already see the difference and their benefits, and therefore are ready to pay.

Do you think business is any different? Yes, nothing like that, even huge companies do not really know how to compose a unique selling proposition:

A wide range of
Big discounts
Free service
Low prices
High quality
Industry leaders
And so on …

Moreover, many people sincerely consider such a “gentleman's” set to be sufficient to seduce a client.

And where is the fundamental difference here? Where is the signal "I'm different"? He is not. There are which every first company flaunts.

What is most interesting, each of the advantages can be developed into a good USP. For example, like this:

A wide range of. 1300 models of alpine skis - the largest warehouse in Russia
Big discounts - every Thursday 65% off your second purchase
Free service - after buying a smartphone, we install any programs for you for free within an hour
Low prices - we sell any pastries for 1 ruble after 18-00
High quality - if even one part breaks, we will give you a new simulator
Leaders in our industry - three years in a row we win the title of "The Best Taxi in Syktyvkar"

Alas, only a few use the idea of expanding template chatter to a full-fledged USP. After all, it’s always easier to stamp standard phrases, so that later you’ll be surprised - “Why don’t they buy?”.

In order for your business to take off, you need a strong USP. No trick. This is exactly what we will learn to compose today. We promise you will soon look at your possibilities with completely new eyes.

The concept of compiling a USP

There are thousands of types of unique selling propositions. Offers can be very different:

Is the Zippo Lighter Lifetime Warranty a USP? Undoubtedly!

All for 49 rubles? Too.

Soap that doesn't dry out your skin? Oh sure.

A tour of the 10 best beer bars in Germany? And this is also a fully working USP.

Remember, we said that when compiling unique offer can't be guided by the fact that you have to look your best? To reiterate, you don't have to strive to be the best.

You must be different. To find such a distinctive benefit for the client that would attract him to you, and not to a competitor.

When writing a USP, it is important to remember one very simple thing: a specific benefit for the client must go through your entire offer. Not praising you or your business, not delight, but the direct benefit of a potential buyer.

But the benefits themselves can be a great many:

This will help me

Get a high social status

Become more beautiful (stronger, more active, etc.)

Learn new things

With this I

save money

I'll make money

Thanks to this I

save time

I will get interesting impressions

Get extra comfort

Feel free to look for some non-obvious ways to gain a competitive advantage. Anything can go into business, the main thing is that it is interesting to the client.

Now that the theory is out of the way, it's time to start the practice of creating a strong offer.

Rules for compiling USP

A lot of rubbish has been written on the net about how to compose a USP, but when you start to figure it out, you fall into a stupor. Too clever and confusing. Yes, creating a sales proposal is not an easy task, but it is quite possible. Even for those who are not good at brainstorming.

In order to cope, we will cut the elephant into pieces. Learn in stages. This will make it easier and clearer. We started.

Stage one - awareness of yourself and competitors

The first step is to answer as fully as possible the list of questions below. You can even print them and then write the answers in front of each. Don't be lazy, this is an important step. So, the list of important questions.

What are we doing?
Our strengths
Our weaknesses
Do we have any differences from competitors?
Can effort create difference?
What interesting USPs do competitors have?
Is it possible to do something more interesting based on their USP?

Ideally, you should have a fairly large list, which you will then rely on. It is worth remembering that there are two types of proposals: effortless and effortless.

USP without effort is what you already own. For example, do you really have the most big choice skiing in Russia. Or you win the title of "Best Manufacturer of the Year" is not the first time.

USP with effort is something you can do to create a strong competitive advantage and create a unique offering. For example, promise that you will deliver a taxi in 5 minutes or the trip will be free. And this despite the fact that now the average waiting time is 7 minutes.

USP with effort is always more difficult to perform, but the effect of it is usually greater: a person sees his direct benefit and is ready to test you.

Yes, you will have to sacrifice something (money, time, profit growth), but on the other hand, you will also raise the bar of advantage above others. Consequently, in the long run you will get new customers, since your competitors will not be able or will not want to raise this bar even higher.

Stage two - understanding the needs of customers

Again a leaf. Surveys again, but now about clients:

Who is our main client? Describe your target audience
What does our ideal client want?
What customer needs do we really solve?
And what could, but we do not solve?
How can we win new customers?

Put yourself in your client's shoes. Why does he choose you? Do they expect something specific from you: guarantees, more convenience, reliability, savings, or something else?

What is valuable and not valuable for your customers? Maybe they are ready to pay any money to raise their status? Or are they frugal and buy the cheapest possible? Clearly draw yourself a portrait of a mass target audience. You can even conduct surveys to understand the real needs of the client.

Why do many customers go to competitors? What are the last ones? Do you have the resources to offer your clients the same or more?

Understanding the needs of the client is the most important condition for creating a working USP. You will be able to correctly understand the buyer and his desires - you will be able to offer something really interesting.

Stage three - creation of USP

Now take both leaves and find all the intersecting points. For example, in the first task (self-awareness), we found out that you can give each customer of furniture for the hallway a dining table. And so far no one is doing this.

In the second task (client needs), you realized that your target audience is young families and people with below average income who would not mind getting something for free.

Bottom line: you may well make an offer: Each client is given a solid table for the kitchen as a gift

If you take enough time to prepare for writing a unique selling proposition, then there can be dozens of such intersecting points. You just have to turn on the creative and create maximum offers based on them.

Created? Wonderful. Now is the time to choose the best USP.

To do this, you can conduct surveys among employees, customers, place surveys in in social networks and so on. After the tests are done, you should see the influencer. As a rule, it is noticeable immediately.

Can you have multiple USPs?

Yes, it may well be. And yet, some main proposal will have to be chosen, and the rest will be amplifiers of the proposal. And remember that the unique selling proposition cannot be changed every three months. This is for years, and therefore immediately resemble the choice seriously.

Carefully track the offers of competitors. Firstly, this is a huge scope for creativity and ideas. Secondly, it will help you not to repeat other people's sentences.

Your USP should be as specific as possible. No common phrases. If “A cup of coffee for every gas station visitor”, then this is exactly a cup of coffee, and not “nice bonuses”. If “everything costs 49 rubles”, then this is exactly 49 rubles, and not “the lowest possible prices”.

Your USP should be as simple as possible - all customers should immediately understand it and immediately see a clear benefit.

Do not contradict the interests of CA. If clients visit your salon because it is fashionable and prestigious, then there is no need to lure low prices. Kill status.

Don't lump everything together. No need to try to paint the USP on 20 sheets. Everything should be very simple: 1-3 phrases. If you really can't wait to describe in detail all the benefits, then there are separate texts for this. In the USP, you single out only the main thing, the squeeze, and if you wanted to, you painted it somewhere separately.

We hope that after reading this article, it will be easier for you to create a truly strong unique selling proposition. All the inputs for this are there - you just need to sit down and do it.

We promise that after your USP crystallizes into something concrete and profitable, you will immediately notice a positive change. Tested thousands of times and proven by the laws of business.

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Hello dear readers. Today we will talk about a very important component of any business, which 90% always forget about. This is a USP (Unique Selling Proposition). This is the foundation of the basics, this is what any business project should start with, this is what distinguishes you from competitors, what pushes your business up or, on the contrary, drags you down. We will talk about what a USP is and how to form it for your business in this article.

This article will give you an idea of how to accurately solve a client's problem, turn his desire into reality and persuade him to make a purchase from you.

What is a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

A USP is a definition of the features of your business that are unique in their own way to your product or service. Moreover, these properties are distinctive features your product, and, of course, are not available from competitors. This is what fundamentally distinguishes you from competitors, shows your strengths and solves the problem of potential customers.

Why a business needs to start with the development of a USP

Let's take online shopping as an example (if this is closest to me). The vast majority of modern online stores, at the beginning of their work, try to master everything at once. As a rule, their principle of work is to become famous for excellent quality, affordable prices, instant delivery of goods, polite couriers, a high level of service quality, as well as a long warranty period. But that's not all.

But often it turns out that trying to cover a lot of things, you can not cover anything.

I already brought him up. For example, you have an Audi car. Something is broken and your car needs to be repaired. You find 2 auto-services: a car service that repairs many brands of cars and a car service that specializes specifically in the Audi brand. In favor of which of the above options would you still make your choice?

Of course, the right decision will be the service station that specializes in the Audi brand.

But not everything is so simple, there are exceptions. The first company may also have vast experience in servicing your car and will cope with the task quickly and efficiently. But, if you conduct a survey, then the majority will obviously be for the service station, which specializes in a separate brand.

What conclusion can be drawn from this? When developing your USP, you need to cover only a piece of the market, but cover it 100%. For example, not to sell children's clothes, but clothes for newborns. Many examples can be cited. The main thing is to convey the essence. Start with a narrower niche, become a leader in it, and only then expand.

How to create your own USP

An algorithm consisting of only five steps will help you create your USP, which will become yours. calling card for every potential buyer.

Describe and rate your audience

Before starting a business, decide who your potential audience is. Try to think more narrowly and then you will hit right on target. For example, if you want to open a pet food store, consider only reaching out to cat owners or dog owners. You do not need to initially cover ALL animals. Believe me, if you have great service and a large assortment of dog food, then you will have enough customers in the face of dog breeders. Because of the diversity in the choice and focus on them, all dog breeders will be yours.

Find customer issues

Try to put yourself in your client's shoes. What problems might he have? When we opened the handbag store, we immediately realized that among women, the majority of customers would be women with small children. And we were not wrong. When delivering the goods, very often we were thanked for the delivery, because you can’t go shopping and leave a small child alone. We also understood that we would often need to deliver goods to the place of work, because not everyone has time to go shopping after work. We also brought goods up to 10 pieces to choose from, because we knew that the choice in this case is very important and this is one of the problems of a client who orders in an online store without seeing the item and without touching it with his own hands.

Highlight your most important qualities

This step involves finding and describing 3-5 characteristic qualities that will help the client choose you, and not a competitor. It is important to convey to the audience that all these bonuses can only be obtained by working with you! What advantages do you have, not your competitors?

Think like your consumer. What benefits matter most to your customers? How do they solve their problem? Also compare your offer with that of competitors. Whose benefits are more enticing?

What guarantees can you give

This is a very important element of the USP. You must give people a guarantee for your services and products. But not just a guarantee, but a guarantee of the “I answer with my head” type. Examples:

“Our courier will deliver your order in no more than 25 minutes. Otherwise, you will get it for free!”

- "If our method of losing weight does not help you, we will return 2 times more money than you paid for it."

If you are not confident in your products and services yourself, then customers will not be confident.

We compose USP

Now collect everything that you got from the first 4 points and try to fit it all into 1-2 small sentences. Yes, it is possible that this will take a lot of thought for a long time, but it's worth it! After all, it is this offer, as a rule, is the first thing that catches the eye of a client who visits your site or sees your ad.

What is the key to a successful USP?

USP should be clear and concise;
Don't complicate it, it will make it harder for customers to understand;
Promise only what you can deliver;
Put yourself in the place of the client and evaluate everything from his side.

Just don't rush into it. Give the USP a few days. Believe me, it's worth it. Then it will be easier for you to make advertising, you will be more confident to move on.

If your goal is to create a successful and profitable business Don't try to chase every product and service in your niche. Narrow it down as much as possible. In addition, try to do everything qualitatively. This will allow you to earn good reputation, earn positive reviews satisfied customers and stand out from the competition.

Unique Selling Proposition Examples

Below we will analyze the USPs that are common and make an adjustment. The result will be more targeted and tempting.

"We have the lowest prices!"

Is this a UTP? Yes, prices are important, but anyone can write like that. By including a guarantee, you can get a much cooler USP. As the M-Video store did: “If you find a price lower than ours, we will sell at this price and give a discount on the next purchase.” That's what I understand by UTP. I myself used this 1 time, throwing off a link to a product in another online store and receiving a product in M-Video for this amount, as well as a coupon for a discount of 1000 rubles. for your next purchase.

"We have highest level quality!”

Also blah blah blah. “If our simulator did not help you, then we will refund you 2 of its cost.” Here's how you can not buy, reading such lines?

“Exclusive only with us!”

It’s more complicated here, but since you write this, then confirm with a guarantee. "If you find this product elsewhere, show us and get a gift with your purchase."

"We have best service and support"

Well, what is it? Another thing: "If we do not deliver in 40 minutes, then you will receive the order for free." Or an example from Virgin Airlines: "If our operator does not answer within 10 seconds, you will receive a free flight." This is what I mean by SERVICE!

Conclusion

Think that this article turned out to be as detailed as possible and you can create a USP for your business based on it. If you have any questions, ask in the comments. But just don’t ask to create a USP for you or give an example specifically for your business. This is not a quick process and I will not just sit and brainstorm. You are the founder of your business and it is YOU who should come up with the USP.

When you meet some USPs, it breaks out: "Oops!".

Typical, no benefits, lackluster, too generic.

But it is the unique selling proposition that is the heart of any business. The one that revolves around marketing strategy, which helps to advantageously rebuild from competitors and occupy its part of the market.

Let's assume that the USP is the core, surrounded by hot marketing magma. It moves, mixing, positioning, characteristics of the target audience, competitive information, the benefits of a product or service, as well as the company's business objectives.

If the core is weak, then the magma spreads, smearing the outlines of the company throughout the sales market. And sooner or later the boundaries of business are erased, and then completely disappear.

Here is such a metaphor. And it’s easier to say this: a strong USP = a strong company.

John Carlton, in one of his speeches, says that in search of "the same UTP" It may take more than one sleepless night. But the result should be something special that puts your business in the buyer's mind.

To help you in this difficult task, we have collected 8 scenarios, using which you will create your competitive offer without much loss of time and nerve cells.

Scenario #1: Unique Feature

If there are a lot of analogues of your business on the market, then try to find some unique difference. Either find or create.

How the marketers of TM "Twix" acted in this situation: they divided an ordinary chocolate-wafer bar into two sticks. And on this they built the entire communication strategy.

Scenario #2

It is very difficult to come up with something original in a classic business. Then it's worth looking for what your competitors are missing.

For example, Claude Hopkins once noticed that toothpaste not only cleans teeth, but also removes unpleasant plaque (film). And so the slogan was born. "Gets Rid of Film on Teeth".

And when developing a USP for a beer brand, he noticed that at the factory bottles are not just washed, but doused with a powerful stream of steam. Mr. Hopkins has taken this workflow (which is used, in fact, by all beer makers) into a concept - "Our Bottles Are Washed With Live Steam!"

Of course, here you need to immerse yourself in all areas of business: from production to the work of secretaries and delivery services.

By the way, you probably remember the classic example of Domino Pizza delivery. It sounds like this: “Delivery in 30 minutes. If we're late - pizza as a gift".

There is a little military trick in this scenario: the business owner often blurs his eyes, and an experienced copywriter with the makings of a detective Maigret is able to pull out a hot and fresh USP.

Scenario #3: The John Carlton Formula

Formula perfect suitable for business in the service sector. It doesn't even need to come up with anything revolutionary or creative. Substitute your data - and get a working USP.

“With ________ (service, product) we help _________ (ca) solve ______ (problem) with ____ (benefit).”

Options:

With the Slimming course, we will help women put on their favorite bikini by the summer.
The Self Copywriter training will help businessmen save hundreds of dollars on freelance services.
The Mary Poppins service will help mothers to go to the gym, movies and shopping while the baby is under the supervision of an experienced nanny.

The examples are not perfect, but they demonstrate the very principle of working with the Carlton formula. The main thing is that we explain to the target audience what benefits our product or service brings.

Scenario #4: Innovativeness

If the product solves the buyer's problems in a completely new way, then this must be stated in the USP. And "…do not be shy"- as Ivan Dorn sings in his hit.

What could it be:

innovative formula;
new product;
new packaging;
a new format of interaction with the buyer;
revolutionary way of delivery;
and so on…

Innovation! The first Nivea Q10 3 in 1 Roll-On Gel for wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness.
Vicks - We've combined healing ingredients and the mild flavor of Lemon Tea to help relieve 6 cold symptoms.

Scenario #5: USP with a problem

You can turn the problem of your audience into a unique selling proposition. Those. go not from the description of the service, but from solving the complex problem of a potential buyer.

Has a tooth? Ointment "Nebolin" will relieve pain in 5 minutes.
Bad mood? Invite a friend over for coffee at McDonald's.
Confused about finding cheap flights? Check out our offers of 183 airlines.

TV commercial example:

- Got a cold? Flu? With Aflubin tablets, a tangible improvement in health comes much faster. (Translated from Ukrainian).

Scenario number 6. USP with a bow

So we call any advantage that is associated with gifts, bonuses, discounts, guarantees and other consumer "goodies".

Phones "Samsung" - a guarantee of 5 years. Order a dessert, get coffee as a gift.
Buy 2 pizzas, the third one is free.
Make an order for 1000 rubles, and our taxi will take you home for free.

This is a successful scenario for a unique offering, but it is unlikely that such a USP will work with the same efficiency for a long time. Use this formula for seasonal promotions.

Scenario number 7. USP with muscles

Here you need to play with the muscles of your business, show all your friends and envious people the strengths of the company, product, service.

What could it be:

low price;
huge assortment;
free service;
goods of cool brands;
support for a bright personality;
hundreds of awards and diplomas;
offices throughout the country.

In general, all the characteristics to which you can add the word "most".

It is not enough just to declare one's "self" for the USP. We need facts, figures, evidence.

Scenario number 8. Disadvantages

Sometimes small flaw(explicit or fictional) can become a serious competitive advantage.

If you are lucky and you have such a characteristic, then feel free to declare it in the USP.

village milk with a short shelf life;
homemade chicken without excess water in the package;
a fitness instructor who will not spare you;
our beer runs out too fast.

If you don't have a USP yet, or what you have doesn't work, these 8 scenarios will help you craft a new proposal with the right emphasis.

Take a pen and paper and start writing down all the characteristics and features of your business. Write a day, two, a week. Then postpone and after a while return to the list again. Delete everything superfluous, boring, dull and similar to others. And you will have that golden pomace that will become the core of the entire business.

Do you think that it is difficult and will take you too much time? Then you know who to contact.

How to understand which product characteristics to emphasize in a unique selling proposition
Creating a unique selling proposition: how often to update the USP
Examples of a unique selling proposition: what to base on if the products are no different from competitors' offers

Unique selling proposition so far it has to be considered a rather young phenomenon that has been used in Russian business since the early 2000s, when brands began to enter the market.

We have to admit that with a lot of talk about this issue, few are really involved in the development of the USP. Most companies in Russia do not have a clear understanding of their target audience, as a result they are focused on everyone.

How often does a manager need to deal with the company's strategy or change it? Most of the directors who created successful businesses, and management consultants agree on one thing: in modern times - constantly. A change in strategy is not an indicator of weakness, but, on the contrary, an indicator of the company's vitality.

In this article, we have collected four types of strategic approaches, their examples, as well as templates and tables for defining a company's strategy.

Without the ability to distinguish itself from its competitors, without the ability to highlight the features of its offer to customers, the company will be forced to limit itself to a rather modest flow of buyers and sales.

Algorithm for developing the right USP

First step. Collection of primary information. A table should be drawn up, which will indicate the characteristics of the products and competitive advantages for the client, which he receives through cooperation with your company. Experience confirms that the more written, the better. It will be possible to write 15 competitive characteristics - excellent, 20 - even better. At the same time, all benefits and advantages for customers, albeit insignificant, should be described. After specifying your advantages, you should cross out those benefits that your competitors can offer. Our goal is to find and offer competitors the advantages that only we have.

Second step. Checking the relevance of benefits.

Search engine statistics. You should test each of the selected benefits with a search query to understand how often potential customers try to find a solution to a similar problem.
Cards feedback. For loyal customers, you can offer to fill out feedback cards, highlighting the most important benefits.
Open question. If it is not possible to achieve clear results by comparing their advantages with the benefits offered by competitors, sales staff and marketers should be instructed to ask loyal customers the question - “Why do you choose to work with us?”. Quite a variety of answers can come out of the output, but the most common ones can be used for your USP.
Sales analysis. This method was used to create a unique selling proposition for a garment factory. The head of the sales department noted the high demand for women's clothing large sizes and clothes for fat ones in comparison with other positions in the assortment of the enterprise. This information formed the basis of a unique trade offer: “Clothes for obese women. Our dresses, thanks to a special cut, allow you to hide the fullness and emphasize the beauty of the figure - all your femininity. This text was chosen for advertisement when published in newspapers, magazines and other media. Over time, it was possible to confirm the excellent dynamics of the overall increase in the number of sales.

Third step. USP testing.

Divide your clients into groups randomly, sending different types of messages for each group.
Accommodation contextual advertising, based on various types unique selling proposition. The USP option becomes the main one, which helped to achieve the maximum number of responses.

3 conditions for creating a unique selling proposition

To form a unique selling proposition, three conditions must be taken into account:

The first condition is to emphasize the uniqueness of your product. Quite a difficult question for many. In particular, how to emphasize the uniqueness of a standard washing powder? But in reality, there are many characteristics of your product that can be noted, attracting the attention of the target audience - including:

Useful additional service. “Buyers of goods for any amount are provided free shipping in the city". Or jewelry stores offer to “enter each date into the database so that the buyer does not forget to congratulate his beloved.”
Polite and diligent staff. Probably, many have met such ads - “we will wash the car in 20 minutes or return your money”, “only polite and sober movers”.
Narrow specialization - "store of elite alcoholic beverages" or "rock karaoke bar".
Orientation of the company to a specific category of customers. "Toy store for girls".
Leading positions in the market. "The largest selection of automotive parts in town." At the same time, it is important that the statement in the USP is true - in order to avoid negative consequences for the company's reputation.
Elitism - for example, a commercial photographer in his USP may indicate "shooting in luxurious interiors with expensive items."
High result. "85 of our students are employed within 3 months."
Providing customers with guarantees. Including a refund or free service for a certain period. In any case, there will be returns, but for the most part they turn out to be isolated cases. If there is no way to keep this promise, it is better to change your unique selling proposition.
Ask what your customers need. In particular, you can think about a survey, or a study on finding the most interesting USP for the target audience is suitable.
The USP should not be directed at the users themselves, but at the decision makers.
Compare your services or products with competitors. For example, one of the washing powders gained its fame thanks to the motto "If there is no difference, then why pay more?".
Keep the cost to a negligible amount. For example, “advertising in our newspaper - 600 rubles. per month. Advertisements are published three times a week - 12 times a month. Therefore, one publication will cost only 50 rubles. 20,000 subscribers will be able to see this ad, so pay only 0.25 kopecks for each client.”
Express the cost in non-financial terms. In particular, one of the coupon services sends offers to its customers - “give your beloved a festive bouquet of roses, a romantic evening and two movie tickets for the price of a tank of gasoline.”

False unique selling propositions

Obvious promises. "If you do not like the product, we promise to return the money for the purchase within 14 days." But such a promise cannot be considered a unique selling proposition, because it is mandatory requirement under the Consumer Protection Act.

Invented advantage. Among the most striking examples are “cholesterol-free vegetable oil” (cholesterol can only be found in animal fats) and “non-GMO salt”.

Opposition based on a play on words. "Smoke Cool - Avoid hot cigarettes." Cool cigarettes are opposed to other brands and allegedly differ in temperature characteristics. It's just that in the slogan the main emphasis is on the play on words ( English cool - "cool, cool").

The second condition is that the client must understand his own benefit. The properties specified in the unique selling proposition must meet the needs of the buyer. You need to clearly show what benefit the client will receive, noting other important qualities:

Saving washing powder. It rinses out easier, does not harm the skin.
More washes for the same price.
Compact sills are environmentally friendly, reducing environmental impact.

The complex of advantages, if not limited to only one benefit, allows you to interest a wider target audience- and those who want to save money, and those who care about the skin, and worry about the environmental situation in the world.

Commercial offer: samples and examples. 16 killers and boosters everyone needs to know

He speaks CEO

Evgeny Panteleev, General Director of the cosmetic association "Freedom", Moscow

Our company is launching this year new line cosmetic products. The USP includes the principle of the ratio of quality and price - the product is presented in the mass market price category, and in terms of characteristics and composition it is more reminiscent of the products of the world's leading brands. Let us consider in more detail how such a USP of our cosmetic products appeared.

The company celebrated its 170th anniversary in 2013, and in preparation for such a significant date, it decided to send employees to participate in the major French exhibition In-Cosmetics. There we managed to meet the heirs of the founder of our company, many hereditary perfumers. They introduced us to many representatives of French laboratories that specialize in new areas in the field of cosmetology, and helped us a lot in organizing negotiations. We were particularly interested in the developments of the Soliance laboratory - its representatives offered us exclusive conditions for the supply of a component with a unique rejuvenating effect (hyaluronic acid microsphere). The use of this component for leading cosmetic products is already envisaged, including in the assortment of the famous world brands YvesRocher, L'Oreal and Clarins.

In addition to the exclusive right to use this microsphere for our cosmetic line, we also managed to count on comprehensive methodological support from business partners from France. They assisted in the formation of new SKUs, the research center of our company also created its own recipes. This approach allowed us to provide the first USP - the high quality of our products. There were also additional arguments in favor of our line - the results of testing the quality of competitors' products, which we organized in the research center. According to the results of the last study, it was possible to confirm that our product is not inferior in its properties to more expensive analogues.

The second component deserves special attention - the cost. In the matter of price, our USP has a certain “immunity”. Since we received an exclusive opportunity from the French developer to use his know-how - the hyaluronic acid microsphere. Therefore, it is unlikely that any of the Russian manufacturers will be able to compare with our prices, and foreign analogues are much more expensive.

Alexey Pyrin, General Director, Artisifood, Moscow

We are engaged not only in production, but also in the sale of fish and seafood. We make the main bet in our activities on the b2b sector. Usually, wholesale suppliers food products do not have a well-known, recognizable brand, so it is really difficult to stand out from your competitors. They decided to take the factor of an extensive assortment as the basis for promoting their services. The vast majority of companies offer a little bit of everything, they cannot deliver rare products. We managed to significantly expand the range of our services - about 200 types of seafood and fish, while informing customers about various unusual products. Therefore, we managed to surpass our competitors in terms of USP margin by 8-10%.

The third condition is the significance of the promised benefit. We only have ten seconds to interest a potential client. Therefore, with a more significant problem that we propose to solve to the client, with the most understandable and accessible wording of your proposal, it will be possible to make it more recognizable and famous brand for potential clients. Actually, this rule is practically everywhere - the only exception is complex technique(as a rule, consumers analyze and compare characteristics in advance).

On the FMCG market it is necessary to determine the most significant property, which will be recorded in the unique selling proposition and on the packaging. In particular, the pleasant aroma of the product can be noted on the packaging. This property over time has already begun to be taken for granted, so we moved on to “effective stain removal”. The heroes of our commercials could get very dirty, but no amount of dirt could withstand the effects of a powerful powder. As a result, we managed to achieve sales growth of more than 5 times within five years.

Private label products: what buyers are willing to give their money for

Is Your Product's Unique Selling Proposition Effective: Three Parameters to Check

Ilya Piskulin, Director of Love marketing agency, Moscow

Try, for example, creating an "antonym" for your unique selling proposition.

1. Your unique selling proposition cannot be used by competitors

If competitors repeat your offer, they will deceive the client. Somehow in my practice there was a case. One of our companies started producing windows with a ventilation system. A competing firm said their windows are also ventilated. We sent a mystery shopper to them and found out that we are talking about valve ventilation, which works only at positive temperatures and is not installed in Russia. The company also knew about this and therefore immediately warned customers that it was not worth buying windows with ventilation. That is, the company attracted customers by the fact that it was not going to sell. Of course, the buyers were disappointed. There was no other competitor on the market who could repeat our USP and at the same time keep the promise.

USP examples. The restaurant is the only one in the area that cooks dishes on the grill or serves a business lunch in 20 minutes. The window manufacturing company is the only one among its kind that makes metal siding under a log. Production of road paint that glows in the dark. A development company can offer a lake on the territory of a holiday village or an already operating gas supply system in a new house.

If competitors repeat your offer, they will violate their positioning. Once I watched the death of a grill bar. At first, he positioned himself as an extreme bar, but unexpectedly announced that he was starting to hold children's matinees on Sundays. The regulars were at a loss, and new customers (young mothers with children) did not dare to go to an incomprehensible institution. It is important that the USP reflects exactly your positioning and does not suit your closest competitors.

USP examples. If BMW announced that it had produced the safest car, it would cause bewilderment of motorists (safety is a familiar attribute of Volvo). The announcement that the Chanson radio festival will take place in the Gipsy nightclub will also sound strange.

2. You can build a reverse USP without it being absurd.

Often, instead of USP, people say things for granted about high quality, excellent price and wide range. In my practice, there was a company that publicly declared that it had the most expensive apartments in the city. Sales were excellent (I note that this was before the crisis). At the same time, another company was operating on the market, which claimed to have the cheapest apartments. And they sold well too. Both USPs sounded good and worked. If the USP does not have a working "antonym", then it will not be very effective. So, in my practice there was a cottage village that sold the largest plots, measured in hectares. Unfortunately, there was no company on the market that sold the smallest plots, for example, 10 acres, because no one needs them anymore. Sales were neither shaky nor fluctuating ... You should not write in the advertisement of the club that it has great music (it is unlikely that there will be a club with terrible music) or emphasize in the advertisement of the restaurant that there is delicious food and good service.

USP examples. In a restaurant ad, it’s better to write “located on the roof, away from the bustle of the city” instead of “located in a great place” (because you can say the opposite - “a restaurant in the very center of the city”, and this will also be a good USP).

3. You want to believe your USP

It happens that the USP is formulated either indistinctly, or incomprehensibly, or simply does not inspire confidence. We once promoted lymphatic drainage massage, which, when used correctly, can create the effect of a slight weight loss immediately after the session. It turned out that people did not really believe in the slogan “weight loss in 1 hour”, in contrast to the slogan “weight loss in 1 day” (there were many times more clicks).

USP example. You should not promise “weight loss by 10 kilograms in 3 days”, indicate more realistic terms.