What is Your Unique Selling Proposition?

If you have been in sales or developed a business, you’re probably familiar with the phrase, “unique selling proposition” (USP).

It is important to be prepared to communicate your unique selling proposition, consisting of your personal product or service offer when someone asks what you do.  It’s crucial to stand out when someone asks you,”What do you do?”  What is unique about your product or service? Why should I buy from you?

Here’s a little interesting background on the USP. Although I agree with the basic premise of the modern USP, history reveals an interesting marketing motivation. The original unique selling proposition was a marketing concept developed by television advertising pioneers in the early 1940s. Hmm, television advertisers? Now there’s a big red flag! Advertisers formulated unique selling propositions that were designed to “convince” customers to switch brands.  Thus, in keeping with tradition, modern-day USPs are often delivered as an obnoxious, thirty-second commercial or what’s been termed as an “elevator pitch.”

If you interrupt people and hard sell like TV commercials you’ll be sorely disappointed with the results! Here is what I’ve learned. Effective salespeople serve their clients through a discovery process. So its crucial for your 10 or 15 second USP to clearly state how you do a better job of solving your customer’s problem.  Serving, not hard selling or convincing creates a conversational exchange and, consequently, more open doors and referrals than you could imagine.

Forget the sales pitch. Start a conversation, and you will gain more interest, more respect, and better results.

 Do you remember McDonald’s tongue-twisting BIG MAC jingle featuring people accepting a challenge to remember and recite the sandwich ingredients?  Can you recite it without reading it? Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun!  McDonald’s advertising message only served to assure customers that their Big Mac was made one way, their way.

On the contrary, Burger King was right on in the 70s with their television commercial featuring a pretty young girl dressed in a gaudy orange uniform singing an obnoxious yet revolutionary jingle. Can you sing along? Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us, all we ask is that you let us serve it your way.  Have it your way, have it your way, have it your way at Burger King! Our customers and clients want us to serve it their way.

Your Unique Serving Proposition

Are you selling or serving the best interest of your client?  Your unique selling proposition becomes an entirely new approach by merely replacing the word, selling with serving. Serving opens up an entirely new arena of possibilities. Rather than a staunch posture that says: “This is what I do and here’s what I would like to sell you,” you’re inviting a conversational approach that asks the question, “How can my product or service serve you?”  By serving our customer’s best interests, we gain respect, trust, and permission to influence them.

Here’s an excellent template for creating an effective, 10-second elevator pitch:

(I / We) (action verb – help, guide, teach, review, provide, consult with, present, aid, assist, support, grant, give, award, evaluate, assess)

(negative emotions being experienced – frustrated, furious, overwhelmed, clueless, demanding, frightened, desperate, struggling, angry, concerned, worried)

(ideal client description – dog lovers, young adults, chronic pain sufferers, overweight men, homeowners, business owners, brides-to-be, new mothers)

who want to (what they want – increase their profits, find an honest plumber, purchase that perfect diamond, find the relief they need, find the best deal)

(solution – discover a process, learn a fast and easy way, create the perfect solution, uncover the best method, determine the number one reason, realize the best course of action, find the dramatic solution, locate the best deal, position themselves, place themselves first, find out everything they need to know)

to / so that they can (list 3 benefits – live a pain-free life, build the business of their dreams, finally give the perfect gift, feel they’re getting the most value for the money they pay, pay the lowest price, receive the highest value, obtain the best guarantee, receive award-winning service, receive the highest level of expertise at the lowest possible price).