Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is what makes your product or service preferable to the competition’s product or service.  What makes your goods or services valuable enough to the customer that they are willing to be loyal to your brand or company and pay a premium for it?  The answer starts with your customer:   

Your USP must clearly define your direct benefit to the customer. James Malinchak from the ABC television show “The Secret Millionaire” recommends using the phrase “what this means for you”. James calls it “building the value bridge”. The benefit must be able to be measured from the perspective of the customer.

Most business owners struggle with this concept because they can't identify their unique value.  Catch phrases, slogans that rhymes or jingles don’t cut it.  Defining what makes your business truly unique in the eyes of the buyer is your Unique Selling Proposition. It could be as simple as “we have x more percent of an ingredient in our product vs. our competitor” or “we provide service on weekends, afterhours, and on holidays”.  

If you truly don’t know your value, ASK YOUR CUSTOMERS!!  Why are you loyal to our company? What about our product/service makes us indispensable to you?  The biggest challenge is to define your value from the perspective of the customer.   And once you define your USP, make it your company mantra. Every team member should be able to recite what your company means to its customers.  If you can't clearly identify your value, your customers won't be able to either.

What is your unique selling proposition?