Finding your company’s unique selling proposition

When Circuit City closed in Fort Collins, did you have an obvious alternative? Yup, doubtless it was Best Buy.

Do you have a preference between Office Max and Office Depot? Not really?

No surprise, these stores have, by and large, failed to differentiate themselves. One is as good (or bad) as the other. How about your store or service – is there something that sets you apart from your competition?

That “special sauce” that MacDonald’s used to brag about on its Big Macs – that was its differentiator. McDonald’s has since stopped emphasizing that topping so now a burger is just a burger, unless, of course, it’s the huge $6 burger at Carl’s Jr.

But when you want the greasiest, saltiest, yummiest fries on the planet, don’t you go to McDs? That’s got to be the company’s differentiator these days.

Note: price should never be your differentiator – there has to be something more that’s uniquely appealing to your target audience than that you can get it here for less.

So what can you say about your business that will make people flock to it to purchase a product or service?

What you are in search of is a unique selling proposition, or USP, for your business.

Here are some guidelines for having a winning USP:

• It has to be unique. Find an aspect of the product or service that no one else is offering or providing in the way that you do.
• It has to be attractive. Your target audience needs to find this product or service feature of value.

Simple, right?

Let’s try some examples, so you can figure out your own special sauce:

• A photographer realized he needed to specialize – offer something that no other local shooter did. He settled on maternity pictures. His unique selling proposition is that he captures the beaming and tender emotion of soon-to-be-mothers. He is perfect for the job because he is a doting father of a newborn and he was a movie director for Lifetime TV. He shoots strictly in black and white. His visuals amount to storytelling in pixels. They can be spotted at a glance – they have such a distinctive style. Bonus? After the child is born, he shoots family pictures with the same sort of creative stamp.

Another example?

• A divorce mediation firm set itself apart from divorce law firms, not by emphasizing how much lower the costs would be to mediate. That’s a given. Instead what it stressed is the “hand-holding” it offers, via a compassionate husband/wife team – one being an attorney and the other a psychologist. They cover you legally and emotionally. If the firm’s prices were reasonable, wouldn’t you go to them to take you through the trying details of a divorce?
• Finally, let’s take the neighborhood laundry service. It could tout the fact that it has large machines that can wash and dry comforters, and if no one else offers that, then it’s a differentiator. But what else might fluff them up?

Here are some ideas:

• Armed guard on duty 24/7?
• Antiseptic, spotless environment?
• Free WiFi?
• TV at every machine?

Maybe it’s just as simple as the delivery service they offer. Not only can you drop off your big bag of laundry, but with this “professional wash and fold service” you can expect to have it delivered back to your home within four hours. You don’t even have to go pick it up. Now that’s unique – and appealing!

What can you do to set your business apart? If you brainstorm this with your office or shop colleagues, you’ll surely find a hidden gem worth pointing out to the public.

Then, make that feature the core of your marketing messages – until it wears out (like McD’s special sauce eventually did!) and then start over.

Laurie Macomber, owner of Fort Collins-based Blue Skies Marketing, can be reached at laurie@blueskiesmktg.com or 970-689-3000.

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