21 Clarifying your unique selling proposition

What is a unique selling proposition?

A USP is something that distinguishes you from all your competitors in your local marketplace. It is what makes you so unique that it motivates people to choose you over anyone else. Your USP is a way of stating your unique advantage.

Here are some examples of the USPs of some well known successful businesses, their clever differentiating USPs have helped to propel their respective companies to success.

Domino’s Pizza – Fresh hot pizza in 30 minutes or less
Norwich Union Direct – We quote you happy
Federal Express – When it absolutely, positively has to be there

Why is it important?

It is a competitive marketplace for any small business owner and with many people offering similar products and services you need to do your best to differentiate yourself from the others.

There are many typical statements that businesses make about themselves, open Yellow Pages and read some of the adverts in your section. Everybody offers a professional service, quality products and value for money.

Are you saying the same or something different? To stand out you will need to be saying something that is unique and different.

Your challenge

Your challenge is to identify and communicate your uniqueness and feel completely comfortable when you do. That means you’ve got to clarify what you do or can start doing for your customers that delivers a result or an advantage that’s superior or different from the competition.

This needs to form part of everything you do. You don’t just say it, you need to live it, to demonstrate it and to show it. That means whatever you stand for, you do.

Take your time, as your USP is not likely to be the first thing you think of. This needs some careful consideration.

What makes a USP successful?

Your USP should answer the most fundamental question that every buyer needs to know: ‘Why should I buy from you?’

Your USP should communicate the most powerful benefit or advantage you offer to your prospects or customers above your competitors. You must determine what they’re not getting from anyone else or what will solve their major fears or frustrations – and offer it to them!

Each of these benefits must be:

• Specific and real.
• Measurable (time, quality or quantity).
• Achievable and provable.
• Relevant to your customers’ needs and objectives in a positive way.
• Time bound if appropriate.
• Honest and ethical.

USP DEVELOPMENT – SPECIAL RESPONSE CHECKLIST

• Find out what the main problems or frustrations typical customers have with a product or service similar to yours. Ask people.
• Think about what is special and unique about your business. Make a list.
• Read your testimonials – what positive feedback have you had from your customers?
• What do your satisfied customers repeatedly praise you for?
• Check out your competitors’advertising. Note down the promises they are making.
• Note down what you could offer that is different from the competition.
• Match what you can do particularly well with what problems people want solving.
• Choose a selection of benefits that you could promote that would make your business stand out from the crowd.
• Pick out one or two things that you could make specific and measurable. It may be the speed at which you deliver, the quality you produce, the results you are sure you can deliver. Make sure it passes the SMART test (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound).
• Test these USPs in your advertising and monitor the response.

Sample small business USPs

Here are some examples of how two companies worked out their potential USPs.

They started with the problems potential customers have and then defined what they wanted instead. USPs easily come to mind as a result of working through this simple process.

How to use your USP

Once you have put some careful thought into your USP and you have developed it, you will need to integrate it into everything that you do.

Your USP needs to be found in your advertisement headlines, your body copy, in your Yellow Pages adverts. It must find its way to your website home page and be repeated throughout. Your business stationery can even mention of it. When you make a sales presentation or chat at a networking event your USP should always find its way into the conversation. You can never wear it out. If it is good and it works you should shout it from the roof tops.

22 Creating and communicating a brand identity

What is a brand?

A brand is far more than a snazzy name and a nice bit of artwork. Many people think that a brand is simply the company’s logo or corporate identity. It is much more than that.

A brand is the memorable message that is created when a company successfully promotes externally the emotional connection it wants its customers to have with its business.

Why do you need a brand?

It’s not just national businesses that need a brand image. Whatever sized business, club or personality you are, you need to have a clear identity and be memorable in your marketplace. The better your brand image, the more likely you are to sustain business growth and customer support.

Your challenge

Many businesses have outgrown their image or have one that sends the wrong messages out. If you are a new business you may not have given it any thought at all. Your brand identity and strap-line needs to be a true reflection of your essence and it must communicate instantly with your ideal target audience. It needs to reflect the business you are in and be easy to understand.

This is something you will use throughout your marketing and delivery materials. The more people see it, the more they will remember and associate it with you.

What makes a brand successful?

Clarity is important. A clear brand message combined with a clear point of difference is the key to success. Your brand image works hand in hand with your unique selling proposition. A successful brand cleverly positions its message and its image to fit with a perceived gap in the marketplace. A gap that people want filled. It then proceeds to maintain that brand value by providing a high level of consistency in both the promotion of and delivery of that value.

BRAND CREATION – SPECIAL RESPONSE CHECKLIST

To get this right you will need to focus outwards towards your existing and potential customers; they are the people you want to respond to your brand.

Step 1 – Research

• Look at other brands in your marketplace – what do you like?
• Consider what your current brand communicates to your customers.
• Ask yourcustomers what they think.
• Ask people who don’t use your business currently what they think.
• Listen, as perception is reality.
• Ask the same customer groups if they were buying a service like yours what their expectations would be.

Step 2 – Define desired brand values

• Create a list of the values people want from a business like yours.
• Brainstorm with your team the values you offer that your customers appreciate.
• Choose three or four main values that you would like to incorporate into your brand.

Step 3 – See the visual impact you want to create

• Write down words that describe the image you would like to portray to the marketplace.
• Find samples of the visual representations of those messages.
• Notice the impact of colour – choose colours that hit the right emotional buttons.
• Find a designer who listens to exactly what you want to achieve with your brand. Provide a full brief.

Step 4 – Fine tune with feedback

• Once some sample images have been created, get feedback from a selection of customers and members of the team.
• Ask yourself – if I was a customer for this service/product what would this new image communicate to me?

How to use your new brand image

Once you have created your brand you will need to make sure that people see it and become familiar with it. Brands become memorable the more they are seen in the marketplace, so you will need to consider a brand awareness campaign. Your brand will be represented on everything you use to communicate with the public. Some useful ways to get your brand out there in the public domain and create awareness are as follows:

• Sponsoring floral displays on roundabouts.
• Bus and transport advertising.
• Banners and signs.
• Bus stop advertising in busy locations.
• Local TV advertising.
• Cinema advertising.
• Sponsoring perimeter boards at local sporting venues.

To make an impact your brand needs to be continually in front of people. You will need to be careful with your advertising budget and choose activities that offer continuity as well as a presence in front of the right people.

23 Developing a strap-line slogan for your business

What is a strap-line slogan?

A strap-line slogan is a one line statement about your business that captures the essence of your USP and then positions the value promise that you are making to your customer.

Here are some examples of the strap-line slogans some of the familiar brand names use.

Abbey – more ideas for your money
Honda – the power of dreams
PC World – the best of both worlds
KwikFit – keeping tyre and exhaust prices down
Panasonic – ideas for life
Tesco – every little helps
Dulux – we know the colours that go
Shredded Wheat – put all your heart into life
Typhoo tea – you only get an 00 with Typhoo

Why do you need a strap-line?

People are more likely to remember your name and strap-line slogan than anything else. You can use it to drive a simple, effective message into the minds of your customers which, if done well, will stay there.

Your challenge

Your challenge is to create exactly the right statement for your business. You must be able to capture the core of what your business is all about in a few simple words, which must be both memorable and inspirational. Words that mean something to your potential customers.

To be successful a strap-line must

• Be memorable.
• Be short and snappy.
• Stand out from the crowd.
• Communicate a value or benefit that ultimately is important to the customer.
• Work with your company name and your logo.
• Speak a language that your audience will relate to.
• Capture the heart of your strength as a business.
• Communicate the heart of your business brand.
• Provoke a positive association.

STRAP-LINE DEVELOPMENT – SPECIAL RESPONSE CHECKLIST

• Keep in mind the work you have done on your brand image and unique selling proposition in previous chapters.
• Focus on the reasons why someone may buy from you.
• Make a list of the values or outcomes they might need satisfying when they buy from you (results, service, pleasure, savings, inspiration, ideas).
• Write all these words in different coloured pens on a piece of flip chart paper. Put it up on a wall to ponder.
• Link the words in the list in different combinations.
• Go for a walk, relax and see what comes up.
• Test the combinations you have created.
• Does it communicate a USP?
• Does it communicate the ultimate value of what you offer to your customers?
• What does it promise your customers?
• Is it catchy?
• How well does it work with your business name and brand image?
• Leave it for a few days and see whether you have any more inspiration.
• Test one or two of your ideas with some of your customers and team members.

How to use your strap-line

You can use your strap-line along with your logo on everything you use to communicate with your customers. It should appear on all your marketing and business literature. It should appear at the end of every email that you send out. It needs to appear in your advertising and on your website.

This is a message that you want people to associate with you and your business, so whenever you get the opportunity to use it – do it!

24 Believing in yourself

What is self-belief?

Self-belief is a feeling of confidence in your own values, skills and experiences. It is a voice inside your head that says I can do this. It is a sense of knowing yourself and what you are capable of. It is looking at yourself and what you stand for positively. Having self-belief doesn’t mean that you are perfect. Believing in yourself often means that you accept your weaknesses whilst seeing your strengths at the same time. Having self-belief means you can be honest with yourself, make mistakes and learn from them, be realistic. You don’t get knocked back by others’ comments or opinions. You are steadfast in your approaches, consistent. You know deep down you can do this.

Why is it important?

If you have taken that enormous leap of faith and started your own business then you must have bucket loads of self-belief already. You do need to maintain it. Running your own business is completely different from life in the corporate world. Everything relies on you. To be a success and do yourself and your business justice you need to maintain your self-belief.

Your challenge

Everybody has moments of doubt or can be unsure about something or other from time to time; it is a natural process. The challenge is not to let those moments accumulate and affect your self-belief. You will always face the challenge of other people’s comments and opinion. You may have noticed in your life that there are people that you feel good being around and others you don’t. Some people give you positive energy because they believe in you. You feel it and you rise to the occasion. Others may always have a negative comment to make about what you are doing or talking about. Don’t let these comments rock your self-belief. Always question the person’s reason for the comment. If it is based on fact you will listen; if not, then it is only their opinion. You will need to stay strong.

HOW TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF – SPECIAL RESPONSE CHECKLIST

To develop a high level of self-belief these are some of the things that you can do.

• Make a list of all the things that you are good at.
• Keep a record of all the positive comments made about you or the service you offer and read them from time to time.
• Relive experiences when you have relied on yourself and made a success of something. It could be anything from achieving in a sporting event, travel, going to college or university, getting your first job.
• Think about times when you have overcome adversity. What did you do? What qualities did this demonstrate?
• What do you think you do really well in the business that you are in?
• Talk yourself up. Monitor the way you talk to yourself. Say I can more often than I can’t.
• Look at what you have achieved as opposed to what you haven’t.

How to use this information

Just be aware of your own varying levels of self-belief and how this is impacting on you and your business. Take as many opportunities to build yourself up. The stronger your self-belief is the more likely you will be to succeed.