Every business should have a unique selling proposition (USP). Have you figured out what yours is yet? Without a USP, you won’t stand out in a sea of businesses that seamlessly blend together. The business landscape of 2020 is a tempest; the way we do business changes almost daily.  To stay afloat, you must not just stand out, but lead the fleet.  If your goal is to bring your business plan to shore, you gotta know your USP. 

Many business owners believe offering a discount or free shipping will help. However, that is not what is going to make you stand out. These are standard marketing maneuvers. Consumers more or less expect these at this point and they are easily copied.  

So what will help you stand out?  How do you figure out your USP?  

A Unique Selling Proposition defines your company’s unique positions in the marketplace. It allows you to stand apart from competitors and actively focus your energy on creating things that cater to your ideal group of customers.  It is what makes you and your company unique.  If you don’t know your why, there is no reason to believe your market will know why to choose you.  

Let’s pretend we are out shopping for a car. What unique features help you make your decision on the type of vehicle you are looking to purchase? What dealership are you are going to visit to purchase your vehicle? What made that dealership stand out? Was it the way they advertised? Was it their tagline? Do they re-assure the buyer with complete transparency? What made them stand out in your mind? 

There are many ways for you to develop your USP. The first and most important step is to list everything that your business does to help solve the end users need and be specific. What do you offer to your customers? How does what you offer benefit them and why would they choose you over the competition?  Who is your target audience and what dilemma does your product solve for your customers? What pain points are you specifically addressing?  How do you address them differently than your competitors? 

Speaking of competition, the second step of defining your USP is to research the competition. Would you open a business in an area because the view is pretty or would you first do a feasibility study and open a business where there is a need for your product? Without research, you don’t know what you are up against and how you can reach your competitor’s audience. Without research, you don’t even know if people want what you are selling.   

Next, figure out what makes you unique in a sea of monotony. Focus on the customer and not the product. According to HubSpot, “great Salespeople don’t sell just a product or service – they sell the post sales environment.” Once you have completed all these steps, take all the data you have collected and find your unique selling proposition and apply it. When done correctly, you will reap the rewards with a strong customer base that includes loyalty to your brand. Remember, if your customer is smiling and engaged, you have successfully implemented your USP. 

MPWRSource is a unique agency in and of itself. MPWRSource offers growth services that drive revenue, which includes offering strategy, management and implementation services in marketing, communications, and sales.  Additionally, MPWRSource is a HubSpot Solutions Partner, which means it can sell HubSpot software subscriptions with tailor-made inbound marketing analytics and development packages.  Finally, MPWRSource empowers small businesses by offering an array of business resources, such as IT, data management, reputation risk management, coaching, and business operations and processes consulting, that offer efficiency and peace of mind.  MPWRSource and our clients Evolve Together!  There is no other business that offers all of these services and resources to existing and start-up and existing B2B small businesses in the healthcare, accounting and finance, and local government industries within 50 miles of Richmond, VA. We would like to think that our USP is our sparkling personalities, but it probably is more true that it is because we offer a range of services that meet the needs of small business in the RVA area that contributes to our success.