Hi I'm Patrick Bell of Alpha International and this is your business acceleration short course, Lesson 3 - How to Formulate a Killer USP.

Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) must be clear in all of your business acceleration activities. It is what a customer recognizes and thinks of instantly when they see or hear your name and it is your distinctive selling advantage that sets you above and apart from your competition. If you don't have a USP, or you don't articulate the one you do have, then you're lucky to get any business at all.

Many businesses make a basic mistake when they attempt any sort of marketing. When they are trying to attract new customers, they don't state their distinctive advantage and so they indirectly say, "Give me your business instead of my competitors, for no reason at all." Or, "Give me your charity because I have nothing special to offer you." It's ridiculous! Why would businesses do that? If you cannot give them a better reason, they are probably not going to transfer their business over to you.

Special Note: Do not confuse your USP with a slogan such as "Best Price, Best Service". These are usually empty statements that mean little. Write out your USP in one or two paragraphs if you can and refine it until it's irresistible.

Think about these questions:

1. Every business has a distinctive advantage. What is yours?

2. Do you communicate it clearly in every sales call that is made, every ad that is placed?

3. What advantage do you advertise to the market so that they would be foolish to go to anyone else? (If you don't have a distinctive advantage, you must create one or you risk becoming a commodity just like most other businesses.)

4. Can all of your staff articulate your USP? (If you aren't sure, have a friend or associate walk through your business and ask each of your employees what the distinctive advantage of the business is. If you get varied answers, or no answers at all, you know that you have some work to do.)

5. What can you do to focus in a niche and communicate to your prospective clients that you are the only logical choice to come to?

6. If you want to take it to a whole new level, what can you do to dis-empower your competition and take their market share before they know what hit them?

If you don't have a USP, or you don't communicate the one you have, then you are lucky to get the business you have. If there are 100 buyers and there are 19 other stores like yours, then you will just get 5 of those 100 or 5%.

You need to spend time developing your USP, then make sure it is communicated through everything from your ads, your telephone conversations, and every contact you have with a customer or prospect.

Begin with this template:

1. You are likely aware that many business do this (state the biggest problem in your industry).

2. We at (your company name) are unlike those businesses.

3. What we do is (fill in your distinctive advantage).

When you have come up with your new USP, do the following:

1. Start to test it in every selling situation possible.

2. Note the reactions of your clients.

3. Write down any positive or negative reactions to your USP.

4. Keep track of sales that result from this new USP.

5. Test various alternatives of the new USP until you have one that truly make your company grow exponentially.

This is a quintessential element for your business growth so it is vital you get it right or your attempts at business acceleration will be limited at best.

To your success,

I'm Patrick Bell