Defining a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

How to determine what makes your business special and different

By Debbi Karpowicz Kickham

Marketing is the art of making your business memorable. A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) uses your business' strengths and uniqueness in a marketing plan and mission statement. With thousands of companies vying for customer dollars, it's important to make your business stand out from the crowd and command attention. Identify key strengths that potential clients will remember.

What makes your company unique? Are there characteristics that pertain only to your company?
A good USP must be something that competitors do not, or will not, offer.
The proposition should be strong enough to attract new customers.

Get your creative juices flowing

Have a brainstorming meeting with key employees and don't judge the answers that are generated; sometimes the most far-fetched facts can be used to create a USP.
Try: Brainstorming offers a Brainstorming toolbox to help generate new ideas. Try it for free, with a 30-day download. VisualMind also offers a free 30-day download. Use Concept Draw's Mindmap software to help tap your creativity. Read Robert Epstein's "Creativity Games for Trainers: A Handbook of Group Activities for Jumpstarting Workplace Creativity."

Prepare an elevator speech

Make your USP short and sweet, so that you can offer it to anyone who asks about your business. Some say that a good elevator speech is the Swiss Army Knife of job tools — with a million-and-one uses.
Try: Veronika Noize offers interactive classes to help craft your elevator speech. Get tips on elevator speeches and effective presentation skills at Creative Keys. Succeeding in Business offers an elevator-speech e-book by Jeffrey Mayer. Find coaching and workshops at Media Skills Training.

Think of your business as a billboard

Create a brief but catchy slogan.
Try: Create the perfect slogan for free at Sloganizer. AdSlogans has a "Sloganalysis" to measure your slogan's effectiveness. Concept Marketing Group offers a resource center for creating strategic slogans. For inspiration, read about the top 10 advertising slogans of the century on Advertising Age.

Put it to good use

A good USP will help your team deliver on its promise. Use your USP in marketing materials, such as brochures, billboards and tag lines so that everyone is familiar with it. Put your message on advertising premiums such as T-shirts, caps, pens, etc.
Try: Get promotional items at Manufacturers Direct and Promo Peddler.